Bukhara State Architectural Art Museum

The Bukhara State Architectural Art Museum-Preserve is a treasure trove of Uzbekistan’s cultural, material, and intellectual heritage, established in 1922 and finding its home in the historic Ark fortress since 1945. The museum’s collection is vast, with over 100,000 artifacts that encapsulate the rich legacy of the Uzbek people. Visitors can marvel at an array of exhibits, from exquisite gold embroidery and copper-chased masterpieces to intricate ganch carvings and architectural decor. The museum also safeguards coins, domestic utensils, graphic art, paintings, sculptures, ancient maps, books, and documents of significant historical importance.

In 1985, this repository of history was designated as a state culture preserve, and today it operates six branches with 18 permanent exhibitions, each set within various architectural memorials that dot the landscape of Bukhara.

Expositions within the Bukhara Museum:

The Ark Citadel serves as the museum’s headquarters, where one can delve into the historical, numismatic, epigraphic, natural, and scriptural narratives of Bukhara.
The Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace, once a summer retreat for Bukhara’s emirs, now displays ornamental and applied arts of Central Asia, alongside personal items of the emirs.
The Fayzulla Khodjaev Memorial House-Museum offers a glimpse into the domestic life of a wealthy merchant family from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.
The Kukeldash Madrasah hosts exhibitions that celebrate the literary works and sociopolitical influence of Jadidism’s luminaries, Sadriddin Ayni and Jalol Ikromi. Additionally, a dedicated memorial museum for Abdurauf Fitrat, a pivotal figure in modern Uzbek literature, stands on Nakshbandi street.
In the heart of Bukhara, the Nadir Divan-Begi Tekke (Khanaka) showcases contemporary creations by local artisans and artists, with pieces available for purchase as souvenirs.
The Magoki-Attori Mosque houses a carpet museum that exhibits the renowned softness, intricate patterns, and vivid colors of carpets crafted by Uzbek, Turkmen, Iranian, Kazakh, and Armenian weavers from the 18th to 20th centuries.
The Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum presents an exhibition focused on the water supply systems of the Bukhara region, featuring historical travelers’ leather wineskins, copper vessels, and ceramic pipes.
The museum’s exposition on the legal procedures of the 19th and 20th centuries is located in the former emir’s prison-zindan, constructed in the 18th century.
A modern facility built based on designs by Uzbek architect Zoirsho Klichev in 2001 is dedicated to the life and teachings of the esteemed Islamic theologian, Imam al-Bukhari.
The Bakhouddin Nakshbandi Memorial Complex, situated 12 km from Bukhara, offers insights into the Sufi doctrine of the Nakshbandi order.
The Abdullaziz Khan Madrasah showcases the finest examples of Bukhara carvers’ work from the late 17th century.
The Ulugbek Madrasah hosts an exhibition detailing the history of the restoration of Bukhara’s architectural monuments since the early 20th century.
A unique Museum of Blacksmithing is located in the Kuluta Caravanserai, where visitors can learn about the evolution of smithcraft in Bukhara and even participate in crafting under the guidance of the renowned smith, Usto Shakir Kamalov.
The Ibrahim Okhunda Madrasah educates visitors about the early medieval city of Varakhsha, which flourished between the 4th and 7th centuries B.C.
The Kamoliddin Behzod Fine Arts Museum features temporary exhibitions on the fine arts and jewelry history of Bukhara, spanning from the 1st century B.C. to the 20th century.
Near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Paikend, 60 km from Bukhara, a museum dedicated to its history was opened in 2003, adding to the museum’s extensive network.
The Abu Ali Ibn Sino Museum, established in 1980 in Afshona, the birthplace of the renowned scientist and physician Avicenna, commemorates his life during the Samanid era (late 9th to early 10th centuries).