Bukhara is an oasis city located in Uzbekistan on the edge of the Kysylkum Desert. In the Middle Ages it was one of the most important religious and economic centres of the Islamic world.

In ancient times Bukhara was part of Sogdia, a region in Central Asia in which from the second half of the first millennium B.C. a city-like plan developed. It was a city of poetry, myths and legends with three hundred and fifty mosques and more than a hundred madrassahs.

Following the foundation of the Arab Caliphate in the seventh century, Islam was established and the Ark Citadel became the castle of the Emir Of Bukhara in which he and his confidants resided. In the Middle Ages the citadel was a complete city with a palace, mosques, government buildings, warehouses, a prison and public gathering place.

The pre-Mongolian mausoleum of the Samanid rulers is an example of Samanid brick architecture and is also the oldest mausoleum in Central Asia.

Bukhara continues to be associated with the ancient Silk Road and its historic architectural heritage is an exceptional combination of numerous colourful epochs.