Like Samarkand, Bukhara was one of the great trading cities on the Silk Road. At one time, there were over 100 caravanserais in Bukhara. In addition, both cities were centers of Persian culture for several centuries. Even today, many residents of Bukhara and Samarkand speak Tajik (closely related to Persian) as their native language. In addition, both cities are located in oases surrounded deserts: the Kyzylkum (“red sand”) Desert to the north and the Karakum (“black sand”) Desert to the south.
There are some differences as well as similarities between the two cities. With a population of 350,000, today’s Bukhara is about half the size of its one-time commercial rival, Samarkand. Likewise, Bukhara is much more compact, making it easier for tourists to explore. And tourism is much more important to Bukhara’s economy than it is to Samarkand’s. In fact, tourism is Bukhara’s main source of revenue.
We traveled from Samarkand by high-speed train (Spanish-built), which was quiet, speedy, comfortable, and on time. Attendants came around offering drinks and snacks for purchase. From time to time, I glanced out the window but there wasn’t much scenery to grab my attention. At the beginning of our journey, we passed through an area where I saw some low mountains in the distance but soon all was flat, dry, barren, and monochrome tan. About 2 hours later, we reached the station for Buxoro, which is how Bukhara is spelled in the Uzbek language.
My seatmate on the train
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| Buxoro (Bukhara) station |
I was delighted that our hotel was right in the picturesque Old Town, within walking distance of many restaurants, shops, and historical sights.
The Amelia Boutique Hotel was formerly the home of a Bukharan Jewish merchant.
There was a lovely roof terrace and a beautifully decorated breakfast room.
There were traditional handicrafts throughout the hotel and even the ceilings were works of art.
Each of the hotel’s guest rooms was unique. In the spacious room assigned to me, the wall was decorated with a mural of the remains of an early Zoroastrian town.
Right after lunch, we set out on a walking tour. Batir told us that what we would be seeing today dates from the 16th century onwards because the earlier city was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century.
In just a couple of hours, we saw much of the former commercial trading area, which also encompassed the former Jewish neighborhood. We passed by a 16th canal on our way from the hotel to the Lyab-i Khauz plaza.
The Lyab-i Khauz is considered the heart of the Old Town, and it’s thronged with locals and tourists at all times of day and evening. In the center of the plaza is a pond where white swans glide serenely. Restaurants and cafés overlook the pond. It’s a popular spot, especially in the evening.
A life-size statue of a man on a donkey is one of the main tourist attractions in the plaza. The work of well-known Uzbek sculptor Yakov Shapiro, the statue depicts Khoja Nasreddin, a trickster-like figure from a folktale that’s popular throughout the Muslim world. There’s a belief that if you put a child on Nasreddin’s donkey, his life will be filled with joy.
The Khoja Nasreddin statue is located in front of the beautiful Nadir Devon Begi madrassa, a building constructed in the early 17th century. Although it is called a madrassa, at one time it may have been used as a caravanserai. Batir pointed out the birds decorating the façade, directly above the entrance. Additionally, there’s a human face in the central disc. This would seem to go against the Islamic prohibition against depicting living creatures. However, I learned that at the time the building was constructed, there was a decline in the emphasis on Muslim orthodoxy as applied to the visual arts.
Today, the interior courtyard of the building is full of shops and cafés.
At the opposite end of the plaza is the Khanaka, a former Sufi cloister. Today it contains artisans’ shops.
Turning south from the plaza, we entered a narrow street where we found the workshop of a puppet maker. The more elaborately styled papier-mâché puppets can take up to a month to create.
A few doors down from the puppet shop is a synagogue that was built 420 years ago. It still serves Bukhara’s remaining Jewish community of about 300 people. A member of the community gave us a tour, pointing out the Torah that is over 1000 years old. He noted that Jews have lived in Bukhara since 620 BCE and that for most of that time, there was peace between the city’s Jewish and Muslim inhabitants. It stirred my heart to see the familiar Hebrew words and ritual objects so far from my home and reminded me of my ties to the widespread Jewish diaspora.
Just beyond the plaza, we entered the prime shopping area. Just like in past centuries, merchants were displaying their wares under the trading domes, known as “toqi.”
A woodcarver displayed intricately carved bookstands made of elm wood.
Many shops were selling items decorated with the traditional suzani embroidery. I was overwhelmed by all the gorgeous pillow covers and table runners and eventually I returned to purchase a suzani wall hanging.
The wall hanging at home, next to an ikat scarf 
detail of the wall hanging
When we came across a maker of traditional Bukharan bird scissors, I didn’t hesitate to make a purchase. These small scissors are designed for embroidery and other needlework.
I also found a silk scarf I couldn’t resist.
Finally, Batir guided us to Bukhara’s oldest mosque, which dates back to the 12th century. At one time, both Muslims and Jews prayed here. It only survived the sacking of the city by the Mongols because the local people covered it with sand. The building remained hidden until it was discovered and excavated during the Soviet era. It now houses a small carpet museum.
There’s plenty more to tell you about my time in Bukhara, but I’ll leave that for my next post.
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