I like Bukhara more than other historic cities in Central Asia for two main reasons. Unlike Taraz and Turkistan, or even Samarkand, its ancient buildings are not segregated in a park or special area - the buildings that have grown up around them over the years remain, and remain in use - although I suspect their use as guesthouses and hotels has not been their forever use. It means the ancient buildings remain an integral part of the city. Actually, there are three reasons - these buildings are still being used today, some for their original purposes, others as more commercial ventures - shops and restaurants. The third is that there are so many of these great old buildings - I’d get to what I thought must be the last one, but no, there’s more! UNESCO says there about 140 architectural monuments.
Bukhara is basically a circle, with its historic centre in the middle. Looking at the map, it looks like there’s a ring road around the historic centre, but the reality is that there are main roads lined with modern buildings to the north and east, but then the road cuts right in between a lot of the historic buildings, particularly on the south side.
I didn’t know any of this when I booked my hotel, so I’m on the main road on the north of the centre - it’s not optimal, as there are not many places to eat, although there is a rather nice coffee shop half a mile away and a rather strange bar a bit closer: it’s just a bare room with a few formica type tables, a single oldish man at each not saying anything to anyone, and a tiny bar in the corner with three beer taps. There are a couple of tables outside which do have groups of people at them. Still, the beer is cold, and I don’t mind being one of the silent oldish men at a formica table, reading on my tablet.
I decide to sneak up on the historical buildings, by walking east along the road I’m staying on, then south on the other main road. I’ve mentioned the Bon! cafes in Tashkent (there’s also one in Bukhara) but they’ve gone one better and have the Bon! Bon! café, and it’s really good, with a wide ranging menu. I decide to have an Uzbek style Philly cheese steak - I have cheese and onion squirting out in all directions, but it’s very tasty, with some spices I don’t think you’d find in the original. The coffee is a bit stronger than most I’ve found. That’s a good thing.
The main road buildings are quite pleasant, but you don’t have to go far to find an older style of building. I really like the look of the old Emir’s Garden Hotel, and am glad they seem to be restoring it.
I haven’t gone 100 metres off the main road and I find something that is a mosque according to one sign, a madrassah (the Chor Minor) according to another (it was possibly both) but is now a shop.
Heading further west, I see a wonderful looking chaikhana, and when I see they have beer, I think I’ve walked enough to deserve one.
I’m starting to approach the area where the historic buildings are heavily concentrated. There are two small mosques, side by side, and then the first madrassah, the Kukaldosh, dating from the 1570’s.
I don’t really keep track of the next buildings - and it’s their interior that grabs me anyway.
I make a plan to come back to this place for dinner, but as I say above, I keep finding more to see and never make it back here. In fact, I (eventually, but not yet) find all the buildings a bit overwhelming and decide to make a break for the hotel - which leads to a visit to the nearby old man beer bar and a burger for dinner.
There’s a sort of town square area with a lake, and tables around it and a madrassah on two sides. There are lots of people hanging out, and it creates a very nice atmosphere.
That’s probably enough for one post - next up, I’ll head west of this area.
Cheers!