The tall minaret glowed from the final rays of the setting sun. Upon seeing the magnificent tower we understood how its awe-inspiring look impresses everyone who sees it, including the brutal warrior Genghis Kahn.
It’s true that Bukhara doesn’t have the colour and glitter of Samarkand but what is does have is a deep history that exudes from the buildings in Old Town. Not many of the historical buildings have been restored. At first it made us disappointed in monochromatic Bukhara, but as we ventured deeper into Old Town we grew to love the authentic feel of this historic town.
Bukhara was considered one of the great trading cities along the ancient Silk Road. This prominent position caused it to attract a lot of attention. Over the centuries its leaders changed many times and included Alexander the Great as well as Emirs from Persia and Turkey, among others. Its religion changed as often as its rulers having been Buddhist, Christian and since the 9th century, it has been Muslim. In 1220 the city was decimated by Genghis Khan, whose army destroyed almost every building and killed many of its residents. The city’s turmoil continued until it achieved a bit of stability from the 16th – 19th centuries when it was ruled by Emirates of Bukhara Dynasty. Russian Czars took over control of Bukhara in the late 1800s and then it changed hands to come under Soviet control.
Because of its devastating early history, most of the Turkish-Islamic architecture that we see in the town today only dates back to the 16th century.
Note – In Central Asian languages kh is pronounced with a hard H as in Boo-ha-ruh
Kalon Minaret Complex
At 48 metres high, the majestic Kalon Minaret can be seen from a few different places in Old Town. Its distinctive crowned top, tall stature and detailed brick designs make it an iconic image of Bukhara. Built in 1127 it is one of the oldest structures in the city. It is so beautiful in fact, that apparently Genghis Khan saw it and was so enamored with Kalon, he told his army not to damage it.
In addition to its height and unique top, detailed patterns inlaid in the brick gives it even more beauty. It is said that the designers strove to ensure a sense of balance in the minaret, which they absolutely achieved.
The Minaret complex includes Khodja Kalon Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah. The inside of the mosque looks like many others we’ve seen in Uzbekistan, however this one hasn’t had much restoration. The best part though, are views you have of the minaret from inside its walls.
The mosque is actively used for prayers, so conservatives dress is required.
Across from the mosque is Miri-Arab Madrasah. It is still used as a school today so we were only allowed inside the first door.
Sunset was our favourite time to explore many of the sites in Bukhara because it gave the earth coloured buildings a red glow.
At night the minaret is brilliantly illuminated making it stand our even more. We were able to catch a picture of it below a crescent moon, a symbol of Islam.
Kalon Minaret Complex is an open square with no entrance fee or closing time.
Khodja Kalon Mosque Entrance Fee – 50,000 UZS ($4.40 USD); Opening Hours – 8am-8pm (although it was closed during these times when we first tried to visit)
Citadel Ark
The undulating brick walls of Citadel Ark let you imagine life during the days of the ancient Silk Trade Road. The rounded buttresses make it much more picturesque than most fortresses. Built with wooden logs sticking out as reinforcements, Richard thought the enemies could have easily climbed up and over the walls to ravage the complex. Maybe they did.
The only entrance to the Citadel Ark, other than scaling those walls, is framed by two tall towers on either side of a large, wooden door.
A fortress wall has been standing on this site since the 5th century AD (CE). Its walls surrounded the palace which housed Bukhara’s Emirs for centuries. Much of what we see of the wall today however, is a rebuild because most of it was destroyed in the 1920s during the Bolshevik Revolution. There is a museum inside, but it includes only a small section of the restored palace. You can visit the Coronation Hall where there is a throne from the 1660s on display. Beside it is the Greeting Courtyard, where citizens waited to greet the king during important events.
The most interesting part of the museum is Dzhuma Mosque (Friday Mosque). You can just feel its history in the old wooden pillars and ceiling.
The museum was quite disappointing and even though the entrance fee isn’t very high, we didn’t feel it was worth it.
Entrance Fee – 40,000 UZS ($3.50 USD); Hours – 9am-6pm
Labi-havz Complex
The old pond, Labi Havz, traces its roots back to the Old Silk Road trading days. Today the small cement pond is surrounded by restaurants and is a popular place for tourists to enjoy a relaxing meal. It is one of the last few remaining ponds in the city.
The complex includes two madrasahs and a khanaka (meeting hall).
Kukeldash Madresah
Across the street from Labi Havz, is the large 16th century Kukeldash Madrasa. Inside there is fabulous brick work on the domed ceilings but the main courtyard is in disrepair. Today, market stalls use the space to sell their wares.
Nadir Devanbegi Madrassah
Beside the Labi Havz pond is a very colourful madrasah. Twelve small arches on its façade are decorated with blue glazed bricks and tiles. The madrasah was originally built to be a Silk Road caravansary and it has birds painted on the tympanum; the space above the arched entrance. Depictions of live animals are not usually allowed on Muslim holy buildings, but this one seemed to be okay. Inside, the cells have been decorated with colourful tiles and are now used by shops and restaurants.
Char Minar
This charming building with 4 stubby minarets is of disputed origin. It’s likely that it was the gate for a madrasah that is no longer standing. Some say the man who had it built was from Hyderabad, India and was inspired by Charminar in that city. They do look fairly similar. You can see our post about Hyderabad here. The name, Char Minar translates in English to four minarets.
An artificial crane nest is on top of one of the minarets as a remembrance of the city’s past inhabitants. There used to be a lot of artificial ponds, similar to Labi Havz, in Bukhara . These reservoirs were used by residents as well as by the cranes. The Soviets found the open ponds to be a health hazard, and had most of them filled in. Fewer ponds in the city meant that the cranes no longer nested on Bukhara’s towers.
Trading Domes
Throughout Old Town we saw many former Silk Road Trading domes. They came in multiple shapes and sizes. Many have exceptional roofs, both inside and out. With no colour added to them, they still were one of our favourite things to see.
Bolo-Khauz Mosque
This 16th century mosque has very interesting design. Dozens of wooden pillars support a stepped roof which covers a verandah. The pillars have crown-like tops made of tiles.
Its ceiling though, is the best part. It is bordered by a beautiful array of colourful tiles with wooden slats in between. When we visited, the mosque wasn’t open so we couldn’t see inside. Apparently it is only open during prayers.
At its side is a small minaret. Bolo-Khauz Minaret is a new addition, built in the 1917. The small minaret looks to be a copy of Kalon. In front of the mosque is one of the few remaining ponds in the city.
Ismail Samani Mausoleum
When you approach this small mausoleum you immediately notice the very pretty, detailed brick work on its walls. Inside the intricate brick details continue with round, square and diamond designs covering the walls and ceiling. Ismail Samani Mausoleum was built in the 10th century for Emir Samani. It was saved from devastation by Genghis Khan’s marauders because a flood had covered it in mud and Khan’s army deemed unimportant.
You can read more about Emir Samani in our post from Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Old Town
Walking through the streets of Old Town, you will find many other historical buildings. Most are not restored and are not open to visitors. Others were not restored but were still used as small markets to sell mostly tourist items. Among those were Ulugh Beg Madrasah. Built in 1417 it was the first school built by the astronomer. Across from it is the pretty, pink scalloped tile designs on the entrance of Abdulazizkhan Madrasah.
Gaukushon Complex has a small version of Kalon Minaret. At its side is a mosque with an interesting roof. Dozens of small domes cover the building’s top. Nearby is a Magok-i-Attari Mosque that was originally built in 800 AD and rebuilt in the 1500s. The mosque is sinking, and you can see that it is a few meters below the level of the sidewalk.
Kosh Madrasah Complex is a set of two very similar madrasahs in a small square dating from the 16th century. Not far away is Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum that is linked to a story from the Bible. It is said to be the location where Job provided water to the community by creating a spring when he touched the ground with his staff. The site is commemorated by a 12th century building. Today it houses, quite appropriately, the Museum of Water.
Getting to Bukhara
Bukhara has an international airport, but most international flights arrive in Tashkent. Domestic flights are very inexpensive, especially if you only have carry-on luggage. The fast train (Aefroib) travels between Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent and is an extremely efficient and cost-effective way to travel. Getting to or from Khiva you can take the overnight train, or a share-taxi. It’s only 6 hours away so we didn’t like the overnight train option. We found share-taxis to be very convenient and it allowed us to see the desert landscape as we drove.
Getting around in Bukhara
The ride share app Yandex works very well in Bukhara. There are also a lot of taxis, but they don’t seem to like to match Yandex rates. From the railway station to Old Town it is 18-20 km. Expect to pay 21,000- 25,000 UZS ($2.80-$2.20 USD) but taxis wanted to charge us 250,000 ($22 USD)! Luckily we had Yandex installed. Once you reach Old Town, all of the sites are within walking distance.
Where to stay in Bukhara
There are oodles of choices for guesthouses in Bukhara. Most of them seem to have very high ratings and low prices compared to the rest of the country. Try to stay in or near Old Town but be aware that some roads in Old Town don’t allow cars so you may have to walk with your luggage. We stayed in the lovely guesthouse Hotel Hanifa. The rooms have old-style decorations, and it is run by a lovely family. You can find it on-line.
This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Bukhara.
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Coming Next – Visit The Walled City of Khiva
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