BUKHARA

Bukhara was first mentioned in Chinese chronicles in the early 5th century. It is one of the oldest trade and cultural centers in Central Asia. The city itself was founded by Persian Prince who built a citadel there after he had married Afrosiab's daughter in Samarkand. But the growth of the city mostly depended on its strategic location. It is situated on the crossroads leading to the main important centers of Asia. The history of this city is very astonishing. The Bukhara oasis of Soghdiana was conquered by Alexander the Great, also it was once ruled by the Kushan empire and later became a part of the Eftalist Rein. When the Arabs arrived they found already prosperous trading center. It was the capital of Samanid State during the 9-10th centuries. During that period Bukhara - "the Pillar of Islam" became Central Asia's religious and cultural heart, brightened with the Persian love of arts. In 1220 Bukhara was conquered by Genghiz-Khan and in 1370 it fell under protection of Timur's Samarkand. In the 16th century Uzbek Shaybanids made it the capital of Bukhara Khanate. The Khanate included most of the present Central Asia and partly Iran and Afghanistan. During that period Bukhara was playing an important role in spreading of the Muslim religion. Many monuments like the madrashas, hanakis and mosques were created during that period. The Sitorai-Machi-Khosa palace was the residence of the country's last Emir. In the 20th century, the modern city was build close to the ancient one.
In Central Asia this city has always been referred to as "Bukhara the noble". The old town with its narrow streets, ancient buildings and dominating massive walls of the Ark fortress still retains the atmosphere of a medieval city. Behind these walls there are elegant mosques and divans. The oldest monument in Bukhara is Ismail Samani mausoleum. The gray building of mausoleum is made of bake bricks which were laid ornamentally, so that when the light shines on it the ornamentation is never the same. There is also the dark pit of Zindan, the prison, where two British officers were kept before being executed in the main square in June 1842. Bukhara with more than 140 architectural monuments is fairly called a "town museum" dating back to the middle ages. More than two millennia later it still attracts a lot of attention. So have a chance to move the time back and feel yourself thousands of years ago.