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Lyabi-Hauz

A stone-lined pool from the early 17th century, shaded by old mulberry trees and framed by two madrasas and a khanaka; the social heart of the old town.

EnsemblesUNESCO World Heritage17th centuryAbout 1 hour to see

About the place

Bukhara once had dozens of open pools fed by canals; they supplied water to the neighbourhoods but also spread disease, and most were filled in during the Soviet period. Lyabi-Hauz, whose name means roughly "by the pool", is the best-known survivor. It was built around 1620 under the vizier Nadir Divan-Begi, who also paid for the khanaka on its west side and the madrasa on the east.

On the north side stands the Kukeldash madrasa, older and larger than the other two. Between them are tea houses with raised wooden platforms, a bronze statue of Khodja Nasreddin on his donkey, and plenty of benches. In the evening local families come out, and the square fills with the sound of conversation.

Most walks through the old town start or end here: the trading domes and the Magoki-Attari mosque are a few minutes away.

Sources (1)

  1. 1.Wikidata

Nearby

  • Nadir Divanbegi KhanqahEnsembles

    Under 1 km away

    Nadir Divanbegi Khanqah

    A domed Sufi lodge of 1620 on the west side of the Lyabi-Hauz pool, built by the vizier Nadir Divanbegi together with the pool itself.

  • Kukeldash MadrasaEnsembles

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Kukeldash Madrasa

    A large 16th-century madrasa on the north side of Lyabi-Hauz, built for Kulbaba Kukeldash, a senior official of the Shaybanid court.

  • Nadir Divan-Begi MadrasaEnsembles

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa

    The madrasa on the east side of Lyabi-Hauz, known for the mosaic on its portal: two large birds and a sun with a human face.

  • Synagogue of BukharaEnsembles

    Under 1 km away

    Synagogue of Bukhara

    A synagogue building of around 1900 in the old town of Bukhara, listed as protected cultural heritage.