Catalog:

1. Ark citadel & Grand mosque ^www
   The ancient fortress Ark is the initial core of the city, the oldest monument in Bukhara and formerly residence of the local rulers. The first settlements appeared at this place at least at the 3d century B.C.
   Rating: 475


2. Karakul gate ^www
   The ring of fortifications surrounded the suburbs in the period from 1540 to 1549 under Abd al-Aziz-khan the first. Researchers identify the names of eleven of the city gates (five of which were located in the extant area of the wall). Only two of them that was built towards the close of the 16th century are intact now: Talipach gate in the north and Karakul gate in the south-west. The Sheikh Djalal gate in the south has disappeared only recently.
   Rating: 447


3. Modari-khan Madrasah ^www
   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.
   Rating: 443


4. Chor-Bakr ^www
   Chor-Bakr (16-th - 17-th c.c.) is a necropolis in Sumitan settlement near to Bukhara. It has developed around the graves of Khodja Abu Bakr Sa'd and Imam Abu Bakr Ahmed, whose activity dates from the time of Islam dissemination in Bukhara. Their descendants - khojas of Juibar - were the keepers of esteemed burial places - mazars. (Khoja or Khwaja, a Persian word literally meaning "master", was used in Central Asia as a title of the descendants of the earliest four successors (righteous caliphs) of Mohammad (Abu-Bakr, Omar, Osmon and Ali). The khoja(s) often played, or aspired to play, ruling roles in Muslim community in Turkistan).
   Rating: 424


5. Kuleta caravanserai ^www
   Western passage of Taq-i Telpaq Furushon opens to the street Mekhtar Ambar. The first building on the right that adjoins to the wall of Taq-i Telpaq Furushon is the ancient caravanserai Kuleta (16th century). A caravanserai (Persian: كاروانسرا, Turkish: kervansaray) was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information, and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa, and South-Eastern Europe. Most typically it was a building with a square or rectangular walled exterior, with a single portal wide enough to permit large or heavily laden beasts such as camels to enter.
   Rating: 418


6. Saif ed-Din Bokharzi & Bayan-Quli Khan Mausoleums ^www
   In the settlement called Fathabad, to the east from medieval Bukhara city, in the past was situated vast religious complex. The initial core of the complex was the grave of Saif ed-Din al-Boharsi - very popular poet, sheikh, and theologian - who lived in thirteenth century. The followers of the sheikh al-Boharsi have built up at this area of rabad ("rabad" - an outskirt) many dormitories (khanakas) for dervishes, who lived there on donations of the Kubravi Sufi order members. The Fathabad settlement later had joined the city.
   Rating: 398


7. Ulugbek Madrasah ^www
   The Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417+) (Ulugbek Madrasah) is the only structure of such scale in Bukhara, which remained from the epoch of the Timuride dynasty. Ulugh Beg (March 22, 1394 - October 27, 1449), born Muhammad Taragai ibn Shakhrukh ibn Timur Gurgan. Ulugh Beg, meaning "Great Ruler" or "Patriarch Ruler" was the grandson of Timur and the son of Shakhrukh. Ulugh Beg was born in Sultaniyeh in Iran. He showed an aptitude for scientific pursuits from an early age. His father and grandfather attracted scholars to Samarkand, and Ulugh Beg took full advantage of this. With Timur's death, and the accession of Ulugh Beg's father to much of the Timurid Empire, Ulugh Beg settled in Samarkand which had been Timur's capital. After Shah Rukh moved the capital to Herat (in modern Afghanistan), sixteen-year-old Ulugh Beg became the governor in Samarkand in 1409. In 1411 he became a sovereign of the whole Mavarannahr khanate.
   Rating: 394


8. Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah ^www
   Abd al-Azis-khan Madrasah (1652-1662) (Abdullaziskhan Madrasah) makes up an architectural ensemble with Ulugbek Madrasah but is more luxurious in its decor. The portal is distinguished for its height and rich exterior ornamentation. The complete range of building techniques of its time were applied in the courtyard and rooms, namely carved tile and brick mosaic, relief majolica, marble carving, alabaster murals and gilding.
   Rating: 389


9. Kosh-Madrasah. Abdullakhan Madrasah ^www
   The sponsor of the Ensemble was Abdullah-khan II (1561-1598), the most successful khan of Shaibanid dynasty. Date of construction of the Abdullah-khan Madrasah is between 1588-90 years. The madrasah has very colorful and festive look because of variety of decorative methods. Chilled colors of majolica slabs: blue, white and aquamarine are sparkling by the sunlight.
   Rating: 388


10. Faizabad khana-gah ^www
    In the former northeast outskirts of the old part of the city, is located one of the most noble-looking monument in Bukhara - the Faizabad Khanaka, built in 1598-99. People of the mosque were inhabitants of residential quarter (neighborhood and unit of local self-government also "mahalla") called "Shohy Ahsy". The primary purpose of the mosque was to serve as a place for the five daily prayers (masjid-y panchvakty), as well as for "collective" prayers on Fridays (masjid-y jamihony).
    Rating: 388


11. The Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Complex ^www
    The Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Complex (Bakhauddin Ensemble) is situated at the place of the former center of Sufi order (tariqa) Naqshbandi (Naqshbandiyya). This order is one of the major Sufi orders of Islam. Formed in 1380, the order is considered by some to be a "sober" order known for its silent dhikr (remembrance of God) rather than the vocalized forms of dhikr common in other orders.
    Rating: 387


12. Tim Abdullakhan Trading Dome ^www
    A cowded street encumbered with caravanserais and rows of stalls once led to the south from Taq-i Zargaron. The arcade Tim Abdullah-khan (1577) (Tim Abdullakhan Trading Dome) became the dominating structure at that street in the epoch of Abdullah-khan II (1561-1598), the most successful khan of the Shaibanid dynasty.
    Rating: 387


13. Kalyan Minaret ^www
    "Po-i-Kalyan" is a word-combination, which in Persian means "the foot of the Great". This title was given to architectural complex (on Bukhara map Poi Kalyan 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.
    Rating: 387


14. Khodja Zaynuddin Complex ^www
    The Khoja Zain ad-Din Complex (Khodja Zaynuddin Complex), is the characteristic ritual structure - mosque-khanaka - of the first half of the 16-th century. Such structures often consist of a few premises of various purposes (mosque itself, khanaka (var. khana-gah), often madrasah, graveyard - mazar - and the like). The Khoja Zain ad-Din mosque-khanaka is situated on the verge of one of the oldest intact ponds. The pond had the marble walls and the carved marble spillway in the form of open jaws of a dragon (adjarkho).
    Rating: 385


15. Kalyan Mosque ^www
    "Po-i-Kalyan" is a word-combination, which in Persian means "the foot of the Great". This title was given to architectural complex (on Bukhara map Poi Kalyan 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.
    Rating: 373


16. Imam Kozi-hon Mazar ^www
    Record of this mazar (a holy tomb) is contained in the "Mullo-zoda" book. This book mentions also full name of Imam Kozi-hon. It is Imam Khasan ben Mansur ben Mahmud ben Abdulazis Margilani. The record also mentions that Kozi-hon was a judge in Bukhara and he is an author of several books. People of Bukhara still remember an interesting narrative about him.
    Rating: 373


17. Chor Minor Madrasah ^www
    Chor-Minor (also the Madrasah of Khalif Niyaz-kul) is situated on an esplanade down the road a bit to northeast from Labi-hauz. Chor-Minor i.e. "four minarets" (Chor Minor Madrasah) it is well-preserved structure built by Khalif Niyaz-kul - rich inhabitant of Bukhara, Turkmen by origin. The date of construction 1807 often indicated is not precise, because archival documents keep data, which prove, that in Bukhara at the close of the 17-th century there was a residential area (quarter) Khalif Niyaz-kul named after madrasah of the same name.
    Rating: 367


18. Juibariy Kalon Madrasah ^www
    This Madrasah is located in historical residential area of Bukhara - Khauz-i-nau (New Pond). Construction of the madrasah, which wears a famous name Juibariy Kalon (Great Juibar), in Tadjik - Madrasayi Djuibor, according to a legend, was sponsored by Oi-posho-bibi - a blind (odjis) daughter of Djuibar ishan Khoja Sa'ad, nicknamed Khoja Kalon (Great Khoja). But intact waqf title deed (a waqf - Arabic:وقف - is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically devoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. It is conceptually similar to the common law trust) specifies that Oi-posho-bibi devoted a plot of land only; furthermore she was in actual fact a granddaughter of Great Khoja. Her father was Abdurahim-khodja.
    Rating: 366


19. Bolo-khauz ^www
    Opposite the Ark is situated the Bolo-khauz Complex (Bolo Khauz Mosque) which is the only monument of the Registan square that survived through the years. In the water of the pond one can see a reflection of the colorfully painted eivan - a gallery with colonnade - and of the minaret. The earliest part of this complex is the pond ("khauz") called "Bolo-khauz" ("children's pond") - one of the few remaining 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 cut off from water during the 1920s and 30s.
    Rating: 365


20. Chashma-iy-Ayub ^www
    Along the road leading from Samanid Park is situated another mausoleum - Chashma-iy-Ayub (Job's well) (Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum). It is a compound structure, repeatedly reconstructed during the period from the 14th till the 19th centuries. The structure finally acquired the form of an elongated prism crowned with domes of various forms covering several premises. A double conical dome, resting on a cylindrical drum, marks location of the well.
    Rating: 355