Bukhara, one of the oldest town in Central
Asia, has nowadays 250000 inhabitants. Its long and impressive history it’s a long
row of events, dynasties, and religion changing. The archeological drenches
went in depth to a 20 m horizon, to
reveal the remnants of the town.
Certain historical sources fix the beginning
in the 13th century B.C., almost 1000 years before the Alexander the
Great! Aryans migration, Iranian Soghdian ruling, being part of the Persian
Empire, Arabs conquest, Genghis Khan invasion, Russian protectorate, being part
of the former Soviet Union is a very short synopsis of Bukhara’s history. The
name of the place is o Soghdian origin, claim some historian, “Buxarah” meaning
“lucky place’. Others sustain that the name comes from the Sanskrit “Vihara”,
meaning “monastery” and sustaining the Budhist past of the time.
During the conversion to Islamism (after the
conquest of the Arabs, in the 8th century), Bukhara became a world
renowned center of science and education. Over 350 mosques and 100 maddrasah
determine dthe nickname od “Noble Bukhara”.
Around 500 B.C., when the actual town was
constructed, the God Sin was worshiped here, the God of the Moon, who protects
the nomads people. The town developed to 350 B.C., when it was captured by the Hua
Mongolian tribes, who brought upon it the decline.
As every traditional plain town, Bukhara had
also an ark – a fortress where local rulers lived -, the shakhristan, which
was the town itself, and a necropolis, outside town limits, with the crypts
asnd tombs. Two main crossroads streets parted the town in four sectors,
representing the universal order in society and nature. From that time, 140
historic and archeological monuments remained.
The Ark looked into the old Registan square
of which only a minaret remained. The Ark had powerful, impressive walls and
four gates (only two can be seen today). The site was in reconstruction, so we
could only see one gate and the walls, from outside.
The trade domes, which are very near, where
the place were the traders gathered. It is a dome covered area, were you may
see now the souvenir vendors. Walking after the locals, we saw also the modern
market.
Buhara, unul
dintre cele mai vechi orase ale Asiei Centrale, numara astazi 250000 locuitori
si se afla la vest de Samarkand. Istoria sa multimilenara este bogata in
evenimente, siruri de dinastii, schimbari de religie. Orasul a crescut pe verticala
timp de peste 2500 de ani dar nu si-a schimbat niciodata locul. Santurile
sapaturilor arheologice au mers pana la 20 m adancime pentru a revela urme ale
asezarilor anterioare.