Area in Bukhara 8 letters. The charm of old Bukhara - Traveler's page - LiveJournal. Historical center of Bukhara
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A little history
According to legend, Bukhara was founded by King Siavash, the legendary Prince of Persia, who stood at the origins of the Persian Empire. Siavash was sent into exile in Turan after a false accusation brought against him by his stepmother, Sudabe. There, the ruler of Samarkand, Afrasiab, married his daughter Ferganiza to the prince and transferred a vassal kingdom in the oasis to his son-in-law - this is what present-day Bukhara became.
If we ignore the legends, the history of Bukhara can be traced back to the 4th-5th centuries. n. e. The first coins with Sogdian inscriptions found here belong to this period. Genghis Khan razed Bukhara to the ground, but under his descendants the city began to gradually revive. After the conquest of Samarkand and Bukhara by Mohammad Shaybani, the founder of the dynasty of the same name, the Bukhara Khanate was formed in 1506, which reached its peak by the end of the century, in the 18th century. ruled by Nadir Shah of Iran, then by the Uzbek emir and finally formed the emirate of Bukhara in 1785.
How to get to Bukhara
Uzbek Airlines planes fly to Bukhara airport from Moscow (three times a week), St. Petersburg (once a week), Tashkent (daily) and Kiva (seasonally). You can also get to Bukhara by train from Tashkent (two trains daily via Samarkand). The ride takes about 6.5 hours, the night sleeper train is slower, but it is more comfortable.
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Entertainment and attractions of Bukhara
What tourists need in Bukhara first of all is the Old Town. Its beauty is so captivating that no transport is required here (plus the city is very small). One of the most notable city attractions is the Kalon minaret, built by the Karakhanid ruler Arslan Khan in 1127. According to legend, the khan killed the imam, and in a dream the killed imam asked the ruler to bury his head in a place where no one could step on it. Then Arslan Khan built a tower over the grave of the imam. The height of the minaret is 47 m, and its ornamental stripes are decorated with blue tiles - this is believed to be the first use of such ceramics, which then became ubiquitous, in Central Asia.
The minaret bears the second name “Tower of Death”, because once upon a time convicted criminals were executed by being thrown from it. And this practice stopped, by the way, only at the beginning of the 20th century.
The summer residence of the Bukhara emirs - the city citadel of Ark - is located on Registan Square. Since ancient times, Ark was a real fortress, where the rulers of Bukhara could endure anything. On the territory there was everything necessary - palaces, temples, barracks, offices, warehouses, workshops, stables, a well, an arsenal and a prison. Today a museum is opened in the citadel.
Labi Hawz is considered the center of the Old City. This square received a name that translated from Persian means “pool ensemble”. The rectangular pool is surrounded by three monumental buildings of the 16th century: the Kukeldash madrasah, built under Abdullah II (at the time of construction - the largest Islamic educational institution in Central Asia); Nadir-Divanbegi madrasah, which was originally built as a caravanserai, but under Imam Kulimkhan it was converted into a school; and the winter mosque Nadir-Devanbegi. And near all this there is a perfectly preserved amazing Toki-Zargaron market.
Famous poets such as Narshakhi and Rudaki Dakiki lived in Bukhara.
In addition to those described above, architectural monuments of world significance in Bukhara include the mausoleums of Chashma-Ayuob (or the Source of Job), Buyan-Kuli-Khan, Sayfiddin-Boharzi. The list of relics continues with the cult ensemble Gaukushon at the Khoja-Kalyan mosque, the Khoja-Gaukushon madrasah, the unique Magoki-Attori mosque, the Jami palace mosque, the madrasahs of Ulugbek, Abdulaziz-Khan, Modari-Khan and Abdullah-Khan.
What else to do in Bukhara if your mind is no longer able to accommodate the views and information about historical attractions? Go to the bathhouse. Seriously: Borzi Kord Hammam is one of the most famous public hammams in the city. Until 14:00 it is open only to local men, and from 14:00 to midnight - for tourists. The session includes a massage and scrub. The Kunjak women's bathhouse is located near the Kalon minaret.
Neighborhoods of Bukhara
There are many historical monuments in the vicinity of Bukhara: the Varakhsha settlement, the Namozgokh country mosque, the refuge of the wandering dervish monks of the Faizabad khanaka, the tomb of the 16th century sheikhs. Chor-Bakr (5 km west of the city), ruins of the Rabati-Malik caravanserai in Kermina.
The Garden of Stars and Moon is located 6 km from Bukhara. Here is the summer palace of the last Bukhara emir. The garden is open from Wednesday to Monday. The mausoleum of Bakhautdin Naqshband is located east of Bukhara, and it is one of the most significant Sufi sanctuaries in the country and beyond. Here is the tomb of Bakhautdin, the founder of one of the most influential Sufi orders in Central Asia.
It is one of the most famous and picturesque cities in Central Asia. This is an amazing city-museum where a large number of cultural and architectural monuments of different eras - in total there are more than 140 structures and buildings from the Middle Ages alone. The historical center of Bukhara along with its attractions is included in the list of objects World Heritage, compiled by UNESCO. Among the significant places are the Kalon minaret, and Kosh-Madras, which recently turned exactly 1000 years old, the Samanid mausoleum or the Poi-Kalyan complex with a 2300-year history.
One of these architectural structures, the mausoleum of Samani, was erected during the reign of Ismail Samani, who was one of the greatest leaders of the city and ruled at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th centuries. Initially, the mausoleum was intended for the burial of Ismail’s father, but later turned into a family tomb for all members royal family. The mausoleum is a monument to early Muslim history.
According to legend, the city was founded by order of King Siavash, Prince of Persia, who was also one of the founders of the legendary Persian Empire. The prince was unjustly accused and sent into exile to Turan, where Afrasiab, the ruler of Samarkand, gave him ownership of the kingdom, the future Bukhara, and also gave him his daughter in marriage.
According to the research of historians, the history of Bukhara can be clearly traced back to the 4th century AD. e. — the oldest coins and other artifacts found date back to this century.
Based: 6th century BC e.
Square: 49.4 km 2
Population: 272,500 people (2014)
Currency: Uzbek sum
Language: Uzbek
Official website: http://bukhara.gov.uz/
Current time in Bukhara:
(UTC +5)
When Bukhara was practically destroyed after the attack of Genghis Khan, it stood in ruins for some time, but later received a new birth. At the beginning of the 16th century, Mohammad Shaibani captured Bukhara and Samarkand, and then founded the Bukhara Khanate. Changing rulers, Bukhara prospered and eventually received the status of an emirate.
How to get there
Airplane
You can get to Bukhara different ways: Uzbek Airlines flights fly from Moscow 3 days a week, once every 7 days - from St. Petersburg. With transfers in Tashkent, you can also fly from Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh, Rostov, Krasnodar, Mineralnye Vody and Sochi.
Train
There is a passenger train from Tashkent, which departs 2 times a day, passes through Samarkand and takes about 6 hours 30 minutes. The flight departing at night takes a little longer, but it will offer passengers a special travel comfort.
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Historical guide to Bukhara
Scanned historical guidebook to the ancient city of Bukhara and its environs
History of the city of Bukhara
Bukhara is one of the oldest cities in the world, existing for at least 2500 years. Local rulers minted coins already in the 2nd century. BC. Here were the headquarters of the Hephthalite kings and Turkic Khagans. After joining the Arab Caliphate, Bukhara became one of the main centers of Muslim culture in the Middle East. In the X-XI centuries. Bukhara was the capital of the Samanid state, and from the 16th century. the capital of the Bukhara Khanate, where the Sheibanid, Ashtarkhanid, and Mangyt dynasties ruled. In 1925, Bukhara became part of the Uzbek SSR, and after 1991, into the Republic of Uzbekistan. Since the Iron Age, continental trade routes connecting China, India, Iran, and Europe passed here. The high status of Bukhara in Islamic civilization is determined by the spiritual activities of outstanding Bukharans, as well as many monuments of Muslim architecture. The historical center of the city is a unique open-air museum and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The eternal City
And in the 21st century. Bukhara continues to live its own rhythm of life, verified over thousands of years, full of greatness and dignity, inner peace and leisureliness. The “dust of centuries”, which makes up tens of meters of archaeological layers, hides many secrets of the city’s history. But, as the Sufis say: “If you don’t have a secret, then you don’t have the depth of your heart.”
The unique “window” into the Past, opened to us in Bukhara, provides a rare chance to escape from the bustle of modernity. Stop to see the frozen “music” embodied in Bukhara mosaic and ganch patterns, ceiling paintings and stalactite decorations. Draw water from holy springs. Hear the “silence of heaven” in Sufi khanakas. Touch the stones of the mausoleums of sacred persons. Be amazed at the blue sky, “pierced” by the Kalyan minaret...
Ancient Bukhara (5th century BC-VI century)
In pre-Islamic times, the lower reaches of the Zeravshan River constituted the northwestern area of Sogdian culture. The agricultural oasis located there was called Bukhara (possibly from the Sogdian “Buxarak” - “happy place”). The first urban settlements of Bukhara date back to the middle of the 1st millennium BC, and the first Bukhara coinage dates back to the 2nd century. After the decline of the III-IV centuries. urban life in Bukhara experienced a new rise from the middle of the 5th century, which is associated with the flourishing of trade on the Great Silk Road. The Hephthalites (V-VII centuries) who conquered the Bukhara lands, and then the Turks (VI-VII centuries) patronized the trade of the Bukharians, limiting themselves to collecting taxes.
According to the historian of the 10th century. Abu Bakr an-Narshahi, a city that later received the name of Bukhara, was originally called Numidjket. Its basis was the ancient citadel of Ark, built at the turn of the century. on an artificial hill with an area of 9.2 hectares. In Ark there was a palace and the office of the ruler, guard rooms, and a temple of “idol worshippers.” According to legends, Ark was built by the epic hero Siyavush. The Bukharians honored his grave at the eastern gate and annually sacrificed roosters there during Navruz.
State of Bukhar-Khudat (VII-VIII centuries)
In the 7th century The Bukhara Union of Principalities, which included Paikend, Numidzhket, Vardana, and Karmana, recognized vassalage to the Chinese Tang dynasty. The union was headed by Bukhar-Khudat, who had a residence in the Numijket Arch. The summer residence of the Bukhar-Khudats was in Varakhsha. As the political center of the Bukhara oasis, Numidjket adopted the name of the entire region - Bukhara. By the 8th century. The area of the city reached 35 hectares, it was surrounded by powerful fortress walls. An-Narshahi reports that the Bukhar-Khudats rebuilt Ark according to the plan of the constellation Ursa Major.
At the beginning of the 8th century. power in the Bukhara oasis was usurped by the rulers of Vardana. Then the Arab commander Kuteiba entered into an alliance with Bukhar-Khudat Tugshada (692/3-724/5) and captured Bukhara. Kuteiba restored the primacy of the Bukhar-Khudats who converted to Islam and built the first mosque of Bukhara. However, until the beginning of the 9th century. Transoxiana (the region east of the Amu Darya) was a rebellious territory for the Arab Caliphate. The Arabs executed the last Bukhar-Khudat in 783 in the Varakhshi palace for supporting the Mukanna uprising.
Ancient settlement of Paikend - Pompeii of Asia
60 km southwest of Bukhara there is an ancient settlement with an area of about 20 hectares. There until the middle of the 11th century. there was a large merchant city of Paikend, or the Lower City. The name is associated with the location of the city in the lower reaches of Zeravshan on the western border of Sogd. In the V-VIII centuries. Paikend was the richest Bukhara city. Already under the Hephthalites in the 5th century. Paikend, along with Samarkand, became one of the main centers of trade on the Great Silk Road. Every spring, almost the entire male population of the city left for six months with a huge caravan to the borders of China.
The importance of the city is evidenced by the fact that the siege of Paikend by the Iranian commander Bahram Chubin at the end of the 6th century. One of the bloody wars between the Turkic Khagans and the Shahinshahs of Iran ended peacefully. Paikend submitted to the Arabs along with Bukhara in the first decades of the 8th century. The Arabs destroyed the city, seizing enormous wealth and captivating the inhabitants. The gold and silver statues of the pagan idols of Paikend were melted down into ingots and sent to the court of the Caliph. The merchants who returned from China with caravans bought out some of the townspeople and restored the city.
The city-forming center of Paikend was a citadel measuring 90x90 m, the first settlements on the territory of which arose even BC. IN early middle ages there was the ruler's palace, as well as temples and administrative buildings. Two shakhristans adjoined the citadel: the first with an area of 12 hectares, settled under the Hephthalites, and the second with an area of 7 hectares, formed by the beginning of the 6th century. Medieval Paikend, including both shakhristans, was surrounded by fortress walls with towers every 60 m. To the north of the site there was a necropolis with Zoroastrian burial structures.
Under the Samanids, the city regained its position as a major trade and craft center, rivaling Bukhara. Dozens of new caravanserais arose around it. On the citadel of the city, the remains of the Juma Mosque of the 11th century were discovered, the minaret of which, judging by the base, was larger in size than the Kalyan minaret in Bukhara. In the 11th century Due to the shallowing of Zeravshan, Paikend was no longer supplied with water and fell into desolation. The city was swallowed up by the desert for thousands of years, which has preserved it to this day. For this in the 20th century. Paikend, rediscovered by archaeologists, received the name “Pompeii of Asia”.
City walls of Bukhara
For thousands of years, Bukhara was surrounded by powerful adobe walls, some of which are preserved in the park near the Samanid mausoleum and in the south of the city. By the 8th century. The shakhristan of the city covered a quadrangle of walls, in which there were 7 gates. The new ring of walls, built under the Samanids, already had 11 gates. Powerful fortifications protected medieval Bukhara during the sieges of the armies of the Karakhanid Khan Nasr in the 11th century, Genghis Khan in the 13th century, Tokhtamysh Khan in the 14th century, and Sheybani Khan in the 16th century.
In the 16th century under the Shaybanids Abd al-Aziz Khan and Abdullah Khan II, a new ring of walls was built, surrounding the sprawling suburbs of Bukhara. The city walls protected the city until 1920, when Bukhara experienced an assault by the Red Army, which used massive artillery shelling and aerial bombardment. In the last century, the main part of the city wall and gates were destroyed. Until the middle of the 20th century. the southern gate of Sheikh Jalal was intact, and by the beginning of the 21st century. only the northern gate of Talipach survived (late 16th century).
Bukhara under the Samanids (IX-X centuries)
From the VIII-IX centuries. Bukhara became the main center for the spread of Islam in Transoxiana. The name of the city was glorified by outstanding theologians, among whom the author of the classic set of legends about the Prophet Muhammad, Imam al-Bukhari (d. 870), stands out. For its contribution to the development of Islamic teachings, Bukhara received the honorary titles “sacred” and “noble” in the Muslim world. At the end of the 9th century. the city became the capital of the large state of the Samanids (875-999), who owned Transoxiana, Khorasan and Sistan. Most of the medieval Muslim coins from the hoards of Europe are Samanid. Under the Samanids, Bukhara increased significantly in size. Over the course of two centuries, new artisan quarters and many caravanserais emerged, and the central part of the city became a large bazaar. Bukhara was re-enclosed with a fortress wall. A new royal palace was built in its northern part. At the same time, one of the first madrasahs (Fardzhek) and a minaret in Central Asia were erected in Bukhara, and a huge library of manuscripts was created at the Samanid palace, in which at the end of the 10th century. worked by Ibn Sina (Avicenna).
Mausoleum Chashma-Ayub
Chashma-Ayub (“well” or “spring”) of Job is one of ancient monuments Bukhara. According to one legend, the holy righteous Job, called the prophet Ayub in the Koran, passed through these places. From the blow of his staff, a “well” with healing water appeared there. According to another version, this is the source in which bathing saved Ayub from the suffering mentioned in the Old Testament book of Job. One way or another, unknown events, somehow connected with the name of Ayub, played a role in the emergence of the city and the appearance of a diaspora of Bukharian Jews here.
Already in pre-Islamic times, Chashma-Ayub was the sacred center of Bukhara, next to which the Naukand cemetery arose. The real age of the well has not been studied. The Islamic religious mazar Chashma-Ayub appeared in this place no later than the 12th century. The inscription above the entrance indicates that the building was built during the reign of Amir Temur (1370-1405). Ayub's well is located in the middle hall of the mazar, behind it there are rooms with burials of unknown persons. A distinctive feature of the structure is a conical tent-shaped dome, presumably built by captured Khorezmian craftsmen.
Mausoleum of the Samanids
On the territory of the modern park south of the Chashma-Ayub mazar, within the boundaries of the same ancient cemetery, there is the famous Samanid mausoleum. Medieval sources suggest that the founder of the Samanid state, Amir Ismail, built it at the turn of the 9th-10th centuries. for his father Nasr I (d. 892), and later the mausoleum became the family tomb. It is possible that Ismail himself (d. 907) was buried here, as well as his grandson Nasr II ibn Ahmad (d. 943), whose name was found on a plaque above the entrance. This is the first known royal mausoleum in Central Asia.
The general architectural form of the mausoleum is extremely simple - a cube topped with a hemisphere. It evokes admiration for the virtuosity of brickwork, the ornaments of brick tiles, and the ideal proportionality of all parts. For the harmony of geometric forms, this Bukhara mausoleum is recognized as an architectural masterpiece of world significance, in which the Muslim culture of the 8th-9th centuries. united with the traditions of the pre-Islamic Sogdian architectural school.
The arched openings of the mausoleum, like Zoroastrian fire temples, are open on all four sides. The decor of the mausoleum itself uses the traditions of ancient Sogdian architecture: archaic columns in the corners of the octagon, chains of “pearls” along the cornice, and an upper arched gallery. According to sources, after the Arabs captured Bukhara, all the Zoroastrian temples here were destroyed, with the exception of the Temple of the Moon, converted into a mosque, and the Temple of the Sun. According to one hypothesis, the Moon Temple became the Magoki-Attari Mosque, and the Sun Temple became the Samanid mausoleum.
One of the keys to understanding the sacred architecture of the mausoleum may be the sign of a “dynamic square” in the corners of the arches, reflecting the plan of the structure. It contains squares inscribed into each other and a circle in the center: the circle is a dome; the first and third squares are the cube of the mausoleum, the second diagonal is the plan of the entrances. The forty “pearls” of the sign correspond to the forty upper arches. Well-understood symbolism: the square is the earth, the circle is the sky, the wings are symbols of the soul, angels, allows us to consider the sign of the Samanid mausoleum as a cosmogram, universal for the sacred ideas of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Islam.
Historical center of Bukhara
Symbols on the map: A - Ark walls, B - walls of Shahristan, C - walls of Rabad of the 9th century, 1 - Kalyan minaret, 2 - Kalyan mosque, 3 - Miri-Arab madrasah, 4 - Alim Khan madrasah, 5 - Khoja khanaka Zain ad-Din, 6 - Toki-Zargaron, 7 - Ulugbek madrasah, 8 - Abd al-Aziz Khan madrasah, 9 - Abdullah Khan tim, 10 - Misgaron bathhouse, 11 - Toki-Tilpak-Furushon, 12 - Magoki mosque -Kurpa, 13 - Gaukushan ensemble, 14 - Magoki-Attari mosque, 15 - Toki-Sarrafon, 16 - Lyabi-Khauz ensemble, 17 - Zindan.
From Karakhanids to Temurids (XI-XV centuries)
At the end of the 10th century. The Samanid state fell under the attack of the Turkic armies of the Karakhanids, who in 999 captured Bukhara and subjugated the lands from Eastern Turkestan to the Amu Darya. In the second half of the 11th century. Western Karakhanids recognized the supremacy of the Seljuks, who took possession of the territories from Central to Asia Minor. At the beginning of the 12th century. the head of the western Karakhanids, Arelan Khan III (d. 1130), restored the citadel and walls of Bukhara, built the Juma mosque and the Kalyan minaret. In 1141, Sultan Sanjar (d. 1157) ceded the lands of Transoxiana to the Kara-Khitai. In 1182, Bukhara was conquered by the Khorezmshahs, who captured it at the beginning of the 13th century. leadership in Central Asia and the Middle East
After in the 1220s. The state of the Khorezmshahs was defeated by the Mongols, Transoxiana became the inheritance of the son of Genghis Khan, Chagatai (d. 1242). According to descriptions of Marco Polo up to the 1260s. Bukhara was a prosperous city. In the middle of the 13th century. Large madrasahs “Masudiye” and “Khaniye” were built here. The city suffered greatly during the Mongol civil strife of the 1270s, after which the Bukhara oasis became deserted. The revival of Transoxiana began in the first half of the 13th century. with the strengthening of the Chagatay state. Its main urban centers: Samarkand, Shakhrisabz, Bukhara flourished during the Timurid Renaissance, which began with the reign of Amir Temur (1370-1405).
Kalyan Minaret
The appearance of minarets as towers for calling to prayer dates back to the end of the 7th - beginning of the 8th century. Their architectural prototypes were Mediterranean bell towers and lighthouses, as well as eastern watchtowers and Chinese vertical pagodas. From the first minarets in Central Asia, only the towers of the 10th century remain. up to 10 m high in the Merv oasis. In the XI-XII centuries. The Seljuks, Ghaznavids and Karakhanids built giant minarets as triumphal towers of Islam. Of these, Kalyan in Bukhara, minarets in Dzharkurgan and Vabkent have been preserved in Uzbekistan, and the Burana Tower in Kyrgyzstan.
The Kalyan (“Great”) minaret became the main symbol of sacred Bukhara. For a thousand years, this sacred tower has dominated Bukhara, declaring the greatness of the Islamic faith. At the foot of the minaret is the central ensemble of Bukhara - Poi-Kalyan (“Foot of the Great”), which includes the Kalyan Cathedral Mosque (XV-XVI centuries), the Miri-Arab Madrasah (XVI century) and the Amir Alim Khan Madrasah (early 20th century). ). Kalyan replaced the first minaret of Bukhara, built according to an-Narshakhi in 918-919. and dismantled in the 1120s. by order of Karakhanid Arslan Khan.
The Kalyan Minaret is built of burnt bricks. It has the shape of a round tower with a height of 45.5 m, a diameter of 9 m at the base and 6 m at the top. The surface of the minaret is decorated with 12 belts of geometric patterns, some of which include Kufic writings. The year of construction is indicated on the minaret - 1127 and the name of the architect is mentioned - Bako. According to legend, Bako, having laid the foundation of the minaret, suddenly “disappeared” and did not appear until the solution had hardened. He feared that the khan would rush construction and this would lead to the collapse of the minaret, as happened in 1121.
Inside the tower there is a spiral staircase with 104 steps, at the top there is a lantern with 16 arches, decorated with stalactites. Previously, the upper part of the minaret was located above the lantern, after the loss of which a modern superstructure appeared here. The upper part of the Kalyan minaret was damaged during the shelling and aerial bombardment of Bukhara by the Red Army in 1920 and was restored as a result of restoration work. The Kalyan minaret has another name - “Tower of Death”, due to the fact that it was a place of execution - people condemned to death were thrown from its upper platform.
Magoki-Attari Mosque
Magoki-Attari is the oldest surviving historical mosque in Bukhara. It is located in the city center west of Lyabi-Khauz. In the early Middle Ages, the Mokh (Lunar) bazaar was located in this place, and nearby there was a cult center with the Temple of the Moon. During the spring holiday of Navruz, figurines and images of folk deities were sold here. After the capture of Bukhara, the Arabs founded one of the first mosques on the site of the Temple of the Moon. Excavations inside the mosque revealed remains of carved decoration and foundations from the 10th century. In 1930, the southern portal of the 12th century mosque was opened under a layer of soil. with unique ornaments made of bricks and carved majolica.
In the late Middle Ages, Magoki-Attari served as a quarter mosque, the entrance to which faced Lyabi-Khauz. The lower portal in the form of an arch, the top of which is decorated with stalactites, has been preserved from the facade of the ancient mosque. An archaic echo of pre-Islamic architecture are the twin quarter columns on the sides of the portal. An ornamental “meander” border runs along its inner contour. Among the decorative decoration of the facade, five carved ganch slabs with exquisite compositions of wicker patterns stand out.
Deggaron Mosque (Khazar)
At a distance from Holy Bukhara, within the same oasis, the unique Deggaron Mosque (11th century) in the village of Khazar has been preserved. The peculiarity of the ancient mosque is that its walls are built of pakhsa and mud brick, and the ceiling is made of brick domed vaults of the “balkhi” type. The weight of the brick domes was taken on by four internal round pillars, made of brick and with foundations made of limestone stone. Nine domes are supported by elegant sailing structures on pillars-columns, which creates a special atmosphere of the “ringing” emptiness under the dome.
Vabkent minaret
At the end of the 12th century. The second largest minaret of the Bukhara oasis was erected at the city Juma Mosque in Vabkent. The similarity of architectural solutions suggests that it was built by one of Bako’s students, the architect of the Kalyan minaret. This is a slimmer brick tower 39 m high, the diameter of the base is 6.2 m, the top is 2.8 m. The Vabkent minaret is crowned with an elegant arched lantern decorated with stalactites. Its trunk is lined with double bricks, has 8 narrow belts of ornament and epigraphic Islamic texts, as well as a blue-green majolica belt under the lantern.
Al-Gijduvani Memorial
The Bukhara land preserves the ashes of many great figures of Islamic culture. Among them is such a significant person as the outstanding Sufi Abd al-Khalik Gijduvani (d. 1180/1220). He was born and died in the village of Gijduvan near Bukhara. Al-Gijduvani was a student of the famous Sheikh Yusuf al-Hamadani and the founder of the Central Asian Sufi school “Hajagan” (“the way of teachers”). The followers of the Khajagan tradition were the Bukhara Sufis Amir Kulal and Baha ad-Din Naqshband, who gave rise to the teaching of Naqshbandiyya.
In 1432-1433 near the burial of Sheikh al-Gijduvani, the ruler of Transoxiana Mirzo Ulugbek (1409-1449) built a small one-story madrasah with a portal facing east. In area it is four times smaller than the Ulugbek madrasah in Samarkand. At the entrance to the Ulugbek madrasah there is a small minaret, similar to the Kalyan minaret. IN beginning of XXI V. A modern memorial to Abd al-Khalik Gijduvani was built in Gijduvan. It is an exquisite wooden iwan on ten columns with a blue dome, under which is the tombstone of Sheikh al-Gijduvani.
Rabat-i-Malik
On the road between Bukhara and Samarkand near the airport in Navoi there is the ancient caravanserai Rabat-i-Malik. Its name may mean that this rest station for trade caravans in the 11th-12th centuries. was under the patronage of the Karakhanid rulers. By the beginning of the 20th century. The portal of the caravanserai with side walls decorated with semi-cylindrical projections and corner minarets has been preserved. The adobe walls of the caravanserai are lined with baked bricks, and the portal is entirely built of brick and decorated with carved brickwork. Archaeological excavations have revealed the remains of farm and residential buildings.
Sardoba Reservoir
South-west of Rabat-i-Malik, on the other side of the road, there is a large domed sardoba. This is an ancient reservoir with a diameter of 12.8 and a height of 20 m, providing passing caravans with water. Without this structure, the existence of the caravanserai would have been impossible. Water entered the sardoba from the Zeravshan River through a 30 km long canal. In addition, the water reservoir was replenished by spring melt, snow and rainwater. From the north, the sardoba has a staircase descent, which made it possible not only to collect water, but also to periodically clean the brick bottom of the tank from sediment.
Ulugbek Madrasah in Bukhara
Ulugbek Madrasah in Bukhara is the first of three madrasahs built under Mirzo Ulugbek. Continuing the traditions of his grandfather Amir Temur, Ulugbek patronized science and education. His name has been glorified for centuries by the activities of the grandiose astronomical observatory of the 15th century. in Samarkand. Inscription on front door Bukhara madrasah says: “The pursuit of knowledge is the duty of every Muslim man and woman.” After the madrasah in Bukhara, Ulugbek built a madrasah in Samarkand, and a decade later - a madrasah in Gijduvan.
Ulugbek Madrasah is located east of Poi-Kalyan Square. The year of completion of construction is 1420 and the name of the architect is Ismail ibn Tahir ibn Mahmud Isfahani. The building has a two-aivan courtyard with two floors of hujras, darskhons and a mosque. The façade is highlighted by a portal, two-tiered loggias and corner turrets, which previously took the form of minarets. There were four domes above the auditoriums that have not survived in the past. In 1586, under Abdullah Khan II, the madrasah was completely rebuilt, and its facades were decorated with glazed bricks and majolica.
Balyand Mosque
South of the city park and Kosh Madrasah, deep in the residential areas of Bukhara, lies the ancient Balyand (“High”) Mosque. This mosque in a wealthy Bukhara quarter is more than five hundred years old. The most ancient part of it is the winter rectangular building. It is surrounded by an L-shaped columned iwan, which serves as a summer mosque. Wooden columns with stalactite capitals on marble bases and the ceiling of the ivan were made in the 19th century. and replaced earlier designs.
Unique suspended ceiling Balyand Mosque, decorated with geometric patterns and domes carved from wood. The small inner hall of the building has a richly decorated mihrab and a wooden pulpit - minbar. The mihrab and wall panels are covered with carved kashin mosaics in blue-green tones. The walls of the mosque are covered with multicolor painting using the kundal technique with abundant gilding. Thanks to the floral and plant patterns, this painting creates the feeling of wall “carpets”. A special spiritual mood is created by religious Arabic inscriptions made in complex script in the Suls handwriting.
Mausoleum of Saif ad-Din Boharzi
Sheikh Sayf ad-Din Boharzi (d. 1261) was the murid of the outstanding Khorezm Sufi Najm ad-Din Kubro (d. 1220). He chose Bukhara as the place of preaching, where he founded the Sufi community “Kubroviya”. Sheikh Boharzi is known for converting the khan of the Golden Horde, Berke (d. 1266), to Islam in Bukhara. In the middle of the 13th century. he headed the Bukhara madrasah, founded by the Mongolian Muslim dignitary Masud Beg. After his death, the sheikh was buried in Bukhara. His grandson Yahya ibn Burhan ad-Din in 1312-1313. moved to Bukhara and settled in a khanaka near his grandfather’s grave.
Over the grave of Sheikh Boharzi in the area of Fathabad already at the end of the 13th century. a mausoleum was built. In the second half of the XIV - early XV centuries. a khanaka building was added to the mausoleum, which was a place of Sufi meditation until the end of the 18th century. The architectural form of the memorial is determined by two egg-shaped domes and a high arched portal with three-quarter towers and an upper through arch. Inside, the tomb was decorated with a unique wooden tombstone from the 14th century. with carved designs and Arabic text dedicated to Sheikh Boharzi.
Mausoleum of Bayan-kuli-khan
One of the students of Sheikh Seif ad-Din Boharzi was Chingizid Bayan Quli Khan (d. 1358). In 1346 Power in the western part of the Mongolian ulus Chagataev, to which Bukhara belonged, was seized by Emir Kazagan. He did not belong to the Genghisid family and ruled on behalf of Bayan Kuli Khan. When power passed to Kazagan’s son, Amir Abd-Allah, he executed Bayan-kuli. Bayan-kuli-khan was buried next to the mausoleum of Sheikh Boharzi. Under the Temurids, a small mausoleum was erected there, distinguished by its rich decorative finishing carved glazed terracotta.
Mausoleum of Amir Kulal
In the middle of the 14th century. Seyyid Amir Kulal (d. 1370), whose father Seyyid Hamza moved to Bukhara from Medina, was revered as one of the religious leaders of Central Asia. Sheikh Kulal is known as the spiritual mentor of Amir Temur and his teacher Shams ad-Din Kulal. He was born and died in the village of Sukhori near Bukhara. The mausoleum of Amir Kulal was built at the beginning of the 21st century. His successors were his sons Hamza and Umar, who, according to sources, were buried next to their father. According to oral traditions, Sheikh Umar was buried in the Gur-Emir mausoleum in Samarkand, where he was given a huge western niche.
Bukhara under the Sheybanids (XVI century)
At the beginning of the 16th century. The power of the Temurids in Central Asia was crushed by the Uzbek tribes led by Genghisid Sheybani Khan (deceased 1510). Bukhara became the possession of Sheybani Khan's brother Mahmud Sultan. Since 1512, his son Ubaydullah Khan ruled here. In those years, part of the cultural elite of Herat, captured by the Safavids, moved to Bukhara. When Ubaydullah Khan (1533-1539) became the supreme ruler of the Shaybanids, he moved the capital of the state to Bukhara. After his death, Bukhara for 18 years was one of the Shaybanid fiefs, ruled by its khans: Abd al-Aziz, Yar-Muhammad, Burkhan-Sultan.
In 1557, Bukhara was captured by Abdullah Khan II, the son of Iskander Khan (1560-1583), recognized as the supreme khan of the Shaybanids. In fact, since the 60s. XVI century the state was ruled by Abdullah Khan II himself (1583-1598). Descriptions of his stay in Bukhara in 1558-1559 have been preserved. English merchant Jenkinson. In 1561, the capital of the Sheybanids was again moved to Bukhara. By the end of the reign of Abdullah Khan II, the Bukhara Khanate, in addition to Transoxiana, included part of Khorasan and Khorezm. Under him, madrasahs were built in Bukhara: Madari Khan and Abdullah Khan, Gaukushan, Oipashsha-ayim, Dostum, Fatkhulla-kushbegi.
Miri-Arab Madrasah
Opposite the minaret and Kalyan mosque is the Miri-Arab madrasah. This is one of the most revered Islamic educational institutions in the post-Soviet space. It was built in 1535-1536. and has been in effect for five centuries. After a two-decade hiatus under Soviet rule, the madrasah was re-opened in 1945. At the corners of the front façade of the madrasah there are two large halls. In the southern hall there is an auditorium and a mosque, in the northern one there is a necropolis of Sheikh Miri-Arab (“Prince of the Arabs”) - that was the name of Seyyid Shams ad-Din Abdallah al-Arabi, who was from Yemen.
In the 80s XV century Miri-Arab moved to Central Asia and became a student of Khoja Ahrar. He was the head of the Muslims of Bukhara and enjoyed great authority at the courts of Muhammad Sheybani and Ubaydullah Khan. The latter revered Miri-Arab as his spiritual mentor. Ubaidullah Khan was the most educated man of his time. He freely recited the Koran, wrote commentaries on it in the old Uzbek language, created several Sufi treatises, and was a gifted singer and musician.
Funds for the construction of the madrasah were transferred to Miri-Arab by Ubaidallah Khan, who received them from the sale of three thousand captives into slavery. The dimensions of the Miri-Arab Madrasah are 73x55 m. Its majestic facade is raised on a high platform above the level of the Kalyan Mosque and is completely covered with mosaics. It is flanked by massive corner towers. In the center of the facade there is a high entrance portal with a semi-octagonal vault, on the sides there are two-tier loggias. The corner halls are crowned with turquoise domes. Their tall cylindrical drums are decorated with tiled mosaics that make up the borders and epigraphic texts.
The four-bay courtyard of the madrasah has dimensions of 37x33 m. It is surrounded by two floors of hudjras, the number of which is 111. The internal layout of the building is very complex and has many stairs, passages, mezzanines, and dead ends. The attraction of the madrasah is the internal open portals located on the axes of the courtyard and serving as summer classrooms. The exterior decoration uses carved cashin mosaics with a predominance of floral patterns and complex ligature of the Suls handwriting.
Kalyan Mosque
The construction of the Kalyan Mosque began in the 15th century. on the site of the old Karakhanid Juma Mosque of the 12th century, built simultaneously with the Kalyan minaret. The construction of the new mosque was completed in the first decades of the Sheybanid rule, which is recorded by the dating on the facade of the mosque - 1514. Since then, for five centuries, excluding decades of Soviet times, the Kalyan mosque has been functioning as the main cathedral mosque of Bukhara. Its scale is comparable to the Timurid mosques of Samarkand and Herat. During holiday prayers it can accommodate up to 12 thousand people.
The Kalyan Mosque is inferior to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand in terms of the volume of buildings, but, with dimensions of 127x78 m, it surpasses it in area. It has a traditional rectangular plan with four ivans on the axes. The central passage aivan is decorated with an external front portal facing the square and an internal portal facing the courtyard. The new façade cladding was made using tiled mosaics and bricks coated with glaze during restoration work in the 1970s.
On the transverse axes of the courtyard there are two internal ivans and four exits from the mosque. On the eastern side is the main building of the Kalyan Mosque with a high massive dome, on top of which storks always nested (storks disappeared from the city after the swamps around Bukhara were drained in the 1920-1930s). Inside the mosque there is a multi-colored mosaic mihrab. The inscription on its facing contains the name of the master - Bayazid Purani. In front of the portal of this mosque there is an octagonal rotunda gazebo, similar to the Octahedron mausoleum in Shahi-Zinda in Samarkand. When reading sermons, it is used as a minbar.
In the interior architecture of the mosque, the covered vaulted galleries are especially impressive. They are located along the perimeter of the yard: along the long side in four rows, along the short side - in five rows. The galleries are covered with 288 domes, the bases of which are 208 pillars. From any vantage point inside the galleries, a beautiful spectacle of rhythmically repeating arcades and massive pillars opens up, creating a colorful play of light and shadow.
Poi-Kalyan ensemble: 1 - Kalyan minaret, 2 - Kalyan mosque, 2.1 - octagonal kiosk-minbar, 3 - Miri-Arab madrasah, 3.1 - Miri-Arab necropolis, 4 - Alim Khan madrasah.
Memorial of Baha ad-Din Naqshband: 1 - mazar of Baha ad-Din Naqshband, 2 - khanaka of Abd al-Aziz Khan, 16th century, 3 - dakhma of the Shaybanids, 16th century, 4 - dakhma of Iskander Khan and Abdullah Khan II , XVI-XVII centuries, 5 - dakhma of Amir Imamkuli Khan, XVIII century, 6 - madrasah, XVII century, 7 - mosque of Amir Muzaffar, XIX century, 8 - Abdul Hakim Kushbegi mosque, XIX century, 9 - minaret.
Memorial of Baha ad-Din Naqshband
Not far from Bukhara there is a memorial to the patron saint of Bukhara, Sheikh Bakh ad-Din Naqshband (d. 1389), the founder of the Naqshbandiyya tariqa. He was born in a village later called Qasr-i Orifan - “the castle of those who knew the divine truth.” It is believed that the sheikh received spiritual initiation from Abd al-Khalik Gijduvani, who appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to become a student of Amir Kulal. His other teacher was the Chingizid Sufi Khan Sultan Khalil. The Sufi community of Naqshband rejected asceticism and was actively engaged in economic activities.
The memorial at the tomb of Baha ad-Din Naqshband was created over five centuries. Its center is a rectangular courtyard where the sheikh's burial is located, marked by a high pole. Along the perimeter of the courtyard there are modern ivans with wooden columns. Memorial mosques of the 19th century adjoin the courtyard: the northwestern corner is occupied by the mosque of the Bukhara emir Muzaffar (1860-1885), the northern side is occupied by the mosque of Abdul Hakim Kushbegi. Even further north there is a small minaret and madrasah of the 17th century.
Khanqah of Abd Al-Aziz Khan
The largest building of the memorial is a Sufi khanaka with a high complex dome. It was built by order of the Bukhara ruler Abd al-Aziz Khan (d. 1550) as a sign of great respect for Baha ad-Din Naqshband. This khanaka served as a meeting place and performance of dhikr (meditation) for Sufis of the Naqshbandiyya school. A large cross-shaped hall in the center of the khanqah was used for dhikr. It is surrounded by the premises of the hujra. The four facades have a common type: a portal with a deep arch in the center and two tiers of lancet loggias on its sides.
The domed ceiling of the khanaka is structurally built on four powerful protruding arches, ensuring high strength and reliability of the structure. The outer dome of the khanaka is clearly visible several kilometers before the memorial. Dissected by arches, it consists of nine parts: a central small dome, four side “petals” and four corner ones. This makes him look like an unopened flower bud, embodying the image of “stopping time.”
Dakhma of the Shaybanids
To the east of the courtyard with the burial of Baha ad-Din Naqshband there is an ancient cemetery. It begins with the royal necropolis of the Sheibanid dynasty (XVI century), who sought to remain under the spiritual protection of the great sheikh even after death. The basis of the necropolis consists of two burial dakhmas. The first contains burials from the first half of the 16th century. (presumably Ubaidullah Khan is buried there), on the second - Iskander Khan (d. 1583) and his son Abdullah Khan II (d. 1598). To the west there is another dakhma with the burial of Amir Imam Quli Khan (XVIII century).
Namazga Mosque
South of Bukhara in the 11th century. there was a garden-reserve of the Karakhanids. At the beginning of the 12th century. there, by decision of the ruler Arslan Khan III, the Namazga Mosque was erected - a special type of mosque, prayers in which are performed only during two Muslim holidays - Kurban Khait and Ramadan Khait. From a mosque of the 12th century. the frontal one is preserved Brick wall, in the center of which there is a mihrab decorated with carved terracotta tiles. The Arslan Khan Mosque was rebuilt in the 14th century, and in the 16th century. before old wall an arched-domed gallery with a high portal and a minbar was built.
Kosh madrasah
Under Abdullah Khan II, the architectural ensemble Kosh Madrassah (from “kosh” - “double”), consisting of two opposing madrassas, was erected in Bukhara. The first of them bears the name Madari Khan, or Madari Abdullah Khan (“mother of Abdullah Khan”). According to the inscription on the building, it was built in 1566-1567. in honor of the mother of Abdullah Khan II. The peculiarity of the Madari Khan madrasah is its trapezoidal shape. Here, for the correct orientation of the internal mosque, it was placed at an acute angle to the facade. Two-story loggias face the courtyard of the madrasah, with hudjras behind them.
The second madrasah bears the name of Abdullah Khan II himself and was built in 1588-1590. In terms of architecture, it is more complex than the first. The lobby is a gallery, in the southern part of which there is a darshana, and in the northern part there is a mosque. For the correct orientation of the mihrab, the mosque is also turned at an angle to the main building. In the courtyard there are four ivans with high portals, and on its western side there is an octagonal domed hall - the “lantern of Abdullah Khan”, surrounded by arched galleries two floors high.
Necropolis Chor-Bakr
The Chor-Bakr memorial arose 8 km west of Bukhara in the village of Sumitan near the ancient necropolis of the Juybar Sayyids. They occupied the highest government positions in Bukhara since the times of the Samanids. The central part of the memorial is occupied by a memorial mosque, khanqah and madrasah, built at the end of the 16th century under Abdullah Khan II. Their central facades are highlighted by portals with spacious arches, and the side facades are decorated with two tiers of loggias. The halls of the mosque and khanaka are covered with domes on slender drums. The interiors of the buildings are decorated with intersecting arches and a web of mesh sails and stalactites. In the 20th century A small minaret was erected on the main axis of the complex.
Abdullah Khan II's special attention to Chor-Bakr is due to the fact that he and his father Iskander Khan considered themselves spiritual disciples of Khoja Muhammad Islam (d. 1563). This sheikh in the middle of the 16th century. was the head of the Juybar Sayyid clan and the leader of the Naqshbandiyya Sufi brotherhood in Central Asia. The sheikh's successor was his son Khoja Abu Bakr Sa'ad (d. 1589), who, like his father, was the head of the Muslims of Bukhara under Abdullah Khan II.
Chor-Bakr represents, as it were, “ City of dead", with streets, courtyards, gates, family dakhmas. The monumental memorial was erected as a sign of deep respect for the memory of Abu Bakr Sa'ad. Khoja Sa'ad, as the head of the Naqshbandiyya, was one of the largest feudal lords of the Khanate. He owned land and other property in Bukhara, Miankal, Samarkand, Sauran, Turkestan, Akhsikent, Nesef, Hisar, Termez, Kubazhiyan, Balkh, Badakhshan, Herat, Merv, Murghab, Mekhna, Mashhad, Charjuy and Andhud. Khoja Sa'ad's annual income was equal to the annual income of the Samarkand region.
Abdullah Khan II perpetuated the memory of Khoja Sa'ad with the construction of a mausoleum, mosque and madrasah. According to the historical work “Abdullah-nama”, “when Abdullah Khan ascended the throne, he decided to leave behind a good name. Khan planned to build an entire ensemble - a mosque, madrasah, residential building and other buildings around the mausoleum of Imam Abu Bakr Sa'ad. Months and years passed, and finally, after 10 years, a majestic monumental structure surrounded by trees and flower beds appeared to the eyes of contemporaries.”
Legend on the map: 1 - Mazar of Abu Bakr Sa'ad, X-XVII centuries, 2 - mosque, XVI century, 3 - khanqah, XVI century, 4 - madrasah, XVI century, 5 - minaret, XX century.
Necropolis of the Juybar Sheikhs
The family necropolis began with the burial of the founder of the dynasty of Juybar sheikhs, Abu Bakr Sa'ad (10th century). Under Abdullah Khan II, Khoja Muhammad Islam and Khoja Sa'ada were buried there. After the death of Sheikh Sa'ad in early 1590, Abdallah Khan II issued a decree dividing his property between three heirs: Taj ad-Din Hasan (d. 1646), Abd ar-Rahim (d. 1628/29) and Abdi Khoja. Later, Khoja Abd ar-Rahim and Khoja Taj ad-Din Hasan were also buried in Chor Bakr.
Kukeldash Madrasah
Kukeldash Madrasah is another Bukhara building from the reign of Abdullah Khan II. It bears the name of the khan's dignitary Kulbaba - Kukeldash ("follow brother of the khan"), who carried out the construction of this building in 1568-1569. The madrasah has dimensions of 86x69 m and is one of the largest madrasahs in Bukhara. It houses 160 hujras, located on two floors around the perimeter of the courtyard. One of the most famous Central Asian writers of the 20th century studied here. - Sadr al-Din Aini (1878-1954).
The main facade of the madrasah faces Lyabi-Khauz. The tympanums of the arches of its portal and two-tiered loggias are decorated with blue majolica. The entrance vestibule has beautiful complex vaults made of burnt brick and ganch. Internal layout Kukeldash madrasah is distinguished by the absence of side aivans. In the center of the courtyard there is a late building from the beginning of the 20th century. The second floor of the western facade is decorated with an arcade of lancet niches into which the doors of the hudjras open. During Soviet times, the madrasah was closed and for some time used as a hotel.
In the western part of the entrance hall of the Kukeldash madrasah there was a mosque, and in the eastern part there was a darskhan (classroom). The drums of their domes rest on intersecting arches, the corners of which are decorated with ganch stalactites. Eight wall paintings in the corners of the darskana, painted in the 1930s, are of interest. They reproduce episodes from the life of Uzbek village workers in Soviet times, written in the style of socialist realism.
Khoja Gaukushan
To the west of the dome, Toki-Sarrafon changed behind buildings of Russian architecture late XIX- beginning of the 20th century The Khoja Gaukushan ensemble with a stone house in the center is located. The name Gaukushan (“killer of bulls”) is due to the fact that at this place until the 16th century. there was a massacre. The ensemble originated in the 16th century. First, in 1570, a madrasah was built here at a fork in the streets. Later, from the north, retreating to the width of the streets, at the behest of the Juybar sheikh Khoja Sa'ad, a Juma mosque called the “Khoja Mosque” was built. Nearby, in imitation of Kalyan, a low minaret was erected, having a height of 19.5 m and a lower diameter of 4.8 m.
Toki-Zargaron
In the Middle Ages, Bukhara became famous as a major trading city that received merchants from all over Central Asia, as well as from Iran and India, Russia and China. There were many trading places and caravanserais. To accommodate bazaars at street intersections, domed ceilings were built - “tok”, which, as a rule, had their own craft specialization. Thanks to the vast space under the dome, they are cool inside even in the heat.
The surviving Bukhara “currents” were built more than four hundred years ago under Abdullah Khan II. At the intersection of two main streets in the center of ancient Shakhristan, Toki-Zargaron, the “dome of jewelers,” was erected. Its large dome, with the help of arches and arched sails, rests on an octahedron, covered on the outside by a prism with 16 windows. Inside, around the central platform, there are 36 shops and workshops, covered with many domes.
Tim Abdullah Khan
In my own way architectural type and the purpose of the “tok” domes is adjacent to the tim of Abdullah Khan. It was built in 1577 to sell silk and woolen goods. Tim is located on the market street that connected the domes of Toki-Zargaron and Toki-Tilpak-Furushon. This is a square multi-domed structure with three portals. In the center of the tim, under the main dome, there is a large platform surrounded by 24 niches for trading shops. Along the perimeter there is a gallery, which is covered with small domes and has another 31 bench sections.
Toki-Tilpak-Furushon
Toki-Tilpak-Furushon, or “the dome of hat sellers,” stands at a complex intersection that used to be the southern gate of Shakhristan. Having built the center of the dome on six supports, the architect incorporated a regular hexagon into the layout of this shopping arcade. This allowed him to connect five streets into one node. In this place they still sell skullcaps, turbans, and fur hats. Part of Toki-Tilpak-Furushon is the northern domed gallery, which is adjacent to another building of the 16th century. - Misgaron bathhouse. A medieval caravanserai adjoins the domed bazaar from the west.
Toki-Sarrafon
Toki-Sarrafon, or “the dome of the money changers,” is located south of Shakhristan on the road connecting Rabad with Registan Square near Ark. Under this dome, topped with a lantern, flows the ancient Shahrud irrigation ditch. There sat money changers who exchanged coins from different countries, and moneylenders. The dome does not have a bypass gallery. The internal span of the octagonal room is 8.5 m. There are four passages along its axes, and four arches in the corners. The dome of Toki-Sarrafon was dismantled and rebuilt while preserving its original forms at the beginning of the 20th century.
Khanqa Faizabad
In the north-eastern side of Bukhara, not far from the walls of the medieval city, the khanaka of Fayzabad is located. It was built away from the cramped city streets in the last years of the Shaybanid rule in 1598-1599. The khanqah has the main attributes of a Sufi house - a large domed hall for prayers and dhikr, as well as hujras for the housing of travelers. Thanks to the arched-domed gallery surrounding the central hall on three sides, the khanaka building is not fenced off from the outside world, but, on the contrary, is as open as possible to believers.
Khanqah of Khoja Zayn ad-Din
To the south of the Kalyan mosque, in the depths of the residential area, another Sufi khanaka of the 16th century has been preserved. This creation of folk architecture bears the name of Sheikh Khoja Zain ad-Din, whose burial is located in the outer part of the khanqah. Here, in an open loggia facing the street, is the tombstone of the sheikh, marked by a characteristic pole. Sufi traditions of Bukhara by the mid-19th - early 20th centuries. were largely lost, and their carriers were mainly wandering dervishes. For this reason, since the 19th century, the khanqah of Khoja Zayn ad-Din has served as a quarter mosque.
The domed space of the main hall of the khanaka has a lush stalactite design. The walls of the room are covered with tiled mosaics. The ornament of the niches, mihrab, and stalactites is painted using the kundal technique. From the central hall there is access to the street through a deep south-eastern arched niche. On the other two sides, the khanaka is surrounded by an ivan with wooden columns with stalactite capitals and marble bases. In the courtyard in front of the ivan there is a house with stone ledges and a carved stone drainage.
Tash Mosque in Vangazi
The Tash Mosque ensemble in the village of Vangazi (50 km east of Bukhara), like the Gaukushan ensemble, was built under Abdullah Khan II. Probably, there was the burial of a respected Sufi person, around which a cemetery with a mosque arose. On the orders of Khoja Abu Bakr Sa'ad, the old frame mosque was destroyed, and in 1580-1586. a khanaka with a monumental pillar-domed hall was built there. Later it took over the functions of the quarter and Juma mosque. Thanks to load-bearing structures made of burnt brick, such buildings were called Tash mosques, i.e. stone mosques.
Next to the Tash Mosque, there used to be a madrasah and a complex of baths that have not survived to this day. The slender minaret remained intact, representing a smaller copy of the Vabkent minaret. It was the tallest built in the 16th century. Its height is 24 m with a lower diameter of 3.8 m. The base and foundation are made of stone. The trunk of the Vangazi minaret is decorated with six belts of relief masonry and is completed with an eight-arched lantern with a stalactite cornice.
Bukhara under the Ashtarkhanids (XVII-XVIII centuries)
In 1601, the Ashtarkhanid dynasty (1601-1747) from the Genghisid family of Astrakhan khans came to power in the Bukhara Khanate. Its founder, Jani-bek Muhammad, was married to the sister of Abdullah Khan II. In conditions of turmoil at the beginning of the 17th century. The sons of Jani-bek, Baki (1601-1605) and Vali (1605-1611), and then his grandson, Imamkuli (1611-1642), became khans in turn. Imamkuli Khan managed to strengthen the state and annex Tashkent to the Khanate. However, Khorasan and Samarkand were lost, and Badakhshan became practically independent. In 1642, Imamkuli Khan transferred the throne to his brother Nadir Muhammad (1642-1645) and died during the Hajj.
The amirs of Nadir Muhammad organized a conspiracy and declared his son Abd al-Aziz (1645-1681) khan. Nadir Muhammad turned to Baburid Shah Jahan for help, which led to a war with the Indians over Balkh. Abd al-Aziz's brother, Subkhankuli Khan (1681-1702), temporarily subjugated the Khanate of Khiva, but could not stop the civil strife. Subhankulm's son Ubaydullah (1702-1711) tried to restore the integrity of the state, but died as a result of a conspiracy. Ubaydullah Khan's brother Abulfayz (1711-1747), who was completely dependent on the amirs, was elevated to the throne. Troubles in Bukhara allowed the Iranian Shah Nadir to easily conquer it in 1740-1745.
Madrasah of Abd al-Aziz Khan
Opposite the Ulugbek madrasah in Bukhara there is a large madrasah built in 1651-1652. by order of Ashtarkhanid Abd al-Aziz Khan, who became famous for expelling the Indian army from Balkh. The new building was supposed to declare the glory and power of the ruler. The Miri-Arab madrasah was taken as a model for the Abd al-Aziz Khan madrasah: a high portal, two domed halls in the front part, two floors of hudjras along the perimeter, four iwans in the courtyard, round towers at the corners of the building.
The dimensions of the Abd al-Aziz Khan madrasah are 60x48 m. In its northeastern corner there is a darskana, in the northwestern corner there is a winter mosque. The summer mosque with a mihrab is located in the southern ivan. The tympanums of the portals and arches of the facades are decorated with majolica, and the arch of the central portal is decorated with a rich stalactite structure. In the external decor, mosaic and majolica panels with images of a flowering bush in a vase, fantastic snake-like creatures, etc. are widely used. On the sides of the main portal there are images of fairy-tale birds flying towards the sun.
While inferior to Ulugbek's madrasah in architectural proportions, Abd al-Aziz Khan's madrasah surpasses it in scale, richness and complexity of interiors. Thus, the domes, arches of the niches of the darskana, winter and summer mosques are decorated with a system of exquisite alabaster stalactites of the “mukanas” and “iroki” type. Medieval traditions reached exceptional perfection in the design of lampshades of mosques, where designs of miniature vaults, stars, intersecting arches filled with plant and floral patterns were used.
Lyabi-Khauz
One of the most popular vacation spots for citizens and tourists in Bukhara is Lyabi-Khauz (literally, “around the reservoir”) - a wide area around an ancient house. Its northern border is the Kukeldash madrasah, the southern border is the Shakhrud ditch (“royal river”) and the residential area behind it, the western border is the khanaka, and the eastern border is the Nadir-Divan-begi madrasah. In the 20th century A monument to the legendary folk hero Khoja Nasreddin was erected in the park near the madrasah.
In this place, for about four centuries, there have been open pavilions for drinking tea - teahouses and trading shops. Lyabi-Khauz is the largest artificial reservoir of medieval Bukhara. It was dug around 1620 next to the khanaka by order of Nadir-Divan-begi. The dimensions of the reservoir are 45.5x36 m, depth is up to 5 m. It holds more than 4 thousand cubic meters of water, which comes from the ancient Shahrud ditch. The banks of Lyabi-Khauz have stone steps, which allowed Bukhara water carriers to fill clean water leather wineskins.
Legend on the map: 1 - Lyabi-Khauz, 2 - Nadir-Divan-begi madrasah, 3 - Nadir-Divan-begi khanaka, 3.1 - mihrab khanaki, 4 - Kukeldash madrasah, 4.1 - winter mosque, 4.2 - darskhan, 5 - monument to Khoja Nasreddin.
Khanaka Nadir-Divan-Begi
The Ashtarkhanids, like the Sheybanids, patronized Sufi communities. The Juybar sheikh Khoja Hashim (d. 1636) played a special role in their state in the first decades of his reign. It was thanks to him that Imamkuli Khan (1611-1642) strengthened his position on the Bukhara throne. Khoja Hashim was the spiritual mentor not only of the Bukhara khan, but also of the Samarkand ruler Yalangtush-biy (who later buried Khoja Hashim in the Sher-Dor madrasah), as well as the major Ashtarkhanid dignitary Nadir-Divan-begi. The latter is known for the construction of a madrasah near the necropolis of Khoja Ahrar in Samarkand.
Probably on the orders of Khoja Hashim Nadir-Divan-begi in 1619-1620. built a large Sufi khanaka east of the Magoki-Attari mosque. This is a massive structure with a cruciform hall under a dome and hujras in the corners. Its high portal is flanked by towers with stairs. The mikhrab niche is decorated with colored stalactites. The mosaic inscription along the contour of the portal and in the tympanum almost disappeared over time and was restored again only in the 20th century.
Madrasah Nadir-Divan-Begi
Following the khanqah and the pool in 1622-1623. Nadir-Divan-begi built a caravanserai on the eastern side of Lyabi-Khauz. It was assumed that the income from it would go to the maintenance of the khanaka. However, on the advice of the clergy, at the opening of the caravanserai, the Bukhara Khan Imamkuli congratulated his minister on the construction of the institution “for the glory of Allah.” After this, Nadir-Divan-begi was forced to convert the caravanserai into a madrasah.
In connection with this story, in the Nadir-Divan-begi madrasah there is no mosque, classrooms, or courtyard aivans. The façade is decorated with tiled mosaics. A memorable image of the madrasah is created by images of fantastic birds with deer in their claws on the entrance arch. These are the legendary birds of happiness “Semurg”, flying towards the sun, symbolizing the aspiration for spiritual knowledge.
Bukhara Amirate (1747-1920)
After the invasion of Nadir Shah, the Khanate of Bukhara became for a time the possession of the Shah of Iran. The economy fell into disrepair and the population became impoverished. Then the Chingizids lost control over the country and from 1747 power passed to the amirs of the Mangyt dynasty. Under the first rulers - Rahim-biy (d. 1758) and Daniyar-biy (d. 1785) - civil strife between supporters and opponents of the Mangyts continued. The Fergana possession separated from the Bukhara Khanate, where the independent Kokand Khanate was formed. After the Bukharans rebelled in 1784 against the weakened power of Daniyar-biy, he gave up the throne to his son, the Sufi Shahmurad (1785-1800).
The new ruler exempted the residents of Bukhara from most taxes, but introduced a tax on the maintenance of troops. Shahmurad returned the left bank of the Amu Darya to the emirate, suppressed the uprising in Kermina, made campaigns in Shakhrisabz and Khojent, and successfully fought with the Afghans. Amir Haydar (1800 1826), son of Shahmurad, had to defend his father’s conquests in continuous wars. Haydar was succeeded by his son Nasrullah (1826-1860), who fought border wars with the Khiva and Kokand khanates. In the middle of the 19th century. The territory of the emirate was about 225 thousand square meters. km, population - about 3 million people.
Chor-Minor Madrasah
To the northeast of Lyabi-Khauz, in the depths of residential areas, the small Chor-Minor madrasah - “Four Minarets”, amazing in its architecture, has been preserved. It was built in 1807 on behalf of the wealthy Turkmen Khalifa Niyazkul. The madrasah includes a courtyard, a mosque with a columned ivan and a swimming pool lined with stone blocks. The special appearance of the Chor-Minor madrasah is associated with original entrance- a four-arched domed building, in the corners of which four minarets with blue domes rise. There was a library in one of the minarets.
Bolo-Hauz Mosque
In the past there were many buildings on Registan Square in front of the Ark. Today, the only monument of medieval architecture preserved here is the Bolo-Khauz ensemble. It was formed around an ancient mosque, built in 1712 and becoming the second city Juma mosque after the Kalyan mosque. The amirs of Bukhara took part in Friday prayers here. The courtyards of the madrasah with hudjras adjoined it from the south and north. The portal of the mosque, on the sides of which maoilic inscriptions have been preserved, faces the Ark gate.
Under the wide dome is the main hall of the mosque, the mihrab niche of which is richly decorated with ganch stalactites. At the beginning of the 20th century. The façade of the mosque was decorated with a high wooden ivan. Next to the mosque on the shore of the reservoir in 1917, the founder of Shirin Muradov built a small minaret, imitating Kalyan in shape.
The most striking feature of the mosque is the decor of the summer ivan with 20 wooden columns made of walnut, elm and poplar. The large length of the columns is ensured by the connection of two trunks. Their mushroom-shaped stalactite capitals are decorated with colored paints. Cross beams divide the ceiling into multi-colored rectangular cassettes. This masterpiece of craftsmanship features distinctive stalactite indentations in the middle of the star-shaped figure.
New Ark Fortress
In the XVIII-XIX centuries. Ark became the center of statehood of the Bukhara Amirate. There, on an area of about 4 hectares, rising 18-20 m above the surrounding area, there was the emir's palace, mosques, treasury, office and prison. Ark was badly damaged during the assault by the Red Army in 1920, which is why almost 70% of the citadel’s territory today is occupied by wasteland. Among the surviving buildings are the Juma mosque with a wooden iwan, the Kushbegi residence, and the throne room. The entrance to the Ark is a large gate with towers, behind which is a covered gallery. A whip used to hang above the gate, symbolizing the unlimited power of the emir.
The ancient square of Bukhara has been decorating the city since the 16th century. In the Middle Ages, there was a lively trading place here, today it is a kind of historical oasis, formed by the monumental and exquisite buildings of the Kukeldash madrasah, the Divan-Begi madrasah and the Divan-Begi khanaka, located around the reservoir of the Nadir-Begi hauz (he, in fact, gave the name area). In the center of the square there is a monument to Khoja Nasreddin.
Over the years of its existence, the appearance of this place has changed. In the 20th century, the house was drained, fortunately, restored in the present. New buildings were introduced into the historical landscape, for example, a cinema. And Lyabi Hauz Square itself changed its functions, and at one time it was even a sports arena.
The artistic value of this architectural ensemble is recognized by the UNESCO Council; the area is one of the specially protected cultural sites of the world. The ancient buildings of the madrasah with exquisite script and wonderful mosaics very favorably represent this ancient, wise and sophisticated culture to the world.
Lyabi-Khauz Square
Lyabi-Khauz Square is located in the very center of Bukhara. The buildings that form the architecture of the square were built between the 16th and 17th centuries. The shape of the area looks like an irregular polygon.
The central place of the square is occupied by the reservoir of the Divan-Begi hauz, around which the Divan-Begi khanqahs, the Divan-Begi madrassah and the Kukeldash madrassah are located. The latter was built in 1569 by order of Shaybanid Abdullah Khan and was at that time the largest in Central Asia. The decoration of its domes impresses with its subtlety and beauty. This is the oldest building in the architectural ensemble of the square.
The depth of the house, the walls of which are framed by stone steps, reaches 5 meters. During one of the later reconstructions, the house was converted into a fountain. In medieval times, this square was one of the main centers of trade, which was facilitated by its proximity to the main shopping street of the city.
Bukhara is the last of the ancient cities of the Great Silk Road that we visited on this trip. After Khiva and Samarkand, some features in the appearance of the cities of the East had already become familiar, so I wanted to look at Bukhara a little differently - to go less into historical nuances and names, but to be more imbued with the atmosphere of the city. And there were all the prerequisites for this - thanks to the convenient flight schedule, we had to spend a full day in Bukhara, from early morning until late evening. Plus, the day was cloudy and the sweltering heat had subsided somewhat. So, the morning flight rushed us from Tashkent, and the taxi driver took us straight to the central square of Bukhara, where citizens and tourists are greeted by a funny monument to Khoja Nasreddin on a donkey, the hero of the eastern epic.
1. The monument to Khoja Nasreddin is one of the favorite tourist attractions in Bukhara. Almost everyone here takes pictures, kids climb on the donkey. I also decided to join. :))
2. Following the monument to Khoja Nasreddin, the facade of the madrasah enters the square.
3. And now, let’s put aside all tourist obligations and walk around the old city wherever our eyes look.
4. Bukhara is a very ancient city. On one of the squares of Old Bukhara, the foundations of old caravanserais and public baths, which have not survived to this day, were discovered.
6. Bukhara, although surrounded by deserts, is a very cozy and green city. There are several ponds in the old city - here is one of them.
8. On the pedestrian street Hakikat, leading to the main attractions of Old Bukhara, there are many sellers of souvenirs, scarves, skullcaps and other gifts from the East. It's full of tourists and local residents. Life is always in full swing here.
9. I like to watch people. After all, the main thing in the country is not the sights, architecture, etc., but the atmosphere, the people... In Uzbekistan good people- kind, friendly, sociable. And of course, there are a lot of very colorful characters for our unusual eyes - then I’ll make a separate post on this topic. But I’ll give something here too. We breathe the atmosphere of Bukhara, don’t we? :)
10. Hakikat Street leads to the square, where the facades of two madrassas - Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan - overlook.
12. Traditionally beautiful facades are decorated with majolica tiles.
14. Storks have built a nest on the top of one of the minarets.
18. Poi-Kalyan is one of the most ancient buildings in Bukhara, dating back to the 12th - 16th centuries. All together - the mosque, the minaret and the Miri-Arab madrasah, they form a delightful complex, which is the main symbol of the city.
27. The main city square, Registan (in Bukhara it has the same name as in Samarkand) is always very lively.
28. Near the walls of ancient citadels, a colorful grandfather sells brands for livestock.
30. A little further from the main cathedral square there is a huge carpet market - the carpets here are simply stunning, the most different sizes and styles.
32. It’s time to take a break - sitting on the steps of the Kalyan Mosque, it’s interesting to watch city life. And there is something to watch...
33. On the steps of the Miri Arab madrasah, an elderly Teacher talks with Muslim youth.
34. A boy eats ice cream in a glass. Other kids are also playing...
35. In the central square of Old Bukhara it flows slowly and steadily usual life. Just as measuredly and slowly - as time flows within the walls of these ancient citadels. Years, centuries...
36. The old city of Bukhara is adjacent to very colorful low-rise neighborhoods - a whole labyrinth of narrow streets, houses adjacent to each other. Here, too, a quiet and measured life flows - the tourist flow seems to have no power over these places...
37. Khoja Nasreddin and St. George’s Ribbon.
38. I wonder how old these carved wooden doors are?
39. And this door has a special hole for cats. Or for dogs.
40. In the string of streets of Bukhara you can easily repair a bicycle.
41. Buildings sometimes simply amaze with the originality of their designs! :))
42. It’s easy to get lost in the incredible labyrinths of Old Bukhara - like the characters of “The Diamond Arm” in the film. In such cases, Grandfather Lenin comes to the rescue - he will definitely guide his comrades on the right path. :))
43. On the streets of the old quarters of Bukhara, ordinary life flows - measuredly, economically and in an oriental manner, thoroughly and leisurely.
45. One of the symbols of Bukhara is Lyab-i Khauz Square. This architectural ensemble near the pond was created back in XVI-XVII centuries. In the Middle Ages, Lyab-i Hauz was a busy shopping area, and today fountains gush here and people walk around.
46. Old mulberry trees near the pond are the same age as the square. For example, this tree is from 1477!
48. On the square by the pond there is a simply magnificent restaurant - perhaps the best in the city and at the same time very inexpensive. I highly recommend having lunch here, especially since this place is loved not only by tourists, but also by local residents.
49. Comrade kitv I reasonably thought that in a city with the characteristic name of Bukhara - well, it’s simply a sin not to drink! :))
50. Wonderful Bukhara pilaf. By the time you've read this far, you're probably hungry? :)
51. Several photographs of modern Bukhara.
