The Labi Khauz, i.e. "at the pond", is the title given to the area surrounding one of the few remaining Hauz or ponds surviving in the city of Bukhara. Until the Soviet period there were many such ponds, which were the city's principal source of water, but they were notorious for spreading disease and were mostly filled in during the 1920s and 30s. The Lyab-i Hauz survived because it is the centrepiece of a magnificent architectural ensemble, created during the 16th and 17th centuries, which has not been significantly changed since. The ensemble comprises three monumental structures: Kukeldash Madrasah in the north, Khanaka (1619-20) in the west and Nadir divan-begi Madrasah (1622/23) (on Bukhara map Nodir Devan-Begi Madrasah) in the east. The small Qazi-e Kalyan Nasreddin madrasah (now demolished) was formerly located beside the Kukeldash Madrasah.

The construction of Mir-i-Arab Madrasah ( Miri Arab Madrasah) is ascribed to Sheikh Abdullah Yamani of Yemen - called Mir-i-Arab - the spiritual mentor of Ubaidullah-khan and his son Abdul-Aziz-khan. Ubaidullah-khan waged permanent successful war with Iran. At least three times his troops seized Herat. Each of such plundering raids on Iran was accompanied by capture of great many captives. They say that Ubaidullah-khan had invested money gained from redemption of more than three thousand Persian captives into construction of Mir-i-Arab Madrasah.

Ghujdawan - a district administrative centre along the road to Samarkand - is famous first of all as a native place of Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani, the founder of Sufi order (tarica) called Khwajaganiyya the predecessor of Naqshbandiyya. Together with Ahmad Yasavi young Abdul Khaliq Ghujdawani was one of four successors of Yusuf ibn al-Husayn al-Hamadani (the prominent Sufi master of his time). Al-Ghujdawani has died in about 1220 when he was 95. In 1433, to the west of al-Ghujdawani's mazar, by order of Ulugh Beg, was built the latest of three his madrasahs.

"Po-i-Kalyan" is a word-combination, which in Persian means "the foot of the Great". This title was given to architectural complex, which is located at the foot of the great minaret Kalyan. The complex is unmatched in Bukhara, forming unique silhouette of its historical center. The place where the complex is located remembers a few completely ruined buildings in the past. In pre-Islamic era right here was located the central cathedral of fire-worshippers. Since 713 here, at the site south of the Ark, several edifices of main cathedral mosque were built then razed, restored after fires and wars, and moved from place to place. In 1127, the Karakhanid ruler Arslan-khan fulfilled a construction of most significant of past architecture ensembles at this place - the cathedral mosque with the minaret. Greatness of these structures was so amazing, that it made Genghis-khan to consider mosque mistakenly to be khans' palace. Nevertheless the building of mosque was not spared by the fire, and for many years after the conflagration it was laying in ruins. All that remained intact of former ensemble is the magnificent minaret Kalyan (Minara-yi-Kalyan).

The Khalifa Khudoydod (locally Xalifa Xudoydod) Khanaka, ascribed to Khalifa Khudoydod (an eminent eshon - probably he bore the title Caliph - buried on the neighboring ancient cemetery - Eshoni Imlo), belongs to historical monuments of XVIII century. According to narrative, Khalifa Khudoydod lived more than 200 years ago and came to Bukhara from Urgench. Arguably Khalifa Khudoydod and sheikh Khudoyberdi, whose written biography is known as "Lutfiy Busurg", is the same person ("Khudoyberdi" in Turkic languages is a loan translation from "Khudoydod" in Persian).

At the third decade of the 16-th century Bukhara became a capital of Bukhara khanate, under the government of Shaibanid dynasty. The whole period when this dynasty was in power is about one century since the beginning of the 16-th century. Shaibanids carried out many reforms during this time. In particular they instituted a number of measures to better system of the public education. Each residential quarter (neighborhood and unit of local self-government also "mahalla") of Bukhara had a hedge-school. Prosperous families provided home education to their children. Children started elementary education from six years. After two years they could be taken to a madrasah.

Namazgoh (Namazgokh Mosque) is one of the oldest constructions of Bukhara in the South of present-day city. The first known Namazgoh at this place was developed in the 9-th century, during the reign of the Samanid dynasty. One of the characters of this time is stabilization of the power under Islam ideology. Because of it, Bukhara became one of the major Islamic centers on the East. It was the time of general construction of ritual buildings (mosques, namazgohs), educational institutions (madrasahs) and other structures peculiar to usages of new religion such as khanaka, minaret and so on.

One of the major ensembles in the center Bukhara is Khoja-Gaukushan (Gaukushon Complex). The madrasah was built in 1570 by order of Abdullah-khan II (1561-1598). He came to power with the help of Khoja Islam Juibariy - the powerful leader of local clan of Khoja(s). This clan - often identified as "Juibariya". Abdullah-khan was a disciple (murid) of Khoja Islam, therefore he always gave support to the clan. He built many religious and civil installations for them.

The minaret in Vabkent is one of the most refined works of local architecture. The date of the beginning of its construction (1196-97) is visible in the form of Kufic inscription in the lower decorative belt round the trunk of the minaret. The inscription also mentions the name of Burkhan-ad-Din Ayud-al-Aziz II, who probably ordered the construction. In the upper decorative belt it is written in the form of Divani inscription that the minaret was completed in 595 A.H., i.e. in 1198-99.

In the same district with the Samanid mausoleum and Chashma-iy-Ayub, not far from the park is situated one of the most interesting ensembles of Bukhara "Kosh-Madrasah" (Kosh Madrasah Ensemble), which is typical of Bukhara. The word "Kosh" means "paired" because two structures of the ensemble face one another across a narrow street. The sponsor of the Ensemble was Abdullah-khan II (1561-1598), the most successful khan of Shaibanid dynasty. In 974 A.H. (1566-67) he built up the Modari-khan Madrasah in memory of his mother (“Modari-khan” means “mother of khan”). The date of construction is inserted in majolica inscription above the main entrance. As to composition of structure, the madrasah has fairly standard layout including a dormitory, which consists of small cells (hudjras) around a courtyard, public halls of a mosque and lecture-rooms (darskhana) along both sides of front. The facade (peshtaq) of the madrasah has gorgeous appearance because of multicolor brick mosaic.

The initial core of Valida-i Abd al-Aziz-khan Madrasah was Abdulla-khan Mosque. It is the ancient domical building, sponsored by Abdulla-khan's mother. The Mosque has served for the five daily prayers (masjid-y panchvakty), as well as for "collective" prayers on Fridays (masjid-y jamihony). Buildings of the Mosque was subjected to numerous reconstructions during a time, and this religious complex (opposite the Djuibory Kalon Madrasah) had been given the name - Valida-i Abd al-Aziz-khan (Voliday Abdullazizkhan Madrasah), which also carries us away to the past, when this area bore the name of this great man.

The summer-palace of Bukhara emir Sitora-I-Mohi-Hosa (Sitora-i-Mohi-Khosa) (from Persian "House of the Moon and the Star") is located at a distance of 4 kilometers (2,5 miles) to the north from Bukhara. The construction of the palace had began at the end of the 19-th century, when the best artisans sent by the order of the Bukhara emir Ahadhan to St. Petersburg and Yalta for studying of experience of Russian architects had returned from Russia. Therefore, architecture of the ensemble is a mix of the elements typical for European architecture with ornate interior design of Isfahan palaces and the centuries-old experience of local construction traditions.

The initial core of Valida-i Abd al-Aziz-khan Madrasah was Abdulla-khan Mosque. It is the ancient domical building, sponsored by Abdulla-khan's mother. The Mosque has served for the five daily prayers (masjid-y panchvakty), as well as for "collective" prayers on Fridays (masjid-y jamihony). Buildings of the Mosque was subjected to numerous reconstructions during a time, and this religious complex (opposite the Djuibory Kalon Madrasah) had been given the name - Valida-i Abd al-Aziz-khan (Voliday Abdullazizkhan Madrasah), which also carries us away to the past, when this area bore the name of this great man.

The Samanid mausoleum is located in the historical urban nucleus of the city of Bukhara, in a park laid out on the site of an ancient cemetery. The mausoleum, one of the most esteemed sights of Central Asian architecture, was erected by the Samanid ruler Ismail Samani sometime before 943 AD. An existing waqf document indicates that it was possibly built for his father. Although three bodies lie within, a wooden plaque identifies only Ismail's grandson, Nasr ibn Ahmad ibn Ismail or as-Said Nasr II (d. 943). Ostensibly the family crypt of the last Persian dynasty to rule in Central Asia, which held the city in the 9th and 10th centuries, it is possible that, consistent with popular nomenclature, the structure does indeed contain the grave of Ismail Samani himself.

Western passage of Taq-i Telpaq Furushon opens to the street Mekhtar Ambar. A little in front on the left, stands out the Kurpa Mosque in its unrenewed grace. The Kurpa Mosque is situated in the residential quarter, formerly called "Magoki Kurpa", i.e." Hollow of blanket(s' bazaar)". The two-storied structure of the Kurpa Mosque has a quite typical design. However the mosque has one peculiarity. The lower floor, made for a cold spell in winter, is semi-basement. At first sight, an entrance to the lower floor does not give an intimation that it leads to a roomy premise of cathedral mosque. It is exactly what the mosque initially was assigned to be. Until the Khoja Kalon Mosque was put into operation, the Kurpa mosque used to be a central cathedral mosque, no matter how small it was. The Kurpa Mosque had tahorathona - a place for partial ablution, which, according to sharia law, should precede each prayer. The mosque was built before 1598 on initiative of Khoja Sa'ad - called "Khoja Kalon" - "Great Khoja", the son of Khoja Islam. In 1598 Khoja Sa'ad built new cathedral mosque, named "Khoja Mosque" or "Khoja Kalon Mosque", with tall minaret close to the Gaukushan Madrasah.