Day 01
Discover the Soul of Bukhara
- Begin your journey with a stroll through the Lyabi Khauz Ensemble, a picturesque square shaded by mulberry trees and centred around a 17th century pond.
- Admire the surrounding architectural monuments, including the Kukeldash Madrasah, the Nadir Divanbegi Khanaka, and a historic caravanserai that once hosted travelling scholars and merchants.
- Visit the Kukeldash Madrasah, the largest madrasah in Bukhara, and learn how future theologians were educated within its imposing walls.
- Continue to the nearby Nadir Divanbegi Madrasah and observe its striking facade decorated with mythical phoenixes and a sun with a human face, a rare exception in Islamic architecture.
- Walk through the ancient 16th century trading domes, where lively bazaars still operate with glittering handicrafts, fragrant spices, and the constant hum of merchants.
- Learn how caravans from Persia, India, and China once stopped at these very marketplaces along the Great Silk Road.
- Explore the Bolo Khauz Complex and see its elegant mosque supported by carved wooden columns, beautifully reflected in the calm waters of a nearby pond.
- Observe the contrast between the light and airy design of the Bolo Khauz Mosque and the massive walls of the Ark Fortress.
- See the Ark Citadel, the ancient fortified residence of the emirs of Bukhara and the political heart of the city for centuries.
- Continue to the Poi Kalyan Complex, located in the centre of old Bukhara and dominated by the legendary Kalyan Minaret, once a guiding landmark for desert caravans.
- View the grand Kalyan Mosque and the Miri Arab Madrasah, where Islamic theology continues to be taught today.
- Conclude the tour at the Kosh Madrasah Complex, where the austere and scholarly Ulugh Beg Madrasah stands opposite the richly decorated Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah.
- Reflect on the contrast between the philosophy of learning and the brilliance of royal power, clearly expressed through the architecture of this final stop.
