An illustrated article about the historical attractions of Bukhara, written by the Deputy Chief Editor Elchin Guseynov of the International News Agency TREND has been posted on their website.
As the author writes that each Uzbek citizen is proud of this ancient magnificent city of Central Asia. Bukhara, with its history going back to 2500 years, has more than 660 tourist attractions, 142 of which are under the protection of UNESCO. The city has been announced the cultural center of the Islamic world 2020 by the Islamic Organization on education, science and culture ISESCO. In this regard, a large number of international events will be held in the city during 2020.
The guides usually start their tour from the popular square next to the complex of Labi Khavuz, constructed in 16-17 centuries, which has a monument of Khoja Nasreddin in it. You can also see an artificial lake of 42 meters long here, which served as a water reservoir for water carriers, who then supplied it to the residents. There is a fountain installed between the madrasah and khanqah of Nodira Divan Begi of 1622 and the madrasah Kokaldosh of 1568. Labi Khavuz used to be the commercial area, where traders made deals.
Indian movies have always been popular, especially among in Central Asia and Caucasus. Majority of the scenes of the famous Indian movie “Ali Baba and the forty thieves” was shot in Bukhara. The игшдвштп complex Poyi Kalon served as one of the main area for filming, as in the scene where they traded Marjina (Hema Malini) as a slave, and Ali Baba (Dharmendra) was wandering for his beloved.
As quoted by the author, Poyi Kalon belongs to 12-16 centuries and is a central architectural complex of Bukhara, located in the front square of Registan. There are 3 constructions in the complex, including the Kalon Mosque, Kalon Minaret, which is one of the main symbols of Bukhara and the madrasah of Mir Arab.
The unique necropolis of Chohr Bakr, which is translated as Four Brothers, is located not far from Bukhara and has been included into the world heritage list of UNESCO. The formation of the necropolis took a start from the grave of Abu Bakr Saad, who was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Over the years, the Chor Bakr has gradually turned into the family tomb of the Juybar dynasty, mausoleums with tomb-dahmas in small courtyards, entrance to which was through a special gate, the darvoz.
“And of course, the main religious sightseeing of Bukhara and the pilgrimage holy place is the tomb of the famous Sufi religious leader Sheikh Bahauddin Nakshbandi. Visiting this holy place for 7 times equals to making Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, according to the statement of the elders. This is the reason for the large number of visitors at the tomb daily, both local and foreigners” – quotes the article.
Bukhara has always been one of the most significant trade centers of the Great Silk Road, thus there is an endless number of caravan sarays here and so called trade domes. All of them are located in the central part of the city.
Spending time in a local ancient bathhouse would be an exotic experience for any tourist. Most of the bathhouses were built in the 16th century and you can find several ones right in the center of Bukhara, but Bozori Kord is among the most popular ones.
The author also mentions the fortress Ark as the oldest cultural memorial, located close to the historical center of the city. Its foundation stone was laid in the 6-3rd BCE. The Ark has been ruined and reconstructed over and over again during its long history, and used to serve as a palace to the governors of ancient Bukhara until the 1920.
The journalist writes that today the fortress Ark is a big museum, which has several sections, such as the section of history, numismatics and epigraphy, where they have a large collection of the rarest ancient coins, carpets, clothing, photos and many other interesting artifacts.
