Samarkand was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sogdiana and flourished as a major stop on the Silk Road between East and West. It reached its greatest glory in the 14th century when Timur (Tamerlane) made it the capital of his empire, building the famous Registan square and his mausoleum, Gur-e-Amir — landmarks that remain among the world's finest examples of Islamic architecture today.