Thousands of ancient scholars called Bukhara home. Abu Ali ibn Sino (Avicenna), Imam al Bukhari, Abdulkholik Gijduvani, Bahouddin Nakshband and other scholars made great contributions to world civilization. Every year, people from all over the world come to make a pilgrimage at the burial places of the 7 pirs (holy men). Hence, Bukhara is referred to as Bukhoroi Sharif – Holy Bukhara. In May the annual Silk and Spice Festival is held here. Craftsmen and tourists by the thousands come to this festival from all over the world to display their wares and celebrate the event. The parade participants in traditional dress walk from the Ark citadel – the winter palace of the emirs (built in the 1st century, where great scholars and poets also lived), to the Lyabi Hauz ensemble, along the Shahristan (old part of the city) and through the traditional trade domes. There are three trade domes in Bukhara: one originally for money changers, another for books and fur-caps, and jewellery in the last. The festival not only showcases artisans, but there are concert performances, displays, shish kabab and pilaf sellers, singers, dancers – a true holiday atmosphere.

Nowadays, Bukhara is one of the centres of science, craftsmanship, spirituality and tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Traditional fine arts are important in Bukhara: wood carving, jewellery making, copper chasing and elaborate embroidery. The most skilled artisans draw visitors and students from around the world. They visit the brothers Alisher and Abdulla Narzullayevs in Gijduvan to learn the peculiarities of pottery. They come to Shafirkan to study the secrets of sewing beautiful suzane or to Bakhshullo Jumayev for wonderful creations of gold embroidery. The blacksmith Shokir Kamolov always takes awards at International fairs. The Magoki Attori mosque is situated between the trade domes. In ancient times idols and spices were sold here. Now it is a carpet museum. Magok means “on a pit”, and one can see the ground level of old Bukhara under the stairs in the mosque.

Hospitality reigns supreme here and meals are no exception. Open-air restaurants or chaikhanas (tea houses) are popular with both locals and tourists. Set around a 17th-century reservoir Lyabi-Hauz offers lunch under the mulberry trees. Here is an opportunity to taste hearty Uzbek dishes such as plov – pilau rice, shashlik – sizzling brochettes of meat and lagman, a noodle-based meat and vegetable stew. National folklore and Fashion shows are held in the evening during dinner in the Devonbegi madrassa nearby. On your way to this madrassa you will pass a monument to the Uzbek national hero Nasriddin Afandi -the Uzbek Robin Hood.

The roads leading to Bukhara from both Khiva and Shahrisabz pass through the Kyzil Kum (red sand) desert. Here is an opportunity to experience life in the desert, to ride on camels, stay in yurts and listen to the songs of national performers. 40 kms from the city is the “Jeyran” (Middle Asian gazelle) Nature reserve. Here are found jeyrans, onagers, Przhevalsk horses, bustards and cheetas, and a number of endangered plants. The small lakes of the reserve are rich in fish and wild birds.

Uzbekistan is home to some of the oldest cities in the world. As it is situated between two rivers, the Amu-Darya and the Sir-Darya, it was considered as the crossroads of the famed Silk Road, a lucrative trading route that ran through the center of Uzbekistan. The area has always been a haven for culture and for religion. In fact, Zoroastrianism, which predates Christianity and Islam, began in what is now called Uzbekistan, and this religion is still practiced worldwide.

Quite a bit of technology existed early in civilization, and the people of Uzbekistan were involved in building and improving irrigation systems, weaving silk, maintaining an armory, growing and cultivation cotton and various types of grain, grapes, and other fruits. Those who had knowledge of these cultural achievements were held in high regard.

Uzbekistan is once again a popular destination for travelers to Central Asia. There are so many interesting places to go and things to see that you may have a difficult time choosing what attractions to visit. Uzbekistan travel is a lot like stepping into another world. Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, presents an awesome mix of ancient and modern architecture: from centuries old Zangiota mausoleum and Khast Imam ensemble to Tashkent metro, the magnificent underground artwork in itself, and the TV Tower, the tallest building in Central Asia.

Samarkand has the Afrasiab Museum, which is filled with archeological items that were found during the time between the 4th and the 13th centuries, A.C. Bukhara has many mosques and mausoleums to check out, such as the Magoki-Attari, the Kalyan, and the Djami mosques and the Samanids, the Chashma-Ayub mausoleums. Khiva is unique in that the entire town was declared as a “historical monument of world significance” by UNESCO. Every building and attraction in this town has been preserved in the style that was in use when the town was established 2500 years ago. Khiva can boast of having more minarets in all of Asia.