English researcher and archaeologist of Hungarian origin, Sir Mark Aurel Stein (died 1943), led four expeditions to various regions of Central Asia in the first half of the 20th century.
On his first trip, he traveled from Chinese Turkestan to India through Russia and England. The nearest railway junction to the areas where he conducted the excavations was located in the city of Andijan. In his travel report "Ruins of Khotan Buried in Sand," published in 1904, about the first expedition, he vividly describes to readers a vivid picture of the market.
In June 1901, Stein made short stops in Margilan and Samarkand, visiting historical sites. Deeply impressed by what he saw there, he expressed all his admiration in the following words: "The impressions from my pleasant days in Samarkand, mainly from the architectural monuments of the Timurid era, which testify to the flourishing period of Muslim power and art in Central Asia, even from Lahore, Delhi, and Agra combined, cannot surpass my memories."
Almost 15 years later, Stein returned to Samarkand. This event occurred in October 1915. This time he took several days to explore Bukhara. Coming from Chinese Turkestan, it descends through the foothills located in the territory of present-day Tajikistan. On October 20, he arrived in Shakhrisabz, and the next day departed for Samarkand, where he stayed for two days. After that, he examines the locations of the ancient settlement of Afrasiab. In addition to meeting with local authorities in Bukhara, he will also visit the historical monuments. Stein will have a wonderful time in the city and will leave on October 28.
