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Sunset over the famous Kalyan Poi Kalon Minaret, Poi Kalan or Po-i-Kalyan and Mir Arab Madrasah in the center of the old town of Bukhara
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Bukhara Vacation Packages and Tours

Kalyan Poi Kalon Minaret
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Overview

Take a trip to Bukhara on your Uzbekistan Vacation

Bukhara is Central Asia’s holiest city with a history and buildings spanning thousand of years. The old centre retains the look it had two centuries ago. During Uzbekistan travel, the city is crammed with madrasas, minarets, a huge royal fortress and the remnants of a once-vast market complex. On Uzbekistan tours, it takes at least two days to do justice to the city with its over 140 protected buildings. It has been called a city/museum. Once again, it benefitted from its location on the Silk Road and served as a centre of trade, scholarship, culture and religion. The historic centre of Bukhara has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Due to an inadequate water system, Bukhara has a plague which wiped out many inhabitants in the 19th Century. However, this was subsequently modernized. 

Some of the major sites on Uzbekistan tours to Bukhara include the following. The Kalan Mosque completed in the 16th Century is approximately the same size as the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand. It can accommodate 12,000 people. The Kalan Minaret was known as the Tower of Death as it was where criminals were executed by being thrown off the top. It dominates the historical centre of Bukhara as it is 46 metres/150 feet high. The spectacular-looking Ark, a town-within-a-town, is Bukhara’s oldest structure and was occupied from the 5th Century until 1920 when it was bombed by the Red Army. Most of it is in ruins except for some remaining royal quarters which house several museums including an archaeological museum and a nature museum. You can see the remains of the coronation court, the treasury and the harem. 

There are several ancient madrasas which include the Mir-i Arab Madrasa with its luminous blue domes and the Abdul Aziz Khan Madrasa, both from the 16th Century. The latter is an unrestored gem. The highlight is the prayer room, now a museum of wood carvings. 

The Maghoki-Attar Mosque and a shrine are one of the oldest monuments in Bukhara. It is probably the city’s holiest place. Archaeologists found parts of a 5th Century Zoroastrian temple and an earlier Buddhist temple on the site. The building now functions as a museum exhibiting Bukhara carpets and prayer mats. 

At a Glance

Languages

Uzbek

Currency

Uzbekistani Som (UZS)

What do the experts say?

Cedric Wai

Cedric Wai

Destinations Specialist
Learn More About This Expert
Try attending a plov cooking ceremony on your trip to Uzbekistan. It is a great regional, social ceremony featuring a delicious shared meal.
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Cedric Wai

Cedric Wai

Destinations Specialist
Learn More About This Expert
The warmth, hospitality, lively markets, the iconic turquoise domes, and modern life are my favourite parts about visiting Uzbekistan.

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