Bukhara City Walking Tour BRUT04

Overview

Bukhara is one of the oldest cities in the Central Asia. Situated at the large oasis Bukhara city was the most important checkpoint in the Great Silk Road with more than 60 caravanserais. Some time Bukhara was a capital of Samanid Empire. After disintegration of the Timurid Empire the Emirate of Bukhara was established (XVI c.). In 1868 Emir of Bukhara declared Jihad against Russia but his army was defeated and Emir had to acknowledge Russian protectorate. During the Civil War in Russia the city was taken by the Red Army, the last Emir of Bukhara escaped to Afghanistan and Soviet power was established (1920). After national delimitation in the USSR Bukhara became a regional center of Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (since 1991 independent Uzbekistan).

Itinerary

During 3-hour city sightseeing tour you will be acquainted with the most important places of interest in Bukhara. You will see Kalyan Minaret of XII c. — the oldest minaret in Bukhara and the highest building of the Old Town, Emir Palace, Samonid’s Mausoleum (one of the oldest buildings of the city, IX-X cc. was fully covered with the archaeological horizon and discovered and restored in XX c. only). You will also visit the Ark Fortress — residence of Emirs of Bukhara, the most ancient architectural and archaeological monument of the city. In different periods many great Oriental thinkers and writers worked there: Rudaki, Ferdowsi (his Shahnameh was written there), Avicenna, Al-Farabi, Omar Khayyam.

In 1920 during the battle of Bukhara the Red Army commander Mikhail Frunze ordered to bomb the Ark by aircraft so large part of the fortress was destroyed. There is an alternative version that Alim Khan, the last Emir of Bukhara before his flight to Afghanistan had ordered to blow up the Citadel.

Rates

Price per person, EUR

Language	1 pax	2 pax	3 pax	4 pax	5 pax	6 pax	7 pax	8 pax	9 pax
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian	48	32	26	24	22	20	19	18	17

It’s possible to arrange guides with other languages upon request.

All the costs are valid at the date of publication and are subject to reconfirmation at the time of booking.