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Above: Painting of
the Ark Fortress, as seen in th Ark Fortress Musem
Right: Kaylan Tower in
the Po-i-Kalyan compex
While Samarkand may have been the center of
Uzbekistan's legendary Timurid dynasty, the nearby city of Bukhara (Buxoro in
Uzbek) is a great place to get a taste of Uzbekistan's Persian legacy. In fact,
in the southern region of Uzbekistan, a large minority of the population is
speaks Tajik as their native language (Tajik being a derivative of the Persian
language). Only a short three hour drive away from Samarkand, Bukhara was an
all-too short day trip for us; however, a more extended stay is highly
recommended.
Like Samarkand and Khiva, Bukhara was a major stopping
destination on the ancient silk route, and has been a cultural hearth of
Central Asia, and the Islamic world. Originally founded by Persian Sogdians,
Bukhara became the capital of the Persian Muslim Samanid Empire. The Samanids
turned Bukhara into the Islamic intellectual center of the world in the 9th
century and the city spawned some of the most notably scholars in Islam,
notably Imam Al-Bukhari, the blind author who penned large sections of the
Koran. Although the Mongols leveled most of the city in the 13th century, the
city was rebuilt and flourished under the Uzbek Shaybanid Dynasty in the 16th
century. Many of the splendid architectural monuments on display in the city
are inherited from this time.
Bukhara's most renowned sites include
the massive walled-city of the Ark Fortress - which served as the fortified
residence to many of Bukhara's various rulers. Just across from the Ark is the
Po-i Kalyan Complex, Bukhara's Registan. The Po-i Kalyan boasts the Mir-i Arab
Madrassah, and the Kalyan Mosque. The adjoining markets of Taki-Sarrafon,
Taki-Telpak Furushon, and Taki-Zargaron are legacies of Bukhara's role of the
silk route. The multi-domed rooftops of both the markets and the Kaylon mosque
make for some 400 domes. The best place to see these dome-roofed patterns is
from atop of the Kaylon Minaret. This historic tower is perhaps the first ever
earthquake-proof structure built in the world. Built in the 12th century, the
tower has never fallen in 800 years - despite standing at the center of one of
the world's most volatile fault zones!
Below: Entrance to the Ark
Fortress |
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Below: Photos taken from the Kalyan Minarret |
Above:
Gulya at the Po-i-Kalyan complex |
Above: photos taken from inside the
Kalyan mosque
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Below: The Po-i-Kalyan and adjoining
covered markets
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Above: Mir-i-Arab Madrassah |
Below: view of Ark Fortress from atop
Kalyan Minaret |
Above: Kalyan Mosque, seen from
Kalyan Minaret
Below & right: Chor Minor Madrassah |
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The cats in Bukhara
bite! |
The lions on the other hand
seemed pretty harmless. |
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