Bukhara old town is a small place which are full of the Historical remains of the old city which are almost 3000 years old . It is an important city in the silk route where trade , knowledge and culture transfer from the west to east and east to west . It is actually an oasis in the Kyzylkum desert . This city gone through numerous cultural influence . First it was under the Buddhist influence then after it was under the Samanid empire of persia later it was under the mongol invasion and later it was under tunic and Shanaibanid khanate influence . In 19 th century it was a russian colony and still it has very influence of russian language and culture . In this city there is multiple madrassa , mosque , bazar , hammam and mausoleum .
Places to visit in the old town of Shiva are kalyan Minar , Kalon Mosque , Mir – Arab Madressa , kukeldash Madressa , magok – i – attari mosque , chor minar madressa , Ark of Bukhara , ismail samani Mosque , sitorai mokhi khosa palace , baha al din Naqshband , Fayzulla khodjaev museum , Labi Havz many more . In the time of Khanate of Bukhara there was a competition between the architecture of khanate of Khiva . So lots of famous buildings were build in this time .
How I reached Bukhara ?
Bukahara is a desert town which is just 40 km from the turkamenisthan border . It is 431 km from the Khiva , 260 km from Samarkhand and 570 km fro the capital Tashkhand . I think train is the best possible option where the train station is 7 km from the old city . It may charge 2000 – 6000 som to the train station by bus or Mashrutka . All this historical cities as well also the capital is connected by the station . In russian language the railway station is called Vokzal . so with local people you have to tell them that you want to reach vokzal .
Bus is also available to all this historical towns and the bus station is called Avto vokzal . They will understand this term only .
places to visit in bukhara old town ?
Kalyan Minerate :
Kalyan tower is the face of the Bukhara city . It was build in 1127 by the Qarakhanid ruler at that time . Before establishing this tower there was a small tower to ask people for five times a day prayer of islam .
When gengis khan attacked and burned all Bukhara , he spared that one for it’s beauty . It is a 45 meter high tower and from a long distance it can be watched .
Some dark reality is associated with this tower . upto early 20 th century criminals are thrown out from the top of this tower to death .
This total tower is made of the mud brick and inside there is staircase to reach to the top .
Lab -i- Hauvz :
In persia Hauvz means a community pool . There have been lots of Hauvz in the earlier times but now it is one of the prominent and lots of restaurant , tea house and juice shops are scattered around it . There is folk dance theatre beside this Hauvz .
This Hauvz was build in the earlier 16 th century and still it is operational . But this pools sometimes spread deceases and in the russian period lots of pools were filled .
Ark of Bukhara :
ark of Bukhara is the biggest single attraction in the Bukhara city . This is one of the oldest fort in the history of the Bukhara build in 3-4 th century BC . Before the soviet era it was the official residence of the Bukhara Ruler . Now inside the ark there is Djome mosque , kushbegi , throne hall of the king , stable and 3 museum which depicts the history of the fort . This is a vast fort and you need at least 2 hours to visit this fort .
Entry fees for this fort is 40000 Som . (3.12 USD ) . It is opened everyday from the 9 am to 6 pm .
Ismail samani Mausoleum :
This tomb is one of the oldest tomb in central asia . It was found in the earlier 10 th century . It has the tombs of the samanids dynasty which were actually from persia . It has the the tomb of the ismail who is the founder and his father and his nephew .
This building is one of the oldest clay burned brick building in the central Asia and build in the Zorastrian style .
This monument also has a entry fees but from the outside you can see all except the tombs . So I don’t go to inside . It the gate is not opened still you can see it from outside because it was sarrounded by walls but rather iron grills .
Djome Mosque in ark of Bukhara :
This is situated inside the ark of Bukhara . The main mosque is surrounded by the courtyard . This courtyard’s roof is made of wood and there is beautiful wood carving and this roof is supported by the wooden columns which are also hand crafted .
It was build in the late of the 17 th century and now it is a exhibition show room of antiques of the Bukhara ruler .
Memorial complex of imam – al – Bukhari :
Imam – al – bukhari was a 9 th century Islamic scholer of sunni islam . He was born in Bukhara and he collected haidth of islams . For learning those hadith he travelled long distance .
For his memory this monument has been build . It looks like a gallery from outside and in front of them there is a tall monument .
Chor Minor Madrasah :
This building is called chord (four) minor madrasah because corners of this square rectangular madrasah has four minerates which are different in size and shape . Some says that four minerates have four different motifs which represent four different religions in central asia like Christianity , buddhism and zorotrianshim . If this motifs are really used for this meaning then it is a unique madrasah in the whole world .
It was build by Khalif Niyaz kul in 1807 . He was a prosperious turkmen businessman .
Chasma Ayub Mausoleum :
This building what you can see was build in the time of amir timur . In this building there was a lots of burial place for the holy man . A holy man prophet Ayyub was buried here . For that reason this place is called chasma ayyub mausoleum .
There is well in this place which was dug by the prophet ayyub . People belive that this weal’s water has a healing properties .
Poyi ostoma mosque :
Poyi ostoma mosque is a beautiful mosque of 18 th century . It’s couteyard around the main prayer hall is very impressive . You should keep an eye on woor carving in the coloumn and the roof . In the roof you can see beautiful star shaped wood carving . I never seen such a beautiful wood carving in the celing .
First the mosque authority reluctant to give me entry in the inner circle but after I wash my hand and feet they allow me to enter the mosque .
Mir Arab Madrasah :
Mir Arab sayyid abdullah yamaniy was a prince in yemen and at the age of 22 he come to samarkhand to learn teaching . After completion of the education he come to bukhara and with the support of local ulamos he started building this madrasah in 1530 .
This madrasah is still functional and it teaches Islamic teaching as well as general subjects . In this Institutions there is all together 27 teachers and 120 students. Only in the time of the soviet era for few years it was closed and in 1945 it restarted again . It is administered by the muslim office of uzbekisthan .
Inside the madrasah there is burial chambers of the Mir arab and his relatives .
Kulkaldosh Madrasah :
Kulkaldosh madrasah has been build by the governor of bukhara and ruler of of bukhara abdullah khan II in between 1568 – 1569 .
It is the largest madrasah in the bukhara city and it is a two storied building where there is 160 rooms for 320 students maximum capacity .
In different times it has been used fr differnt purpose as in 18 th century it has been used as the carvansarai and now a days some parts has been used as the shops and building the hand crafting in the silver plates .
for more details about the kulkaldosh madrassa you can visit here .
Toqi Telpak Furushon :
Toqi Telpak Furushon is a bazar with multiple dome inside the bukhara city . It was build in the 16 th century and still a running bazar with beautiful design .
The House museum of Fayzulla Khodjaev :
This building was a residential house of the 19 th century business person Fayzulla Khodjaev . This house was made by his father Ubaydullo khoja kasym khodjaev and there is separate section of the male and female section . .It has beautiful wood carving . Now it is a house museum which exhibits the marchant life style of that time and and the life story of the Fayzulla Khodjaev .
Crockery of the russian factories , musical instrument of the 19 th century and silk and valvet cloth of the bukhara also preserved there .
Khoja Kalon Mosque :
Kalon mosque is called the po – i – kalon and it was build in the 1121 by arslan khan but destroyed by the Genghis khan . It was rebuild in 1515 by Ubaydulla khan of khanate empire .
This mosque is inspired by the design of the bib khanum mosque of Samarkhand . It has beautiful blue domes which gives it a unique identity .
magok – i – attari mosque :
Magok – i – attari mosque is one of the oldest mosque in central Asia build in the 9th – 10 th century . There were lots of stories around the mosque . Some said it was build on the remains of the Zoroastrian temple , some says that before this mosque there was a bazar and some even say there was a synagogue and mosque side by side in this place .
In 12 th century in the time of the kara khanate it was rebuild . Archaeologists found 2000 years old history underneath of this building .
Sitori Mokhi Khosa :
Sitori mokhi khosa was build in the mid of 19 th century by the emirs of the Bukhara Nasrullah Khan to find a cooler place in hot summer .
Decades later Emir Sayyad muhammad alim khan rebuild this palace and renamed this palace with his wife’s name sitori . It was rebuild in the time of 1912 – 1918 . This palace has several rooms and the reception hall . After end of the emir rule it was converted to the Museum .
Summary :
Bukhara is one of the oldest town in the silk route . The main city was established almost 25oo years ago but the settlement in this area dates back to 5000 years ago . It has beautiful madrassa , mosque , Hauvz , Museum , bazaar and many more . It is situated in a oasis in the kyzlkum desert . Previously there was lots of caravansarai where the merchants take rest . One of the oldest structure in this city are the Kalon mosque and the tomb of the ismail samani . Most of the monuments are situated near to the old city . New city is the actual city where people live . all over the world people coming here to see the beauty of islamic structure .
