In retrospect, Bukhara was probably our favourite Silk Road city. But then we arrived in the midst of a Biennal artistic festival, with all sorts of weird and wonderful exhibits scattered across town. And our hotel was smack bang in the centre of the city, which was a gift.
We visited many of the key mosques and madrasas over several days, but two highlights for me were the “Ark” fortress, a royal town-within-a-town, and, later, going out to the Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, also known as the “Palace Like the Stars and the Moon.” This was a country residence of the Emir of Bukhara, built in the late 19th to early 20th century. These days, it houses a museum of decorative and applied arts.
Back in the city, I was also very struck by the Chatham-Ayub Mausoleum, site of “Job’s Spring.” There’s a useful link to the theme of the abuse of water resources in the region, which I will tackle in my second Substack post, to be launched on Wednesday.
The weather has been exceptionally kind to us, with open blue skies and warm, but not uncomfortable temperatures. Throughout, too, we have really enjoyed the food in the local restaurants – and Bukhara was no exception.
Leave a Reply