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Home » Bukhara architectural ensembles and complexes. The basic places of interest of sacred Bukhara.

Toki Sarrafon.

Excursions on the main places of interest of Bukhara.

“That was the day the ancient songs of blood and war spilled from a hole in the sky
And there was a long moment as we listened and fell silent in our grief and then one by one, we stood tall and came together and began to sing of life and love and all that is good and true
And I will never forget that day when the ancient songs died because there was no one in the world to sing them” 

Brian Andreas.

Silk Road Treasure Tours in Bukhara.

Trading cupolas of Bukhara consist of three main domes named as “Toki Zargaron” (dome of jewelers), “Toki Sarrafon” (dome of moneychangers), and “Toki Telpak-Furuhson” (dome of fur headwear sellers).
Medieval Bukhara was considered to be a big business center receiving merchants from the whole Central Asia, Iran and India, Russia and China. The trading status of Bukhara influenced on the planning and architecture of the city.
Central streets played a role of markets, each of which specialized on some special products. In order to make sale more comfortable, domed and multi-arched buildings were constructed on the squares and crossroads. They were named "tok" (arch, dome).
These domes built in the XV - XVI centuries, blocked the crossroads, directing traffic, unloading arterial road and organizing trade processes. Shops and workshops were located inside on the perimeter.
Architecturally and functionally Tim of Abdullakhan belongs to these domes. This is large multi-domed trading construction for silk sale. In the center of the Tim there is a big area for sale. Domed gallery is going round on its perimeter.

Toki Sarrafon in Bukhara.Toki Sarrafon in Bukhara.Toki Sarrafon in Bukhara.Toki Sarrafon in Bukhara.

Authority:
V.G Saakov «History of Bukhara». Publishing house "Shark", 1996. «Bukhara. Masterpieces of the Central Asia». The historical guidebook across Bukhara. 2012. "Bukhoro. Bukhara" In the Uzbek, English and Russian languages. Publishing house "Uzbekistan", Tashkent 2000. Mukhammad Narkshakhi. History of Bukhara. Tashkent. 1897 (translator N.Lykoshina). V.G.Saakov  "Architectural masterpieces of Bukhara. A Bukhara regional society "Kitabhon" Uzbek SSR, Exactly 1991 Robert Almeev. "History of ancient Bukhara". (Under edition of the Academician of the Academy of sciences of Republic Uzbekistan of Rtveladze E.V.).

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.