by Hoshiae in Uncategorized Tags: 10, adventure, architecture, dubai, FFX, final fantasy, Final Fantasy X, real life, samarkand, travel, uzbekistan, zanarkand

According to the Final Fantasy team, one major source of inspiration for Zanarkand was Samarkand (in more ways than just the name, of course)!

First, I’ll show you Zanarkand and then Samarkand:

(Zanarkand in all its HD about to be destroyed majesty)

And now for Samarkand!

So here we have the domes and the large square panels that we see in Zanarkand. Plus, there’s a hint of the cerulean that shows up more “futuristically” in Zanarkand as lights.

So…it’s far sandier and more beige than the Zanarkand we know and love, but what it has that the game’s city lacks is intricate artwork and design:

I see Zanarkand as Samarkand layered on, say, Dubai:

This came from the top of my head, so there might be somewhere more fitting, but I’d say Dubai suits Zanarkand pretty well!

‘Till next time~!