Bukhara

Ark Fortress in Bukhara

Address

Abu Hafs Kabir, 2

Cost

Moderate

The Ark Fortress is one of the most famous sights of ancient Bukhara. The complex is located in the central part of the city; it is convenient to get here on foot from many other interesting places.

History of the Ark Fortress

The Ark Fortress (which is also called a citadel) is the most ancient sight of Bukhara. According to research, the structure was erected in the IV-III centuries BC. According to one of the legends, the fortress owes its appearance to a young man named Siyavush. One day, the local ruler promised to give him his daughter in marriage on the condition that the young man would build a palace that could fit on a bull's hide. Clever Siyavush cut the hide into strips, tied them together and laid them out in a circle, inside which he built a palace for the Emir (sometimes it is said that he built only a reduced copy of the residence).

Over the years, the fortress was repeatedly rebuilt. It took on its modern appearance in the 16th century. The structure rises on a 6-meter hill. The height of the citadel walls reaches 20 meters.

Today, several objects from the 17th-20th centuries have been preserved on the territory of the Ark. Visitors can see the throne room, the Jome Cathedral Mosque, the Prime Minister's courtyard, the greeting courtyard, and the stable courtyard here. Small exhibition spaces are open in some of the premises.

After walking around the fortress, you can go up to the observation deck of the Shukhov Tower or look at the Bolo Haouz architectural ensemble.