ACityIndependent states
Bukhara
"Noble Bukhara", an ancient centre of Islamic learning whose historic core has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
Since antiquity Bukhara, with Samarkand, was among the most prosperous cities of Transoxiana, and under the Samanids and Karakhanids it was a centre of Islamic scholarship; Imam al-Bukhari was born here.
Its symbol is the Kalan Minaret, built under the Karakhanids in 1127, which with the Kalan Mosque and Mir-i-Arab Madrasa forms the Po-i-Kalan ensemble. The Samanid Mausoleum, the Ark fortress and the old quarters around Lyab-i Hauz pool also define the city.
Hundreds of monuments survive in the historic centre, making Bukhara an open-air museum; its population was about 305,000 in 2026.
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Updated: October 3, 2026