Return to Earth From Space Home
Earth from Space logo Image Information Earth from Space logo

Display a Screen Layout for Printing

IMAGE: gray corner       IMAGE: gray corner
  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS037-E-719 Date: Sep. 2013
Geographic Region: UZBEKISTAN
Feature: SAMARKAND, ZERVASHAN R., JOMBOY

Ordering information for space photography
 
IMAGE: gray corner     IMAGE: gray corner

Image: gray corner     Image: gray corner
  View Low-Resolution Image  
  Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The historical Silk Road - or as some scholars prefer, Silk Routes (as there were several "roads") - provided trade routes between Asia and Europe from 206 BC; parts of the Silk Road are still used for transport of goods today. The city of Samarkand, featured in this astronaut photograph from the International Space Station, is one of the oldest and historically most important cities along the Road, occupying a central position between China and the Western nations of Europe. The city is thought to have been founded around 700 BC. In addition to its continual role as a trade center, many events have occurred in the city's long history, including conquering by Alexander the Great(329 BC) and Genghis Khan (1220); becoming the capital city of the empire of Tamerlane, or Timur (1370); the capital city of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic from 1925-1930; and being added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.

Today, Samarkand is the second largest city in the Republic of Uzbekistan (formed in 1991). The urban area (image center) is located within a large oasis situated in the Zerafshan River Valley of southeastern Uzbekistan. Historical accounts of Samarkand describe it as a "paradise", and this favorable climate today still supports extensive agriculture; field are particularly evident to the southwest of the city (green - active; tan - fallow at image lower left). In keeping with its status as a World Heritage site, the city attracts many international visitors due to its preservation of historical and cultural monuments. As the capital of the Samarkand Province, it also serves as the regional government administrative center.
 
Image: gray corner     Image: gray corner

Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 323k
Mission: ISS037  
Roll - Frame: E - 719
Geographical Name: UZBEKISTAN  
Features: SAMARKAND, ZERVASHAN R., JOMBOY  
Center Lat x Lon: 39.6N x 66.9E
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: N5
 
Camera Tilt: 15   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 400  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: N   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number:  
 
Date: 20130913   YYYYMMDD
Time: 073304   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 38.6N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 67.0E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 182   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 221   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 55   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: VALLEY  
Water Views: RIVER  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views: AGRICULTURE, URBAN AREA  
City Views:  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


NASA
Home Page
JSC
Home Page
JSC Digital
Image Collection
Earth Science &
Remote Sensing

NASA meatball logo
This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.
ESRS logo