President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov participated in the celebrations of the 2750th anniversary of the city of Samarkand on Saturday, UzA reported.

Officials, representatives of foreign embassies, international organizations, participants of the sixth international music festival Sharq Taronalari, tourists and others participated in the celebrations held at the city’s Registan square.

Greeting the ceremony participants, Islam Karimov congratulated them and all people of Uzbekistan with the 2750th jubilee of Samarkand. He also welcomed the participants of the Sharq Taronalari festival, which opened on the same day.

Sharq Taronalari has been held since 1997 on the initiative of the President and is included in the UNESCO list of international cultural events. It serves to uniting nations through music, promoting unique samples of national musical art, as well as preserving and developing musical traditions.

Representatives of more than 50 countries are participating in this year’s festival, compared to 32 states in the event’s first year.

UNESCO General Conference adopted a decision to celebrate Samarkand’s 2750th anniversary at its 33rd session on 20 October 2005. On 25 July 2006 President of Uzbekistan signed a corresponding Resolution on celebrating the city’s jubilee this year.

In accordance with the general plan of development of Samarkand until 2025, Registan square has been fully restored, and historical building Chorsu has been reconstructed.

While in Samarkand, President Karimov familiarized with the reconstructed and newly built objects in the city. One of such objects is Shakhi Zinda complex, repaired and reconstructed during 2005-2006.

On the place of Chuqur Bozor market, green square was created, and an adjacent car road was fully repaired. A garden replaced industrial buildings of Zarafshon company, and a fountains alley was laid at Ruhobod square.

The new small ring road linked Gur Emir mausoleum, Registan square, Jome mosque, Bibikhanum and Shakhi Zinda madrassahs, as well as Ulugbek observatory.

Apart from new parks and gardens, streets and roads, tens of new objects were built and repaired in the framework of preparation to Samarkand’s jubilee.

Among the reconstructed buildings are Khamid Alimjan musical drama theater, Russian Chekhov drama theater, the airport and the railways station. A number of medical institutions were built, gas supply was improved in 45 mahallas (neighborhoods) in the old part of the city and energy supply in 53 mahallas.

The head of the state praised the building and reconstruction works in the city. “There are not many such magnificent and ancient complexes like Shakhi Zinda in the world. Our duty is to protect them and preserve them in their original look for the coming generations,” Islam Karimov said.

President of the UNESCO General Conference Musa Bin Jaafar Bin Hassan, speaking at the celebrations, highly evaluated the role of Samarkand in the world civilization, its contribution to development of science and culture and the importance of the Sharq Taronalari musical festival.