SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (Reuters) - Time flies in
Samarkand. This weekend the ancient Silk Road city
marks its 2,750th anniversary in grand style, a mere
11 years after celebrating its official 2,500th
anniversary.

That quirk is due to recent archaeological finds that
caused a revision of its age, but the city of mosques,
madrasahs and tombs listed as a U.N. World Heritage
Site is also ageing faster than it should do in the
present.

Academics fear that a rush by Uzbek officials to
prepare Samarkand for its anniversary has done more
harm than good and a four-lane road built next to its
archaeological heart has drawn criticism from the
United Nations.