Holiday in Bukhara

About Bukhara

Bukhara is one of the greatest jewels of the Silk Road — a 2,500-year-old city in the desert of Uzbekistan, which was once considered the most precious and sacred center of the Islamic world. With over 140 historical monuments, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites, Bukhara is a living museum of Central Asian architecture, where minarets, madrasas, and mosques form a unique ensemble. The Kalon Minaret, the Great Tower, rises 47 meters into the desert sky and has been the city's landmark since 1127. Even Genghis Khan, who destroyed Bukhara in 1220, is said to have removed his helmet and looked up at the tower — and ordered that the minaret be spared as the only structure. The adjacent Kalon Mosque accommodates 12,000 worshippers under 288 domes. The Ark Fortress is Bukhara's oldest structure: for over 2,000 years, the massive mud citadel has stood on a 20-meter high artificial hill and served as the residence of the Emirs of Bukhara until the Russian conquest in 1920. Inside, there is the Throne Room, the Emir Mosque, and a museum documenting the complex history of the city. The Lyabi-Hauz, a shady square around a 17th-century water basin, is the social heart of Bukhara: locals and travelers sit under old mulberry trees enjoying tea and plov, while children play by the water. The three surrounding madrasas and a mosque form a harmonious ensemble of turquoise tiles and carved wooden columns. The four historical trading domes (Taq-Bazars) — Taq-i Zargaron (goldsmiths), Taq-i Telpak Furushon (hat sellers), Taq-i Sarrafon (money changers), and Tim Abdulla Khan — are covered intersection bazaars from the 16th century, where silk, carpets, ceramics, and spices are still traded today, just like 500 years ago.