Bukhara
Uzbekistan · Bukhara Region · 229 m
Description
Bukhara's historic centre is a walkable quarter of mud-brick lanes, trading domes and pools rather than a set of monuments in parkland, and people still live and trade in it. The Kalyan minaret has stood since 1127 and legend holds that Genghis Khan ordered it spared, though the mosque beside it was not. The Poi Kalyan square holds that mosque and the Mir-i-Arab madrasah. The Ark fortress was the emir's citadel until 1920, and the Ismail Samani mausoleum out in the park is one of the oldest surviving Islamic buildings in Central Asia, its brickwork laid in patterns that change with the light.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Kalyan minaret and the Poi Kalyan square
- Lyabi Hauz pool and its mulberry trees
- Ark fortress of the emirs
- Nadir Divanbegi madrasah on Lyabi Hauz
- Mir-i-Arab madrasah
- Ismail Samani mausoleum in the park
- Trading domes of the old bazaar
- Abdulaziz Khan and Ulugbek madrasahs facing each other
- Chor Minor and its four towers
- Bolo Hauz mosque and its wooden columns
- Sitorai Mokhi Khosa summer palace
- Magoki Attori mosque sunk below the street
- Chashma Ayub mausoleum and its spring
- Bahauddin Naqshband shrine outside town(Day trip)
- Old town lanes and their carved doors
Getting there
- Airports:
- BHK