EnsemblesUnder 1 km away
St Alexius Cathedral, Samarkand
A garrison cathedral of 1909–1911 in Samarkand's European quarter, built to a standard design for Turkestan, closed in the 1920s and reconsecrated in 1996.
St John the Baptist Church, Samarkand
Samarkand's only Catholic church, a neo-Gothic building of 1915–1916 raised with the help of prisoners of war and returned to its parish in 1998.
Ensembles1915–1916About 20 minutes to see
About the place
Samarkand's Catholics, many of them Polish or German, were refused permission to build a church in 1905. During the First World War prisoners of war from Austria-Hungary, among them architects and engineers, arrived in the city, and with their help and parishioners' donations a neo-Gothic church designed by Nelle was finished in 1916.
In Soviet times the spire and religious symbols were removed and the building became a sports hall. A new parish was formed in 1995, the church was handed back in 1998 and reconsecrated in 1999; its interior was renovated in 2021. It stands on Mahmud Koshgari Street.
Why go
- The only Catholic church in Samarkand
- A neo-Gothic building from 1916
- A story of prisoners of war and revival
Sources (4)
Nearby
- Ensembles
EnsemblesUnder 1 km away
Armenian Church of St Mary (Surb Astvatsatsin), Samarkand
A small Armenian church built in 1903 by Samarkand's Armenian community, closed in 1939 and brought back to religious life after independence.
- © OpenStreetMapAttractions
Under 1 km away
Alisher Navoi Central Park, Samarkand
Samarkand's central park, laid out in 1886 next to University Boulevard, with shady paths, rides, cafes and a 3,000-seat open-air amphitheatre.
AttractionsUnder 1 km away
Former Majlis Building (Puppet Theatre), Samarkand
A historic civic building in Samarkand that once housed the Majlis and is now the city's puppet theatre.
