Editing Samarkand (section)

===Christianity===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2024}}[[File:Church of the East provinces 10 c.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Provinces of the [[Church of the East]] in 10th century]]
[[Christianity]] was introduced to Samarkand when it was part of Sogdiana, long before the penetration of [[Islam]] into Central Asia. The city then became one of the centers of [[Nestorianism]] in [[Central Asia]].<ref>Dickens, Mark "Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia. p.&nbsp;17</ref> The majority of the population were then [[Zoroastrians]], but since Samarkand was the crossroads of trade routes among [[East Asia|China]], [[Greater Iran|Persia]], and [[Europe]], it was religiously tolerant. Under the [[Umayyad Caliphate]], Zoroastrians and Nestorians were persecuted by the [[Arabs|Arab]] conquerors;{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} the survivors fled to other places or converted to Islam. Several Nestorian temples were built in Samarkand, but they have not survived. Their remains were found by archeologists at the ancient site of [[Afrasiyab (Samarkand)|Afrasiyab]] and on the outskirts of Samarkand.

In the three decades of 1329–1359, the [[:ru:Самаркандская епархия (титулярная)|Samarkand eparchy]] of the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] served several thousand Catholics who lived in the city. According to [[Marco Polo]] and Johann Elemosina, a descendant of [[Chagatai Khan|Chaghatai Khan]], the founder of the [[Chagatai Khanate|Chaghatai dynasty]], [[Eljigidey]], converted to Christianity and was baptized. With the assistance of Eljigidey, the Catholic Church of [[St. John the Baptist]] was built in Samarkand. After a while, however, Islam completely supplanted Catholicism.

Christianity reappeared in Samarkand several centuries later, from the mid-19th century onward, after the city was seized by the [[Russian Empire]]. [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]] was introduced to Samarkand in 1868, and several churches and temples were built. In the early 20th century several more Orthodox cathedrals, churches, and temples were built, most of which were demolished while Samarkand was part of the [[USSR]].

In present time, Christianity is the second-largest religious group in Samarkand with the predominant form is the [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)]]. More than 5% of Samarkand residents are Orthodox, mostly [[Russians]], [[Ukrainians]], and [[Belarusians]], and also some [[Koryo-saram|Koreans]] and [[Greeks]]. Samarkand is the center of the Samarkand branch (which includes the [[Samarqand Region|Samarkand]], [[Qashqadaryo Region|Qashqadarya]], and [[Surxondaryo Region|Surkhandarya]] provinces of Uzbekistan) of the [[:ru:Ташкентская и Узбекистанская епархия|Uzbekistan and Tashkent eparchy]] of the [[:ru:Среднеазиатский митрополичий округ|Central Asian Metropolitan District]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate]]. The city has several active Orthodox churches: [[:ru:Собор Святителя Алексия Московского (Самарканд)|Cathedral of St. Alexiy Moscowskiy]], [[:ru:Храм Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы (Самарканд)|Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin]], and [[:ru:Храм Святого Георгия Победоносца (Самарканд, действующий)|Church of St. George the Victorious]]. There are also a number of inactive Orthodox churches and temples, for example that of [[:ru:Храм Святого Георгия Победоносца (Самарканд, недействующий)|Church of St. George Pobedonosets]].<ref>В. А. Нильсен. У истоков современного градостроительства Узбекистана (ΧΙΧ — начало ΧΧ веков). —Ташкент: Издательство литературы и искусства имени Гафура Гуляма, 1988. 208 с.</ref><ref>''Голенберг В. А.'' «Старинные храмы туркестанского края». Ташкент 2011 год</ref>

There are also a few tens of thousands of [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] in Samarkand, mostly [[Polish people|Poles]], [[Germans]], and some [[Ukrainians]]. In the center of Samarkand is [[St. John the Baptist Church, Samarkand|St. John the Baptist Catholic Church]], which was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Samarkand is part of the [[Apostolic Administration of Uzbekistan]].<ref>Католичество в Узбекистане. Ташкент, 1990.</ref>

The third largest Christian sect in Samarkand is the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]], followed by a few tens of thousands of Armenian Samarkandians. Armenian Christians began emigrating to Samarkand at the end of the 19th century, this flow increasing especially in the Soviet era.<ref>Armenians. Ethnic atlas of Uzbekistan, 2000.</ref> In the west of Samarkand is the [[:ru:Церковь Святой Богородицы (Самарканд)|Armenian Church Surb Astvatsatsin]].<ref>Назарьян Р.Г. Армяне Самарканда. Москва. 2007</ref>
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Orthodox church in Samarkand 11-09.JPG|[[:ru:Собор Святителя Алексия Московского (Самарканд)|Orthodox Cathedral of St. Alexiy Moscowskiy]]
File:Church Cover Blessed Virgin in Samarkand 12-55.JPG|[[:ru:Храм Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы (Самарканд)|Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin]]
File:Church of St. George Victorious Samarkand 08-19.JPG|[[:ru:Храм Святого Георгия Победоносца (Самарканд, действующий)|Orthodox Church of St. George the Victorious]]
File:Church of St. George Victorious in Samarkand 08-18.JPG|[[:ru:Храм Святого Георгия Победоносца (Самарканд, недействующий)|Orthodox Church of St. George Pobedonosets]]
File:Church Saint John Baptist in Samarkand 23-38.JPG|[[St. John the Baptist Church, Samarkand|St. John the Baptist Catholic Church]]
File:St. Mary Church in Samarkand 10-54.JPG|[[:ru:Церковь Святой Богородицы (Самарканд)|Armenian Church Surb Astvatsatsin]]
</gallery>

Samarkand also has several thousand [[Protestantism|Protestants]], including [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], [[Baptists]], [[Mormons]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Adventism|Adventists]], and members of the [[Korean Presbyterian church]]. These Christian movements appeared in Samarkand mainly after the independence of [[Uzbekistan]] in 1991.<ref>Бабина Ю. Ё. Новые христианские течения и страны мира. Фолкв, 1995.</ref>