Neighborhood Spaces of Samarkand: Between Past and Present

• In Event: Neighborhoods in Flux: Colonial Impacts and Decolonial Prospects in and beyond Eurasia

Abstract

Venturing into the heart of Samarkand with the lens of ‘hamsoya’—a Perso-Tajik term for neighbor, capturing the essence of community bonds—this paper dissects the city’s spatial and social transformations across time, highlighting how ‘hamsoya’ sheds light on the creation of neighborhoods, the articulation of identity, and the negotiation of space both before and after the Soviet era. It interlaces urban memory, historical legacies, and the community ethos inherent in ‘hamsoya’ to offer insights into how urban spaces act as vessels for communal identity and memory, challenging the traditional emphasis on the state and its nationalistic inclinations. Through examining the interplay between Samarkand’s socio-cultural fabric and urban morphology, the paper underscores the significance of community-driven spatial development and the lived experience of neighborhood, providing a critical framework for the decolonial reimagining of urban landscapes.

Author

• Nargis Nurulla-Khoja, Silk Road International U (Uzbekistan)