Bukhara

Bukhara has been a centre of trade and Islamic learning for over two thousand years, and its old town remains the most complete in Central Asia. Mosques, madrasahs, caravanserais and covered bazaars stand within walking distance of each other.

Highlights include the Ark, the fortress of the emirs; the 10th-century Samanid Mausoleum, a masterpiece of brick; the Poi-Kalyan ensemble with its 47-metre minaret; the trading domes full of carpets, ceramics and suzani embroidery; and Lyabi-Hauz, the old pool square where evenings end over tea.