Uh-mazing Uzbekistan!! (Part 5): Bukhara, a Bubble of History!

- December 28, 2025, Sunday.

- While Uzbekistan is often represented by the iconic Registan in Samarkand, another major Uzbek city that gets its share of the spotlight in terms of history and heritage is Bukhara. It was at some point a capital of some Uzbek states throughout history. 

- My family rode the train from Samarkand to Bukhara; the whole trip was around two hours long. Upon arrival we rode a Yandex car from the train station to Al-Hayat Hotel. I was so happy to have found Al-Hayat Hotel because it was located just behind the center of the historical district. 

- After eating lunch we went to Lyab-i Hauz, the main public square of Bukhara's historical district. A hauz is a multipurpose pool and is common in Persian gardens, squares, or courtyards. The Lyab-i Hauz was built in the 1500s, and is surrounded by significant buildings, mostly mosques and madrasas that have been converted to souvenir centers. These other buildings were mostly built around the same century as well.

Lyab-i Hauz, with the Nadir Divan-Begi Khanaka (a khanaka is a Sufi lodge.) 

Kukaldosh Madrasa.

Kukaldosh Madrasa courtyard.

Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa. See the simurghs on the iwan. The simurgh is a mythological bird in the Persian world. 

Khodja Nasreddin. He is a famous figure in Central Asia, although people aren't too sure of his existence (probably 1200s). He is often the protagonist in humorous short stories.

Some of the madrasas or former mosques may also have small museums inside them. This one is inside the Nadir Divan-Begi Khanaka.

Restored murqana of the mosque (the honeycomb decorative feature of many Persian architecture works).

- The surroundings of Lyab-i Hauz was enough to overstimulate one with so much history, culture, and colors. For me, one of the more interesting features of the center was the toki/toqi. The toki is a trading dome found at street junctions. The domes often house stalls that sell various food and things. These range from hats, clothes, jewelry, everyday items, you name it. These days, of course, most of them sell souvenirs.

Toki Sarrofon. One of the few trading domes in the center.

Inside Toki Sarrofon.

Other side.

Gaukushon Madrasa, known for its asymmetric look, which is unusual.

With the Khoja Kalon minaret, part of the Gaukushon Ensemble, which also includes the madrasa in the previous photo.

Old bath ruins. Now an open area, and occasionally with children playing.

Toki Telpakfurushon. This one's a larger toki compared to the earlier one.

Inside Toki Telpakfurushon.

An artisan working on a golden plate.

This is the Magoki Attori Mosque, one of the oldest (if not the oldest) mosques in the whole of Central Asia. It was probably built in the 9th to 10th centuries. It isn't a mosque anymore, and instead, is now used as a carpet museum.

There was a local hamam (bathhouse) that welcomes visitors to take a look (without having to disrobe) when they don't have customers. I guess I was lucky since I wanted to personally see what a traditional hamam looks like. 

Another room inside the hamam, this marble slab is where guests are given a traditional bath by the hamam attendant (similar to those done in Turkey.)

Lyab-i Hauz at night.

- I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening walking around to just let the whole vibe of Bukhara sink in. I loved how the Lyab-i Hauz just draws people to the center to give life to the whole square. It was cozy but majestic at the same time, historical but still relevant. I now understand why many tourists in Bukhara fall in love with it.      

Uh-mazing Uzbekistan!! (Part 4): Samarkand Beyond the Center!

- December 27, 2025, Saturday.

- Samarkand is one of the cities that people often like because the major historical spots are within walking distance to each other. But beyond the city center, there are also many obscure yet significant places that are worth a visit.

- The Ulugh Beg Observatory, north of the city center, was a masterpiece of science in the 1400s. Ulugh Beg himself, a sultan and grandson of Timur, was a celebrated astronomer who contributed much to the world's understanding of the alignment of stars and other heavenly bodies. The giant observatory, however, was destroyed by religious fanatics after Ulugh Beg's death. Today, a small portion of the observatory, reconstructed in recent times, as well as a small museum stand in the site of the observatory.

A peek of the observatory. This was a giant device that helped calculate the position of stars.

The giant device in the previous photo can be seen inside this door.

Museum.

Other devices used by Ulugh Beg.

Another view of the observatory.

With me!

Ulugh Beg.

- My family walked all the way to the Khoja Daniyor Mausoleum. It was a slightly longer walk than I had expected, and there were some ups and downs on the way to the mausoleum because it was at the side of a hill. The tomb was only built in the 1400s, but the person inside the mausoleum is said to be the Prophet Daniel (yes, the same Daniel in the Bible, Qur'an, and Torah.) It is said that Timur went to Asia Minor, present-day Turkey, and retrieved the relics of Daniel and buried the relics in Samarkand.

Siyob River. The mausoleum is somewhere to the left.

You'll see this Samarqand sign. Go down to reach the park beside the river. The mausoleum is somewhere there.

Khoja Daniyor Mausoleum.

Inside the mausoleum. This is actually the only thing to see.

This pistachio tree is 600 years old!

- Outside the major sites in Samarkand, another place I was intrigued by was the Afrasiyab archaeological site, located behind the Afrasiyab Museum. It was an ancient city, and the major archaeological site is accessible to museum visitors. The museum itself was interesting, however the archaeological site didn't have much to see. Probably more labels or maybe a site map would help. The area was quite big also, and we were quite lost as to what to see in particular. (We were expecting something as detailed as Pompeii, with arrows or labels to inform us of the city's layout, or what buildings stood there, etc.)

Afrasiyab Museum.

Gallery with Sogdian murals from an ancient private house, now in the museum.

Part of the murals showed Tang Dynasty Empress Dowager Wu Zetian, with musicians.  

Museum gallery.

Zoroastrian fireplace.

Sogdian fabrics.

Archaeological site. This was the citadel.

- To the other side of Samarkand, in the south, lies a mausoleum that han'st been restored as nicely as the other grander mausoleums in the city. The Ishratxona Mausoleum, or more formally, the Mausoleum of Sultan Hovand Beka (Hovand Sultanbegim), was built in the 1400s by Habiba Sultan for her daugher, Hovand Beka, who died young. Apart from its historical significance, the mausoleum gives visitors an idea of how most of the ancient buildings were found by archaeologists before there were restored and retiled.     

Mausoleum of Sultan Hovand Beka.

Another angle.

Entry to the building wasn't allowed, and I would assume, wasn't safe too. 

- The rest of the day was dedicated to fixing our luggage to prepare for the journey to our next destination the following day. A bit of downtime every so often is incredibly necessary for a really long trip so we don't get burned out. But as for me, the only thing I was looking forward to was visiting another historical capital city in Uzbekistan, Bukhara. 

Uh-mazing Uzbekistan!! (Part 3): Samarkand's Majestic Madrasas, Mosques, and Mausoleums

- December 26, 2025, Friday.

- If I were to sum up Samarkand in a word, it would be "majestic". As the former capital of the Timurid Empire, I don't see a reason why it wouldn't be majestic. The city is filled with turquoise-domed or turquoise-decorated buildings, such as mosques, madrasas, and mausoleums. Timur was fascinated with the color blue because of its relation to protection and peace, but also a statement of wealth due to the available turquoise and lapis lazuli in the region.

- When talking about blue buildings in Uzbekistan, the first thing that will come to mind will be the "poster boy" for its tourism campaign: the Registan. This public square is surrounded by three main madrasas or Islamic universities: Ulugh Beg Madrasa (1400s), Sher Dor Madrasa (1600s), and Tilya-Kori Madrasa (1600s). Although most of the former classrooms and residence halls have been converted to souvenir stores, some rooms were turned into small museums. I loved everything about the Registan. It was worth visiting in the early morning before the crowds start entering the square, and even better to walk through the madrasas' tiled halls. For people who like to take photos, the sky is the limit; there were just so many good photo spots I had to choose which places I wanted or else I wouldn't stop taking photos! 

I am here OMG.

I'm so glad I got one of these Central-Asian kaftans to complete the look.

Sher-Dor Madrasa, known for its tiger figures above the entrance.

At Ulug Beg Madrasa.

At Sher-Dor Madrasa.

The tigers of Sher-Dor Madrasa.

There are some small museums like this.

Yes, you can go up the second floor at the Ulugh Beg Madrasa.

- From the Registan Square my family decided to take time off while I proceeded to the Bibi Khanym Mosque. It was dedicated to Timur's wife, Saray Mulk Khanum. Completed in 1404, the mosque was finished in a hurry so there have been architectural flaws from the beginning. It didn't help that various natural instances, lootings, abandonment, and political reasons contributed to the mosque's deterioration; it was later restored by the Soviet era. During its heyday, the mosque was at some point the tallest mosque in the world. Its beauty also owes itself to the signature turquoise color of Timurid architecture. Interestingly, there is also a story about how the mosque's architect had an illegal relationship with Timur's wife. It is said that the architect would not finish the mosque without a kiss from Saray Mulk Khanum. When Timur found out about the kiss, he had the architect executed.

Stone Qur'an stand with Qur'an.

Main iwan (the rectangular gateway of mosques.)

From the side.

I really loved taking photos at the mosque. It surprisingly had less people than I had imagined. The dome at the back is the side dome.

Was dizzy going around and around just to get the perfect flowy-kaftan photo.

View from below the main iwan.

A peek of the mosque's interior. (We weren't allowed to go inside the mosque, and there was nothing much inside too.)

From underneath the dome of the side dome.

Mosque from afar.

Bibi Khanym Mausoleum across the mosque.

- A brief walk from the mosque, is the Hazrat Khizr Mosque. Although the current mosque was built in the 1800s, the site of the mosque has been used for religious purposes for the longest time. Mosques and temples have occupied the site. The mosque is quite unusual not just for its architectural style, but also because it's built on the side of a cliff. It is also the location of the mausoleum of Uzbekistan's first president, Islam Karimov.

Hazrat Khizr Mosque.

Islam Karimov Mausoleum.

Bibi Khanym Mosque and Mausoleum from the balcony of the Hazrat Khizr Mosque.

Mosque courtyard with the mausoleum.

Balcony.

I love the mosque's very random geometric details.

- Around the corner (and some few hundred meters) from the Hazrat Khizr Mosque is one of the more unusually beautiful places I've visited in Central Asia. The Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis isn't the first royal cemetery or mausoleum I've visited, yet its location and stunning colors can make people forget that it is a place for the dead. The necropolis was built from the 11th to 19th centuries (spanning 800 years!) 

This corridor full of turquoise tiles is what really surprises people upon entry to the main necropolis up in the hill from the entrance on flat ground.

Different shades of blue.

Mausoleum for Shirin Beka Oga, Timur's sister.

It was difficult taking photos at the necropolis since there were many passersby.

Octagonal crypt of Timur's sister.

More tombs behind the corridor.

Another collection of blue royal tombs at the back.

- I met my family for lunch afterwards, and had a second visit to the Registan Square. (Yes, I had to buy a ticket again). Since my dad wasn't feeling too well in the morning, he wasn't able to explore the Registan. I also realized that I hadn't seen the interior of the Tilya-Kori Madrasa's golden mosque (this is the madrasa in the center of the Registan).

Mosque inside the Tilya-Kori Madrasa.

Chorsu Trading Dome beside the Registan.

Mausoleum of the Shaybanids. The Shaybanids were competitors of the Timurid Dynaasty.

Can't believe I'm holding the Registan!

- I also happened to stumble upon a store inside the Sher-Dor Madrasa that rents costumes with a photographer. I took my chance to become a "sultan" for a couple of minutes because I was already at the Registan after all!

Love these photos so much!!

For men, there were costumes for royalty or warriors. I, of course, chose royalty.

Calling people to pray.

My love goes out to everyone!

- We later had dinner at Boulevard Restaurant and Bakery, and has become one of our favorite restaurants not only in Samarkand, but our whole stay in Central Asia. Our day might have ended, but certainly not our adventures in Samarkand. The Registan is definitely the highlight (not once, but twice in a day!) but Samarkand is more than "just" the Registan!