Background
Bukhara, on the Silk Route, is more than 2,000 years old and the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact. UNESCO singles out the tomb of Ismail Samani, a masterpiece of 10th-century Muslim architecture, and the city's many 17th-century madrasas.
Bukhara was a centre of Islamic scholarship in the Golden Age and the capital of the Samanids, who left the Samanid Mausoleum; the Karakhanids added the Kalan Minaret. Sacked by Genghis Khan in 1220, the city recovered under the Timurids and became the capital of the Khanate of Bukhara in the 16th century, when the Po-i-Kalyan complex took shape. Some 140 monuments survive, including the fortress of the Ark.
- 751Bukhara becomes Islamic after the Arab conquest
- 10th c.The Samanid capital; the Samanid Mausoleum is built
- 1220Genghis Khan sacks the city
- 1506–1598The Shaybanid heyday that shaped today's old city
- 1920The Emirate of Bukhara is abolished
- 1993Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Po-i-KalyanThe Kalyan Minaret, mosque and Mir-i-Arab madrasa, lit up at night.
- 2The ArkThe emirs' fortress.
- 3Lyab-i HauzThe 16th-century pool square under mulberry trees, with the Kukeldash and Nadir Devan-begi madrasas.
- 4Samanid MausoleumThe brick tomb of around 900, in Samanid Park.
- 5Trading DomesThe covered bazaars of carpets, knives and suzani.
- 6Chor MinorThe four-minaret gatehouse.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
The Old City on Foot
From the GoGo Bukhara guide · Open the Bukhara Guide ›
- 08:30Kalyan Minaret and Mosque90 minThe Po-i-Kalyan complex.
- 10:30Ark of Bukhara75 minThe emirs' fortress.
- 15:00Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble1 hrThe pool square and its madrasas.
- 16:15Trading Domes75 minThe covered bazaars.
- 21:00Po-i-Kalyan at Night45 minThe minaret lit up.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Apr, Oct. Very hot (highs 34°C+) in Jun–Aug.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
