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Uzbekistan

Bazaar where many hand made items are available for purchase from Bukhara.

The city of Bukhara is about two and a half thousand years old. Located on the Silk Road, the city has long been a center of trade, education, culture, and religion. During the Golden age of Islam, under the rule of Samanids, Bukhara became the intellectual center of the Islamic world.

The word Madrasah means School. The Ulugh Beg Madrasa, built in 1417, is one of only a handful of Timurid-era buildings that survive in the Bukhara region. Of the three, the two madrasas were the work of Ulugh Beg, the astronomer-king and grandson of Timur who ruled from 1447-49.

The Abdulazizkhan Madrasah, School, built in 1652, a few centuries later than Ulugh-Beg Madrasah, built in 1417, Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah, which stands across from it, is an integral part of Bukhara’s most outstanding architectural ensemble. Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah marks the remarkable progress of medieval Central Asian architecture; it shows us how amazingly high the skills of Central Asian architects, builders and artists were at the time.

Material making and dyeing.

Taqi-Zagaron Dome Market

Close up of the tiles centuries old.

Built in 1652, a few centuries later than Ulugh-Beg Madrasah (built in 1417), Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah, which stands across from it, is an integral part of Bukhara’s most outstanding architectural ensemble. Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah marks the remarkable progress of medieval Central Asian architecture; it shows us how amazingly high the skills of Central Asian architects, builders and artists were at the time.

Fresh Spices for sale in the Bazaar.

Local made art work for sale

Local made art work for sale in the Dome Market

Leaving the Dome Market

Material hand dyed locally for sale

Workers, from outside the city, making the Bukjara rugs for sale.

You can see the yarns above for the colors in the rugs

It can take a year to complete one of these rugs which will be sold. All woven by hand.

The other side of the wall, to the left, is where the ladies are working on the rugs. These are the completed items for sale. Amazing.

When the Kalon Mosque of Bukhara was built in 1127, its minaret was probably the tallest building in Central Asia. It can house 10,000 worshipers and its roof consists of 288 domes. In addition to its main purpose as a minaret, the Kalon Minaret served as a watchtower and a guide to approaching caravans on the Silk Route.

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