Samarkand is found along the Silk Road, perhaps history's most important trade route, and has been a major center of commerce for centuries. The city carries the traces of Genghis Khan, the Abbasids and the Timurid Empire, while also boasting some of the world's finest examples of Islamic architecture. The city itself is protected by the UNESCO "World Cultural Heritage" list, and as you'd expect, it's full of historical wonders.