St. Mary Church in Samarkand, Catholic church in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
St. Mary Church in Samarkand is a house of worship featuring Neo-Gothic architectural design, located on Mahmud Qoshgʻariy street in the city center. The building displays traditional European structural elements and currently serves as a gathering place for the Catholic community.
The church was founded in 1903 by Polish and German merchants who had settled in the city. After its closure in 1930 during the Soviet era, the building was used as a school until it was returned to the Catholic community in 1995.
The church remains a gathering point for the small Catholic community in the city and attracts visitors curious about religious architecture and faith traditions in Central Asia. It reflects the presence of foreign communities in this region and shows how different cultures have coexisted throughout Samarkand's past.
The church is best visited during services led by Father Luciano Szymanski, who works with local support. It is advisable to check current opening arrangements, as the site functions primarily as an active place of worship rather than following set tourist hours.
The building underwent extensive renovations after its return to the Catholic community and reopened in 1999 following decades of use for non-religious purposes. This restoration marked the resumption of worship for a small community that had maintained its faith despite the disruptions of the Soviet period.
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