BUKHARA UZBEKISTAN

Bukhara

In 1997 on UNESCO decision, the whole cultural world celebrated its 2500 jubilee. Zoroastrian pantheon — Siyavush. The most ancient part of Bukhara is its citadel — Ark, where archeologists excavated the findings dating back to the 3rd century B.C. This is a twenty meters high artificial mound, where the emir`s palace, his harem, treasury, arsenal and casemates for criminals were located. The palace housed the hall, in the center of which there was a marble throne of the emir. In the upper gallery there was a music pavilion where the court musicians used to play makoms twenty-four hours a day.
In the immediate vicinity of the castle, the Jolo and the picturesque complex of the Bolo-Hauz mosque with a luxurious polystyle.
The whole territory of Bukhara including the great wall that had eleven gates. The minarets, the portals and the domes of the mosques, madrassahs, the crests of caravan-sarays and the trade of buildings towered over the flat gray roofs of one and two storied houses. People from all over the world. Madrassahs alone, and a figure of the student, hurrying to his classes, most likely was the most typical of the city.
One of the oldest monuments of Bukhara is Ismail Samani Mausoleum built at the beginning of the 10th century by the founder of the Samanid dynasty. The mausoleum is a perfect brick cube covered with the hemisphere dome. The Samanids mausoleum is the first building in Central Asian architecture built of fired bricks; moreover, brick is used as a decorative element. The building is made of bricks, which cover the walls.

During the day the shifting daylight changes the pattern of decoration. None of the architectural monuments of the world. The architectural forms of Ismail Samani mausoleum — the first known mausoleum in the Islamic world — their symbolic explanations: the cube symbolizes the earth, its dome is a symbol of the heavens, and their harmonic unity represents the universe.
The main vertical line of the city is the Kalon Minaret built in 1127. This is a perfect architectural construction, a colossus, 47 meters towering over the city. Uzbekistan from the top to the top of the tallest tower in Uzbekistan. The ornamented bands ringing the minaret emphasizing its size and upward direction. The same time, the diversity and the rhythm of ornamental motifs. They say that architect, Bako by name, having a foundation of the tower on the cell and the milk, left the city for two years in order to escape the premature start of the construction works. Forever one thousand years the minaret has not been contracted to millimetre.
The peculiarity of the medieval Bukhara architecture became a piece of construction consisting of two monumental buildings separated with a street or a square and facing each other. The central ensemble of the city — Then Kalon square — “At the foot of the Great” — was built. Vaulted gallery connects the minaret with a grandiose Friday mosque Masjidi-Kalyan. Miri-Arab madrassah, which is still functioning. The courtyard portals are well proportioned and are beautifully decorated with mosaics. The dome is open to the artistic expressiveness.
One of the main places of interest of Bukhara is undoubtedly the Ulugbek’s madrassah. Ulugbek was Temur’s grandson and a prominent scientist of his time. His credo “It is the sacred duty of every Muslim”

The madrassah in Bukhara, the first of the three madrassahs built by Ulugbek, fascinates visitors with its forms and elegance of the so-called “star” ornament — girikh.
Opposite to it there is Abdulaziz-khan madrassah which impresses with richness of decor. Modari-khan and Abdullah-khan, both madrassahs.
During its history the city was reconstructed many times. The buildings that have survived after numerous wars and upheavals impressed. Here is a Magoki-Attari mosque, which is located on the site of the earlier Zoroastrian temple. Muslims — Kurban-hait and Ramazan.
Chasma-Ayub mazar also dates back to the 12th century. Biblical prophet Ayub was poured into the waterless part of Bukhara. In the 15th century Khorezmian masters brought by Temur after his military campaigns to Khorezm built to a building with a dome on the high drum. Chor-Minor madrassah is a relatively new building since it was built in the 17th century. The building has four squats minarets and blue glazed domes, which bring the madrassah to peculiar silhouette.
It is typical of the East to the use of artificial pools — hauzes — not only for practical application but also to decorate the city. In Bukhara there is more than eighty comfortable pools like this. The most famous one is Lyabi-Hauz. This unique complex consists of a large pool with trimmed slabs. It is surrounded by several buildings: Kukeldash madrassah — the biggest madrassah in Central Asia, khanaka (old house for dervishes) and Nodir Divan Begi madrassah. For the Lyabi family, the Lyabi Haus is a place where you can enjoy a drink of water. Shakhrud canal.
Bukhara was not only for its mosques and madrassahs, but also for its caravan-sarays, baths and multidomed market buildings. Taki-Zargaron (“the dome of the haters”), Telpak-Furushon (“The dome of Hat sellers”) and Taki-Saraffon (“Money exchangers bazaar”). The names themselves testify to the initial usage of these buildings.
Sitorai-Mohi-Hosa. At the beginning of the 20th century in the suburbs of the city. One of its buildings, so-called Old Palace, was built on the project of Khodji Khafiz architect. The hall for ceremonies where the throne of emir was once located impresses a lot. But most interesting is the New Palace. The White House and the foyer are decorated with paintings and the intricate ganch-carving made by the local masters from Bukhara Usto Shirin Muradov and Rasim Khaitov.

In the Middle Ages Bukhara was not only from the religious point of view but also from the aesthetical esteem. Bukhara was considered to be a place of glory; it nurtured the famous people of that period of time. The author of the second most important Islamic book after Koran- the book of the authentic khadiths “Al-jami as sahih” was Imam Al-Bukhari. Abu Ali Ibn Sino (Avicenna) was born in a small village near Bukhara and started his career in the holy city. Bahauddin Nakshbandi, the founder of the Sufi order, used to work as a chaser in Bukhara. A pilgrimage to the holy tomb of the sheikh gave the same status as Hajii to Mecca. Even nowadays Mausoleum of Nakshbandi is revered as the main holy place of the city.
Bukhara gave the world as eminent people as historian Narshakhi, poets Rudaki and Dakiki: Even the favorite personage of the local folklore Khodja Nasreddin was also from Bukhara. His wise jokes are countless.
The centuries-old activity of Muslim scientists, thinkers, architects, poets endowed the city with such titles as “Dome of faith”, “Noble Bukhara”, “Blessed city”. It seems that Bukhara really deserves all these names.
Sightseeing places of interest in Bukhara
- The Samanids Mausoleum
- Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum
- Kalyan Mosque
- Kalyan Minaret
- Miri-Arab Madrassah
- Chor-Minor Madrassah
- Modari-khan Madrassah
- Abdullakhan Madrassah
- Ulugbek Madrassah
- Abdulazizkhan Madrassah
- Lyabi-Hauz Architectural Complex
- Chor-Bakr Necropolis
- Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace
- Magoki-Actors Mosque
- Bolo-Khauz Mosque
- Bakhouddin Nakhsbandi Complex
- The Ark Fortress
- Monumental Shopping Arcades
- Abdullakhan Tim
- Abu Ali ibn Sino Museum
- The sixteenth century bathhouses
- Ancient Settlement of Paykend

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