New Photos – Bukhara

By Steve Bouey in

After a few days in Samarkand, we headed west to Bukhara, another spectacular Uzbek city. Many of us actually found Bukhara to be more amazing than Samarkand and it truly felt like taking a step back in time to bustling trading center on the Silk Road. Just when you think you have seen the most fascinating mosque or minaret you have ever seen, something even more awe inspiring awaits around the next corner in Bukhara. Uzbek hospitality continued to flourish in Bukhara and the food was great. Enjoy these photos, but unfortunately, they come far from doing Bukhara any justice.

Why does everything in Central Asia look like it is on the set of Star WarsBouey looks like a sucker so this girl tried to hit him up for moneyThe girl was definitely photogenicThe walls of the Ark in Bukhara resemble those of Jaba the Hut’s palaceAnother girl trying to hit Bouey up for money?Some local women cleaning up leaves outside the cracking walls of the ArkThe old and the older section of the Ark wallsRugs are a popular commodity in the markets in UzbekistanMany of the older mosques in this region of Central Asia are capped with sky blue, tiled domesThe Kalyan minaret is the centerpiece of the historic structures in BukharaThe ancient Mir-I Arab madrasah still functions as a school todaySteve wondering if he has what it takes to give up his western lifestyle and join the madrasahThe building itself is old but the door looks to have been around since the early days of the Silk RoadCriminals and other undesirables were executed by being thrown from the towerKazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan lost most of their culture thanks to the Soviets, but Uzbekistan managed to hold on to many of its traBukhara is a surreal place, almost like a movie setArches, doorways and windows lead everywhere and nowhereWe were in Bukhara in the off-season so it was mainly just TWBR and the localsEven the locals stop to admire the beauty of the mosque and study the ancient scriptThe delicate tile work is amazingThe halls of the madrasah were empty, but the sounds of prayer filled the airEach new doorway seemed to lead to courtyards that were more spectacular than the nextBouey trying to blend in at the Kalyan mosqueUzbeki-Steve at the Kalyan mosqueThe detail is complete, down to the carvings and inscriptions on the door itselfIt makes you wonder who has walked through these doors over the course of historyBusy markets are crowded under a complex assortment of domed passagewaysLocal women selling their textiles in front of Kalyan mosqueThe central pool in Bukhara has been a meeting place on the Silk Road for centuriesMany of the basins remain but the Soviets drained the water for fear of disease outbreaksAnother TWBR mascotThe central Bukhara complex at sunsetThe end of another day in Bukhara, UzbekistanKarie talking to an Austrian couple who has been stalking us since BishkekIt seems as if Caki’s cat Salter has followed us to Bukhara from DenverShenanigans in the desertWe were fortunate enough to enjoy such an amazing place while void of any crowds

This entry was written by Steve Bouey, posted on January 31, 2008 at 4:50 pm, filed under New Photos, Uzbekistan. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.