Bukhara

Bukhara, one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia, is located on the left coast of Zerafshan river. Such epithets as “Noble Bukhara”, “Star of Muslims world” and “Paradise of the East” were given to this city by several philosophers of different epochs.  And that is true! Bukhara has been a center of science and art, handicraft and trade for a long time. The city had a profitable geographical location on the cross of trade roads. Branches of the Great Silk Road connecting China and India, Persia and Europe, lied through the Bukhara. It markets were overladen with several spices, jewelry, knifes made from precious metals, many-colored silk and cotton fabrics, carpets and etc.

A blessed Bukhara is 2500 years old. Several excavations and finds proved that this city, with its long and rich history, always existed at the same place. Bukhara survived many conquests, damages and continued its development. Archeologists and scientists discovered a lot of valuable things under the many meters of civilizations layers.

According to Chinese chronicles, there was a city appeared in II century B.C., which had a name “Pu Kho” and was a part of Kanguy state.  Bukhara belonged to the Eftalites state in V century and was a part of the Western Turk khaganate in VI and beginning of VII centuries.  Islam religion spread here and first Muslims buildings appeared in VIII century. The X century is a time of cultural and prosperity rising. Bukhara became a capital of the Samanides Empire as well as one of the biggest cultural centers of Muslim world. The Samanides Mausoleum is still impressing with its shapes, size and decoration.

Bukhara was a victim of Chingiz khan’s devastating damages in XIII century.  Conquerors spared neither city nor its citizens. Bukhara newly revived when the ruling of Amir Temur had started. Amir Temur paid a proper attention to development of handicraft and trade and Buhara recovered its status of important city of the Great Silk Road.

Bukhara was a part of the State of Ulugbek, Temur’s grandson, in XV century. A splendid Madras in Bukhara remains about his government.  City was a capital of the Sheybanides and Ashtarkhanides dynasties in XVI-XVII centuries. Bukhara was defended with walls that period and a number of mosques and madras, caravan serai and bath houses, buildings and mausoleums were constructed inside the fortress. Bukhara became a center of Bukhara Emirate since 1747, which followed with trade and economic prosperity. The city became a vassal of the Russian Empire since 1868. It was a time of industry boom, building of banks and factories.   The Emir was dethroned and Bukhara was proclaimed as a Soviet Peoples Republic in 1920.  City became a capital of Bukhara province in 1991.

Epochs passed, powers and regimes changed each other, but there are  antique monuments in the old city of Bukhara which still restore the picture of the past.