The “Samarkand” teahouse was built in 1975 on Samarkand-Darvaza Street.

Architect: S. Sutyagin; engineers: A. Braslavsky and V. Ten; artists: A. Gan, V. Gan, A. Fertman, R. Avakyan, Yu. Kiselyov and A. Ovsepyan.

This unusual pyramid-like teahouse was erected for the 2500th anniversary of Samarkand celebrated in the 1970s. The outward-sloping pylons and the dome between them created the building’s recognisable “fairytale” silhouette. In Soviet times, a statue of Nasreddin Afandi stood in front of the entrance — well known to older generations of Tashkent residents.

During the years of independence, the building changed owners several times and underwent multiple reconstructions. The last reconstruction, which also affected the exterior, took place in 2017. Of the former expressive appearance, only the characteristic sloping pylons remain. The loss of the original architecture is linked to various organisations occupying the building and decorating their premises without a unified concept or desire to restore the teahouse’s original look.

Although in Soviet times it was included in the list of city-significant monuments, today the “Samarkand” teahouse does not have the status of a cultural heritage object.