Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara, or Buxoro in Uzbek, was founded around the 6th century BC and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Central Asia.  It's 240 km (149 miles) from Samarkand.  With a population of 272.000 people it is the 5th largest city in Uzbekistan.  

The city is located along the Silk Road and it was once a major intellectual centre in the Islamic world.  Bukhara is filled with architectural sights and the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I never knew that there once was a Bukhara People's Soviet Republic.  It only existed from 1920 - 1925 and it then became part of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.

The Ark is the massive fortress.  The true age isn't known but the military structure was in use around the 5th Century AD.  It remained in use as a fortress until it fell Imperial Russia in 1920.  Today it holds a few museums, a mosque, and stables.

The Kalyan Mosque was completed in 1514.  It can accommodate 12.000 people.  It's beautiful during the day but gorgeous at night when it is lit up.

The Kalyan Minaret was built in 1127.  It is made of bricks at is 45,6 meters (150 feet) tall and 9 meters (30 feet) wide at the base.  As a minaret it is used to call people to prayer.  During war times it was used as a watchtower.  It was also known as the Tower of Death because criminals were executed by being thrown from the top.  Apparently Genghis Khan was so impressed by the tower that it was spared when his men destroyed the city.

The Mir-i-Arab Madrassah was completed in 1535-1536.  It is still a functioning madrassah where future imams and religious leaders train.  At night it looks like something from "Alladin."

Mir-i-Arab Madrassah at night.

Collectively, the Kalyan Mosque, the minaret, the madrassah, and another small madrassah, make up the Poi-Kalyan complex. 

The Abdullazizkhan Madrasah was built in 1651-1652.

The Memorial Complex of Imam Al Bukhari is a small museum that opened in 2001.  It is shaped as a partially opened book.

The Chashma-Ayub mausoleum is on top of the the spot where it is believed that the prophet Job struck the ground with a stick and fresh water came forth.

The Carpet Weaving Museum opened in 1991.

The Sarrafon Bathhouse was built in the 16th century.  I'm not sure if it is still a functioning Hammam.

The Magoni-Attori Mosque was rebuilt in the 12th century.

The Bukhara Synagogue is one of only two remaining synagogues in the city.  Back in the 1920s, over 10% of the city's population was Jewish and there were 13 synagogues.

The Lyab-i Hauz complex sits around one of the city's last remaining ponds as they were all filled in during the Soviet era.  It's a great place to grab a tea and write postcards. 

The statue of Nasruddin Hodja is the central character of many Central Asian children's folk stories.

The Kukeldash Madrasah was completed in 1569 and it is the largest in the city.

The Samanid Mausoleum was built in the 10th century.

The Museum of Fine Art building was built in 1912.  The museum has been here since 1982.

Zindan is the 18th century dungeon.

The prison's 4th cell was the most notorious and it was known as the "bug pit" which was reserved for the least favourite prisoners.

The trading domes are filled with souvenir shops.   

The observation tower was originally a water tower built in 1920.  The observation deck on top provides views of the entire city.

At night it's all lit up.

In the centre are the remains of ancient caravans and bathhouses.

Chor Minor, also known as the Madrassah of Khalif Niyaz, was completed in 1807.  It was a gatehouse for a madrasa that has long since been destroyed.

The Emir's Palace was completed in 1898.  During Soviet times it was used as the Palace of Culture of the Railway Workers.  It is not used today and is in desperate need of renovation.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Tashkent, or Toshkent in Uzbek, is the capital of Uzbekistan.  With almost 2,5 million people it is the largest city in Central Asia.  Tashkent is in the northeastern part of the country and close to the border of Kazakhstan.

Tashkent was settled in the 5th-3rd centuries BC.   Islam became prominent in the mid-8th century AD.  Genghis Khan destroyed the city in 1219 but it later rebuilt and profited off being part of the Silk Road.  In 1865 it was annexed by the Russian Empire.  

In 1930 it became the capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.  Mass industrialization took place in the 1920s and 1930s.  It was the 4th largest city in the USSR after Moscow, Leningrad, and Kyiv.

In 1966 there was an 8,3 magnitude earthquake that destroyed the city.  More than 300 000 people were left homeless and around 78 000 homes were destroyed.  There's little when it comes to the city's 2200 year history.  The Monument of Courage was unveiled 10 years later.  The granite block shows the time and date of the earthquake.     

The city's largest square used to be Lenin Square but it was renamed Independence Square in 1992.  It's less of a square and more of a huge park with several fountains and monuments.

The world's largest statue of Lenin was taken down and replaced with the Monument to the Independence of Uzbekistan.

On the other side of the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, an Uzbek who died in the Battle of Moscow.  The eternal flame burns for those who died fighting in WWII.  

Amir Timur Square was built in 1870 as the city's Central Park.  The Lenin statue was replaced with a Stalin statue which was replaced with a statue of Karl Marx until independence when Amir Timur was reinstated as the national hero.

The Amir Timur Museum opened in 1996.  The museum has over 5000 artefacts in its collection with more than 2000 displayed.  The museum is stunning inside and well worth a visit.

The clock tower opened in 1947.  A second clock tower was opened later and it's an exact replica of the first one.

Hotel Uzbekistan opened in 1974.  It was the city's primary hotel during Soviet times and today it is a 4-star hotel.  The lobby has an ATM that actually works.  More on that later.

The Palace of International Forums is the congress hall.  It opened in 2009 to celebrate the city's 2200th anniversary.

The Cosmonaut Memorial opened in 1984.  Uzbek astronauts, scientists, and scholars played a big part in the Soviet space programme.

The Alay Bazaar is one of the oldest bazaars in the city.  It's quite popular for fruits, vegetables, spices, and sweets.

The People's Friendship Palace was built in 1981.  The facility is used for concerts and other large events.  There's a 50 metre (164 foot) flag pole in front of it at the People's Friendship Park.

The Kukeldash Madrassa was built around 1570.  It is one of the few religious buildings to survive the earthquake.

The Dzhuma Mosque was built in 1451.

The State Museum of Applied Arts opened in 1937.  There are more than 4000 exhibits.  

The State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan was founded in 1876.  It used to be the Lenin Museum.

The Tashkent Television Tower opened in 1985.  At 375 metres (1,230 feet) tall, it is the second tallest structure in Central Asia.  From 1985 to 1991 it was the 4th tallest tower in the world.

Aqua Park is the city's largest swimming area and is popular with families.

Tashkentland is the city's amusement park.  Another place popular with families.

The Hazrat Imam Complex is a religious centre that opened in 2007.  It is home to a famous Ottoman Quran and other ancient manuscripts.

The Minor Mosque opened in 2014.  The white marble is stunning.

The Centre of Enlightenment is home of the Palace of Symposiums and the National Library of Uzbekistan.

The Art Gallery of Uzbekistan opened in 2004.  While it is one of the youngest museums in the country it is the most modern and the most visited museum in the city.

The First Ashkenazi Synagogue of Tashkent opened in 1973.

The former Palace of Prince Romanov used to belong to the first cousin of Alexander III.  The cousin was deported to Tashkent after an affair with an American woman and some shady deals involving the Russian Crown Jewels.  The building was built in 1889 and it was once a museum but it was later appropriated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Navoi Theatre is the national opera theatre.  The building opened to the public in 1947.

The Chorsu Bazaar is huge.  It's probably the city's most famous bazaar.

The Central Asian Plov Centre is the place for lunch.  Plov is the country's national dish which is basically rice pilaf.  But way better.

It is cooked in massive cauldron looking things.  Plov is rice, pieces of meat, normally lamb or beef, plus onions, yellow carrots, quail eggs, and horse meat sausage.

There was quite a bit to see in Tashkent.  The next adventure is Samarkand which is 344 km (214 miles) away.