President of Tajikistan tours historic landmarks of Bukhara

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, who is on a state visit to Uzbekistan, together with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, visited a number of historic landmarks in Bukhara.

Ancient Bukhara has long been renowned for its outstanding historical, architectural, and cultural heritage, and has for centuries been one of the centers of science, Islamic theology, and spirituality. The historic center of the city, which is over 2,500 years old, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1993.

The distinguished guest, accompanied by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, first visited the Bahauddin Naqshband Mausoleum.

The complex is one of the great shrines of the Islamic world. It was established at the burial site of the founder of the Naqshbandi tariqa, Bahauddin Naqshband, and today includes a mausoleum, a khanqah, mosques, a necropolis, and a museum of Sufism history. It was particularly noted that the noble principle of Bahauddin Naqshband’s teaching - “Dil ba yoru, dast ba kor”, calls for diligence and spiritual purity.

The visit then continued to the Samanids Mausoleum.

This monument is one of the oldest structures in Central Asia built of baked brick. It was constructed in the late 9th and early 10th centuries by Ismail Samani, the founder and first ruler of the Samanids state, as a family tomb.

Its architectural appearance reflects both Islamic and pre-Islamic traditions, including elements of Sogdian culture. It was noted that, depending on the angle of sunlight, the mausoleum’s patterns reveal different shades, while its cube-and-dome composition symbolically represents the unity of Earth and Heaven. Thanks to walls nearly two meters thick and the high quality of the brickwork, this unique monument has been well preserved to this day.

During the visits to the mausoleums, surahs from the Qur’an were recited, duas were offered for those who have passed away and for peace and well-being for the peoples of both countries.