Lyab-i Hauz

Om

Hurtige fakta: The pond stretches 45 meters across and is the only surviving hauz in a city that once had dozens of these water reservoirs. Three mulberry trees shade the plaza, each over 250 years old, their branches heavy enough to have witnessed countless tea ceremonies and chess matches.

Højdepunkter: The Nadir Divanbegi Madrasah across the pond flouts Islamic artistic tradition with a bold mural of winged birds and a deer being attacked by a mythical simurgh. Soviet authorities in the 1930s drained most of Bukhara's hauzes for hygiene reasons, but locals protected this one by hiding its water source from officials.

Insidertips

• Sit at a chaikhana on the west side of the pond for the best view of the madrasahs reflecting in the water at golden hour.
• Rub the statue of Nasreddin's donkey nose for good luck, then walk 30 meters east to find the 17th-century public toilet that still functions today.
• Skip the expensive souvenir stalls on the main plaza and walk one block north to the trading domes where prices are half as much.
• Come on a Friday evening to hear live traditional Shashmaqam music drifting from the Khanqah across the water.

Flere attraktioner i Samarkand

Registan Square

Shah-i-Zinda

Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum