Samarkand’s celestial legacy: Tracing Ulugh Beg’s astronomical achievements on the Silk Road
In this episode of Silk Road Adventure, we discover how Ulugh Beg, a 15th-century ruler and scholar, transformed Samarkand into a centre of astronomical excellence, leaving a legacy that continues to shape modern science.
Samarkand, once a bustling hub on the Silk Road, was also an epicentre of scientific discovery. In the 15th century, Ulugh Beg, a Timurid ruler and astronomer, built an advanced observatory where he recorded 1,018 stars in his Zij-i Sultani, a star catalogue used for centuries.
His observatory included the giant Fakhri sextant, an instrument so precise that it rivalled European innovations. Beyond astronomy, Ulugh Beg’s madrasah in Registan Square became a pioneering institution for mathematics and science.
Today, his influence lingers – from the ruins of his observatory to the nomads in the Aydar yurt camp who still navigate by the stars, just as Silk Road travellers once did.
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