City Asia
Bukhara
Bukhara is a very old city in Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. It has a tall brick tower, blue domes and big old gateways.
Bukhara is a city in Uzbekistan that lay on the Silk Roads, the old trade routes across Asia. UNESCO says it is more than 2,000 years old and calls its old town the most complete example of a medieval town in Central Asia. About 274,800 people lived there at the start of 2025.
Bukhara, capital of its region in Uzbekistan, lies in the delta of the Zeravshan River (Universalis). Its historic center, on the Silk Roads and more than 2,000 years old, has been a World Heritage site since 1993. Official estimate for 1 January 2025: 274,800.
Photo: Euyasik, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Bukhara
Bukhara is a city in Uzbekistan, a country in the middle of Asia.
It is more than 2,000 years old. Its old streets and buildings are still standing.
Bukhara is a city in Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. UNESCO says it lay on the Silk Roads, the old trade routes, and is more than 2,000 years old. For a long time it was an important center of trade and culture.
UNESCO calls Bukhara the most complete and unspoiled example of a medieval Central Asian town, which has kept its old urban fabric to the present day. Uzbekistan's official estimate for 1 January 2025 was 274,800 people.
UNESCO (Historic Centre of Bukhara, inscribed 1993, criteria ii, iv, vi; minor boundary modification 2016): situated on the Silk Roads, more than two thousand years old; long an important economic and cultural center in Central Asia; the most complete and unspoiled example of a medieval Central Asian town, which has preserved its urban fabric to the present day.
Universalis: capital of the region of the same name, in the delta of the Zeravshan, on the Shakrud canal. Population via City Population: 184,960 (census 1979), 223,934 (census 1989), 247,500 (estimate 2013), 274,800 (estimate 1 January 2025).
- Country
- Uzbekistan (capital of the Bukhara region)
- People in Bukhara (estimate, 1 January 2025)
- 274,800
- Age
- more than 2,000 years old (UNESCO)
- World Heritage
- Historic Centre of Bukhara, inscribed in 1993
A tower of patterned bricks
In this picture a tall, round brick tower stands beside a big square. Next to it are buildings with bright blue domes and tall gateways.
This photo, taken on 25 September 2010, shows the Po-i-Kalyan ensemble in the old town. In the middle stands the Kalyan Minaret, a tall, round tower that UNESCO calls a masterpiece of decoration in brick, from the 11th century. On the left are two turquoise domes and a tall gateway, and on the right another big gateway faces a paved square where a few people walk.
UNESCO counts the Poi-Kalyan group among Bukhara's most celebrated buildings.
Commons: 'Kalon-Ensemble in Bukhara (Uzbekistan)', own work by Euyasik, CC BY-SA 3.0, taken 25 September 2010; categories: Po-i-Kalyan, Kalyan minaret, Kalyan Mosque, Mir-i-Arab madrasa, Pishtak, Skylines of Bukhara.
UNESCO: from the 11th-century Karakhanid period comes the outstanding Poi-Kalyan minaret, a masterpiece of decoration in brick; with the Sheibanids (from the early 16th century) came some of the most celebrated buildings of Bukhara, including the Poi-Kalyan group and the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble.
- Photo
- the Po-i-Kalyan ensemble, 25 September 2010
- Kalyan Minaret
- from the 11th century, 'a masterpiece of decoration in brick' (UNESCO)
- Poi-Kalyan group
- among Bukhara's most celebrated buildings, from the 1500s onward (UNESCO)
A town plan that survived
Bukhara has a big old fort called the citadel. Builders made the city's old streets and buildings hundreds of years ago, and many are still there.
UNESCO says only a few buildings survive from Bukhara's earliest centuries. Most of the old town shows how it was planned and built from the early 1500s onward. The citadel, rebuilt in the 16th century, has been the town's civic center since its earliest days.
In the 1600s builders added more fine buildings, among them the imposing Abdullaziz-Khan madrasa, a school building from 1652. UNESCO says Bukhara's real importance lies in its whole townscape, not just single buildings.
UNESCO: apart from a few important early vestiges, the old town bears witness to the urbanism and architecture of the Sheibani period, from the early 16th century onwards; the citadel, rebuilt in the 16th century, has marked the civic center since its earliest days; early 17th-century additions include the Abdullaziz-Khan medresseh (1652); 'the real importance of Bukhara lies not in its individual buildings but rather in its overall townscape'. Bukhara's layout influenced town planning in a wide region of Central Asia (criterion ii).
- Citadel
- rebuilt in the 16th century; the town's civic center since its earliest days (UNESCO)
- Most of the old town
- from the 16th century onward (UNESCO)
- Abdullaziz-Khan madrasa
- an imposing school building from 1652 (UNESCO)
Trading domes at the crossroads
Long ago, traders came to Bukhara along long roads across Asia. Some old buildings at the crossroads have names that tell of trade.
Bukhara lay on the Silk Roads, the old trade routes across Asia. UNESCO lists buildings at important crossroads of the old town, with names that tell of trade: Taki Sarafon, the Dome of the Moneychangers, and Taki-Tilpak-Furushan, the Dome of the Headgear Sellers.
Today, Universalis says, the Bukhara region is well connected to the rest of Uzbekistan, and natural gas from the region travels by pipeline to other countries.
UNESCO: on the Silk Roads; later Sheibanid buildings stand at important crossroads: Taki Sarafon (Dome of the Moneychangers), Taki-Tilpak-Furushan (Dome of the Headgear Sellers), Tim-Bazzazan and Tiro-Abdullah-Khan.
Universalis: the region, including the lower Zeravshan valley and part of the Kimirekkum desert, is well connected to the rest of the country; the Bukhara-Khiva complex extracts natural gas sent by pipelines to the Urals, central Russia and neighboring states.
- Silk Roads
- Bukhara lay on the old trade routes (UNESCO)
- Trading domes
- Taki Sarafon (Dome of the Moneychangers) and Taki-Tilpak-Furushan (Dome of the Headgear Sellers), at important crossroads (UNESCO)
- Today
- the region is well connected to the rest of the country (Universalis)
Delta, desert and old walls
Bukhara's region takes in part of a desert. Bukhara itself lies where a river spreads out into channels.
Salty water under the ground can harm the old buildings.
Universalis says Bukhara lies in the delta of the Zeravshan River, on a canal called the Shakrud, and that its region includes part of the Kimirekkum desert.
UNESCO also warns that salt and underground water threaten the old buildings, termites are eating wooden parts, and many earthen buildings are very fragile in some quarters.
Universalis: Bukhara lies in the Zeravshan delta, on the Shakrud canal; the region takes in the lower Zeravshan valley and part of the Kimirekkum desert. UNESCO (integrity): the property is threatened by the aggressive impact of salinity and underground water and by termites eroding wooden structures; in some quarters large numbers of earthen buildings are extremely vulnerable as the historic fabric deteriorates.
- River
- Bukhara lies in the delta of the Zeravshan, on the Shakrud canal (Universalis)
- Desert
- the Bukhara region includes part of the Kimirekkum desert (Universalis)
- Threats to old buildings
- salt, underground water and termites (UNESCO)
Carpets, embroidery and cotton
People in Bukhara make carpets and pretty embroidery. Farmers nearby grow cotton and fruit and keep sheep.
Universalis says Bukhara's local crafts of carpets, embroidery and copperware carry on. In the Bukhara region, farms grow cotton and fruit, raise silkworms, and keep karakul sheep and cattle, and factories make leather, thread and clothing.
In the old town stands the Lab-i Hauz complex. UNESCO counts the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble among Bukhara's most celebrated buildings.
Universalis: the region's economy rests on agriculture (cotton, fruit, sericulture), livestock (karakul sheep, cattle), light industry (tanneries, spinning mills, clothing) and heavy industry (natural gas); local crafts (carpets, embroidery, copperware) continue.
UNESCO: the Lyabi-Khauz ensemble is among the celebrated Sheibanid buildings. Wikidata: Lab-i Hauz (Q4272468), 'Hauz complex in Bukhara', 0.74 km WSW of the city point.
- Crafts
- carpets, embroidery and copperware (Universalis)
- Farming in the region
- cotton, fruit, silkworms, karakul sheep and cattle (Universalis)
- Lab-i Hauz
- a 'hauz complex' in Bukhara (Wikidata)
Bukhara on the map
Find Uzbekistan on the globe, in the middle of Asia. Bukhara is there, where a river spreads out into channels.
Bukhara lies at about 39.8° north and 64.4° east, in Uzbekistan, in the delta of the Zeravshan River.
Measured from the city's center point on Wikidata, the Lab-i Hauz complex is about 0.7 kilometers west-southwest, the Kalyan Minaret about 1.2 kilometers west and the Ark, the old fortress, about 1.6 kilometers west-northwest.
Bukhara lies at about 39.77° N and 64.43° E (Wikidata point Q5764; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 0.60 km NNE of it). From the Wikidata point: Lab-i Hauz (Q4272468) 0.74 km WSW; Kalyan Minaret (Q4294007) 1.17 km W; Ark of Bukhara (Q4069358, fortress) 1.60 km WNW. UNESCO's listed point for the property is 39° 46' 29" N, 64° 25' 43" E.
- Latitude
- about 39.8° north
- Longitude
- about 64.4° east
- River
- the Zeravshan delta (Universalis)
Amazing facts
-
Bukhara has an old building called the Dome of the Moneychangers!
UNESCO lists a building at a crossroads of the old town called Taki Sarafon, the Dome of the Moneychangers.
UNESCO: Taki Sarafon (Dome of the Moneychangers) and Taki-Tilpak-Furushan (Dome of the Headgear Sellers) stand at important crossroads.
-
Bukhara's tall tower is decorated with patterns made from bricks.
UNESCO calls the 11th-century Kalyan Minaret a masterpiece of decoration in brick.
UNESCO: the outstanding Poi-Kalyan minaret, from the 11th-century Karakhanid period, is a masterpiece of decoration in brick.
-
Tiny termites can harm Bukhara's old wooden beams!
UNESCO says termites are eroding wooden parts of Bukhara's old buildings, and salty underground water harms them too.
UNESCO: integrity is threatened by the aggressive impact of salinity and underground water and by termites causing the erosion of wooden structures.
-
Bukhara's town plan helped shape other towns in Central Asia.
UNESCO says Bukhara's layout and buildings had a profound influence on how towns were planned across a wide region of Central Asia.
UNESCO criterion (ii): Bukhara's urban layout and buildings had a profound influence on the evolution and planning of towns in a wide region of Central Asia.
Words to know
- minaret
- a tall, slim tower that is part of a mosque
- madrasa
- a traditional school building, often with rooms around a courtyard
- citadel
- a strong fort that protects a city, often on high ground
- Silk Roads
- old trade routes that linked Asia, the Middle East and Europe
- delta
- flat land where a river splits into smaller channels as it ends
- townscape
- the look of a whole town: its streets, buildings and open spaces together
Discovery challenge
-
Bukhara is a city in which country?
Bukhara is a city in which Central Asian country?
The Historic Centre of Bukhara is a World Heritage site in which country?
- Uzbekistan
- Brazil
- Norway
Show the answer
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan!
Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan.
-
Which old trade routes went through Bukhara?
Bukhara lay on which old trade routes?
UNESCO says Bukhara is situated on which historic trade routes?
- The Silk Roads
- The Oregon Trail
- The Panama Canal
Show the answer
The Silk Roads
The Silk Roads!
The Silk Roads.
The Silk Roads.
-
What is Bukhara's tall old tower made of?
UNESCO calls the Kalyan Minaret a masterpiece of decoration in which material?
The 11th-century Poi-Kalyan minaret is, in UNESCO's words, a masterpiece of decoration in what?
- Brick
- Glass
- Steel
Show the answer
Brick
Brick!
Brick.
Brick.
-
How old is Bukhara?
How old does UNESCO say Bukhara is?
According to UNESCO, Bukhara is more than how many years old?
- More than 2,000 years
- About 100 years
- About 50 years
Show the answer
More than 2,000 years
More than 2,000 years!
More than 2,000 years.
More than two thousand years.
-
What is the Dome of the Moneychangers in Bukhara?
Taki Sarafon, at a crossroads in Bukhara, is also called what?
UNESCO gives which English name for Taki Sarafon?
- The Dome of the Moneychangers
- The Dome of the Bakers
- The Dome of the Fishermen
Show the answer
The Dome of the Moneychangers
The Dome of the Moneychangers!
The Dome of the Moneychangers.
The Dome of the Moneychangers.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Bukhara in Uzbekistan and connect it to the Silk Roads trade routes.
- Explain why a whole townscape, not just single buildings, can be World Heritage.
- Describe how water, salt and termites can damage old buildings.
- Read a population series that mixes censuses and estimates.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why do you think traders liked to meet at crossroads?
- What can the names of old market buildings tell us about life long ago?
- How could people protect old brick and earth buildings from salty water?
Try at home or in class
- Brick patterns: draw a tall tower and decorate it with patterns made only from rectangles.
- Trade map: trace a route from Bukhara across Asia and mark three things traders might carry.
- Population math: 223,934 people in 1989 and 274,800 in 2025. How many more is that?
Key vocabulary: minaret, madrasa, citadel, Silk Roads, delta, townscape
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Historic Centre of Bukhara (World Heritage List) , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Boukhara , Encyclopædia Universalis
- Uzbekistan: Regions, Major Cities and Towns , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan
- File:Kalon-Ensemble Buchara.jpg (Euyasik, September 2010) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.