Bukhara audio guide: 10 stories for a walk through the old town

Listen in the app

The route

The route is about 3 km on foot. With stops inside the monuments plan half a day.

1. Lyabi-Hauz

   Lyabi-Hauz means "by the pool" and it is the Bukhara locals' favourite place to relax. The pool appeared around 1620, linked to the vizier Nadir Divan-Beghi, uncle of Emir Imam Quli Khan.

2. Chor Minor

   You are looking at Chor Minor, which means "four minarets". It was built in 1807 with money from a wealthy Bukharan of Turkmen origin, Khalif Niyaz-kul.

3. Magoki-Attari Mosque

   Notice that this mosque stands below street level: its floor is about four and a half metres lower than the ground around it. That explains the name, since "magok" means "pit" in Persian.

4. The trading domes

   You are on Bukhara's old trading street. Above the crossroads stand domes, called "toki".

5. Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs

   In front of you is a pair of madrasahs facing each other. The Ulugbek madrasah was built in 1417 for Ulugbek, Tamerlane's grandson, a ruler and a great astronomer.

6. Poi-Kalyan: minaret, mosque and madrasah

   You are on Poi-Kalyan square, the main ensemble of old Bukhara. Above you is the Kalyan minaret: about 46 metres tall and about 9 metres wide at the base.

7. The Ark fortress

   You are looking at the Ark, the ancient fortress of Bukhara. Its walls, 16 to 20 metres high, run for almost 800 metres and enclose about four hectares.

8. Bolo-Hauz Mosque

   Opposite the Ark fortress stands the Bolo-Hauz mosque. It was completed in 1712, and "hauz" in its name means "pool": in front of it there is still an octagonal pond, probably as old as the mosque itself.

9. Samanid Mausoleum

   You are looking at the Samanid Mausoleum, built in the 10th century. It is the tomb of the Samanid dynasty, which ruled here from about 900 to 1000.

10. Chashma-Ayub

    The name Chashma-Ayub means "Job's spring". Legend says the prophet Job came here, struck the ground with his staff, and a spring appeared.

Listen in the app

How it works

1. Open UzGidAI on your phone and tap “Audio guide” in the bottom bar.
2. Choose the language of the stories.
3. Walk the route and press play when you reach each place. Pause, rewind or skip as you like.

Languages

English and Russian, Uzbek is being added. The rest of UzGidAI (chat, day plans, phrasebook) works in 17 languages.

More than an audio guide

Between the stops you can ask the AI guide anything: what this inscription means, where to have lunch nearby, when the next train to Khiva leaves.

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