Bukhara Travel Guide: An Overview

A protracted road journey through Central Asia entails hopping from oasis to oasis in the hope that one’s persistence through the heat and dust will be rewarded as the sun dips over a rapidly cooling desert. Bukhara was one such stop on the ancient Silk Road, where at an oasis of the Zaravshan River a major trading post grew and where silks, spices, paper, gunpowder, carpets and other ‘oriental’ luxuries changed hands for gold, grapes, coloured glass and white jade from the Middle East.  

The people of Bukhara profited from the trading community that came and stayed at this beautiful town. The attractions of contemporary Bukhara are many. The Ark, an enormous bulbous fortress of baked brown, the 47 metres tall Kalan Minaret, the Ismail Samanid Mausoleum, the Mir-i-Arab Madrassa with its blue tiles breaking the monotony of the tanned landscape, the 17th century Lyaub i Hauz pool complex and the Zindan Jail with its infamous bug-pits are some of the buildings that rate as superb architectural attractions.

 There is also the Ulughbeg Madrassa and the Abdul Aziz Khan Madrassa, where for centuries Islamic education has been imparted to young boys.

The people of Bukhara have the ability to exercise an equally potent magic on the visitor with their easy charm and unhesitant friendliness. Old men chat and smoke over their tea and game of dominoes, youngsters go about the day’s work, the women populate the bazaars as buyers and sellers; it’s a lovely laidback yet lively town. In the background at various times of the day the call of prayers catches the wind, sometimes it is the muezzin and sometimes the drift is from the synagogue.  

The markets of Bukhara are as interesting as any other ‘sight’. In the Farmers Market the day’s fresh produce of vegetables, breads, fruits, meats and dairy products is up for sale. Bukhara’s famous carpets now find their way here from other towns: the Bukhara carpets of yore were produced elsewhere in the Bukhara Khanate and those towns now lie in neighbouring Turkmenistan. Carpets whether Turkmeni, Bukhara Suzzani or Karakalpak are fairly expensive but if there’s one item you’re going to splurge on, then let it be one of these.

Bukhara is 6 hours by train and road from Samarkand, about 12 hours by train from Tashkent and 20 hours from the city of Nukus. Tourist accommodation is plentiful and of a variety that ensures that neither the luxury-minded nor the budget traveller has to worry. You can get a good double room for anywhere between USD 40 and USD 100. There is also the possibility of ‘homestays’ where local tourist agencies will help you find a home where you can stay the length of your visit. The deals are of different kinds: some include breakfast or at least tea, while others provide only the room. This is the cheapest accommodation available with prices rarely going above USD 15 a night.

In Bukhara, taxis and buses form the major part of the public transport system but the city’s compactness for the most part renders them unnecessary; most of the important sights are within walking distance of each other.