Page 38 - Seniorstoday May 2024 Issue
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up until the 17th century. Built in the 5th is Bukhara’s largest and more than 500
century and oldest structure in the city, years old. Its architecture and layout are
the Ark is home to palaces and museums. unchanged from the Timurid dynasty.
Those were the days when a soldier or Founded in 1417, it’s said that the Ulug
priest would climb the 45-metre spiral Bek Madrasa is the oldest surviving
staircase to the top of the glowing Kalyan madrasa in Central Asia. Ulugbek was
minaret to light a signal fire every night enlightened and an intellectual, devoting
to guide travellers. They would enter his skills to nourishing cities with
through iron gates guarding the massive educational institutions. In the incredibly
Ark Fortress; just beyond is the Khan’s strict and conservative Bukhara, the
vast open-air arena, looking like something madrasa has a carved inscription at the
straight from Game of Thrones, are the entrance door which reads: ‘The pursuit
cells where prisoners spent their last, of knowledge is the responsibility of every
miserable night before being executed in Muslim man and woman.’
public. Here are tales about the secrets and In Tajik, Chor Minor translates to ‘four
traditions of old Bukhara, such as the code minarets’, and is quite an intriguing
of the doors: a woman caller knocks gently attraction. The four minarets, crowned by
on the wood; a man rattles the chain. blue domes, are believed to represent four
Bukhara has its fair share of magnificent different religions practised in Central
blue monuments. At sunrise and sunset, Asia – Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and
the cupolas, and the minarets glisten with Zoroastrianism. In fact, one can see certain
gold and a metallic sheen. The ruler Emir elements of these religions depicted on the
Shahmurad ordered the construction of towers including a Christian fish and a
Bolo Khauz in 1712. Legend has it that he Buddhist prayer wheel. These ‘minarets’
had red carpets laid out for him to walk are decorated towers, used not for prayer
down the road to the fortress Ark Citadel. but as an entrance portal to a long
The peaceful and serene Bolo Khauz destroyed madrasa.
Mosque has twenty beautifully carved One can shop till you drop in Bukhara.
pillars that hold up the ceiling and reflect Under these domes and in plazas are the
elegantly in the pond at the foot of the bazaars where you can buy embroidered
building. Spotting the reflection of all 40 jackets, shawls, knives, jewellery, carpets
pillars is supposed to bring great luck, 40 and wonderful hats from traders who’ve
being a sacred number. The Po-i-Kalyan is set up shops under the arches of ancient
made up of the Kalyan Minaret, the Miri caravanserai, where the camels slept.
Arab Madrasa, the Kalyan mosque and the Taki-Telpak Furushon – a colourful
small Amir-Allimkhan Madrasa, which are domed bazaar has lots of interesting shops
little architectural masterpieces, beckoning selling local arts and crafts. And To get a
visitors from across the globe. The Kalyan taste of the “real Bukhara,” lie down for
Minaret built in 1127, was so ‘great’ that a traditional massage at a medieval bath
when Genghis Khan conquered the city, house. The Bozori Kord Hammam is one
he spared the tower. All of its 47-meters of the oldest in the world, built in the 14th
have stood tall since, without the need century and a great place to experience this
for any restoration! The Kalyan mosque exotic ancient ritual.
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