Tajik President Visits Historic Sites in Bukhara

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — As part of a state visit to Uzbekistan, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, together with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, visited Bukhara’s historic monuments.

Ancient Bukhara, with a history spanning over 2,500 years, has long been renowned for its outstanding architectural and cultural heritage. In 1993, the historic center of the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first site visited was the mausoleum of Bahauddin Naqshband, one of the most significant complexes in the Islamic world. The complex developed around the burial site of the founder of the Naqshbandi tariqa and includes a mausoleum, khanaqa, mosques, a necropolis, and a museum of Sufi history. Special attention was given to Naqshband’s teaching principle, “Dil ba yoru, dast ba kor” (“Heart to the beloved, hands to work”), emphasizing diligence and spiritual purity.

The delegation then visited the Samanid Mausoleum, one of Central Asia’s oldest brick structures, built in the late 9th–early 10th century by Ismail Samani, founder of the Samanid state, as a family tomb. The mausoleum’s architecture harmoniously blends Islamic and pre-Islamic elements, including Sogdian motifs. The play of light on its patterns and the symbolic cube-and-dome composition reflect the unity of Earth and Sky.

The monument has been well-preserved thanks to walls nearly two meters thick and high-quality bricks. During the visit, Quranic surahs were recited, prayers offered for the deceased, and supplications made for peace and prosperity for the peoples of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.