Buhara Travel Guide 2026: Things to Do, Attractions & Itinerary | Trip.com

Bukhara is a city of MMM. Because all the paths here are laid between minarets, mosques, and madrassas. The most important landmark in Bukhara, and almost the oldest, is the Kalyan Minaret, visible from all sides. It was built in 1127 (my God, when was that?), and nothing about it has changed over the years (centuries). To raise money for its construction, the then-Khan sold 3,000 city residents into slavery. It is 46 meters high, and each stone band has its own unique pattern. Minaret in Arabic means "lighthouse." A special person ascends to the top of the minaret to call Muslims to prayer. A madrassah (with the stress on the last syllable) is the highest spiritual school for Muslims. There they study Arabic, religious law, logic, and mathematics. Bukhara is considered their birthplace; as many as 80 of them were built in Bukhara! All the madrassas I saw were beautiful, elegant, with patterned tiles and oriental mosaics. Some were majestic, some were more modest, some were medieval, some were quite recent. Topping the list of the very best for me was the Chor Minor (Four Domes) Madrassah, a truly fairytale-like structure with blue domes and painted walls. And the Uluk Beg Madrassah (the same one who was a mathematician, astronomer, and also Tamerlane's grandson) bears a unique inscription: "The pursuit of knowledge is the duty of every Muslim man and woman." This is equality in #Bukhara #Uzbekistan.