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Bukhara

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Blue domes of the Madressa through open wooden door in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

©Ozbalci/Getty Images

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Overview

Central Asia’s holiest city, Bukhara (Buxoro) has buildings spanning a thousand years of history, and a thoroughly lived-in and cohesive old centre that hasn’t changed too much in two centuries. It is one of the best places in Central Asia for a glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Ark fortress in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

    Ark

    Bukhara

    The spectacular-looking Ark, a royal town-within-a-town, is Bukhara’s oldest structure, occupied from the 5th century right up until 1920, when it was…

  • Kalon Minaret and the Poi Kalon religious complex, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

    Kalon Minaret

    Bukhara

    When it was built by the Karakhanid ruler Arslan Khan in 1127, the Kalon Minaret was probably the tallest building in Central Asia – kalon means…

  • Char Minar in the historic city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

    Char Minar

    Bukhara

    Photogenic little Char Minar, in a maze of alleys between Pushkin and Hoja Nurabad, bears more relation to Indian styles than to anything Bukharan. This…

  • Maghok-i-Attar

    Bukhara

    Between the two covered bazaars, in what was the old herb-and-spice bazaar, is Central Asia’s oldest surviving mosque, the Maghoki-Attar, a lovely…

  • Poi Kalon Mosque and Minaret in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

    Kalon Mosque

    Bukhara

    At the foot of the minaret, on the site of an earlier mosque destroyed by Chinggis Khan, is the 16th-century congregational Kalon Mosque, big enough for…

  • Lyab-i Hauz, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

    Lyabi-Hauz

    Bukhara

    Lyabi-Hauz, a plaza built around a pool in 1620 (the name is Tajik for ‘around the pool’), is the most peaceful and interesting spot in town – shaded…

  • Ismail Samani Mausoleum

    Ismail Samani Mausoleum

    Bukhara

    This mausoleum in Samani Park, completed in 905, is the town's oldest Muslim monument and one of its most architecturally interesting. Built for Ismail…

  • Abdul Aziz Khan Medressa

    Bukhara

    The student rooms at the 16th-century Abdul Aziz Khan Medressa are occupied, rather typically, by souvenir shops. This is an unrestored gem, built by its…

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