Bahouddin Naqshband Complex

 

The Bahouddin Naqshband complex in Bukhara is perhaps the most religoiusly important monument to be included in the Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor @UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bahouddin Naqshband is the saint who founded the Naqshbandi order of Sufism, and Naqshbandi pilgrims come here from all over the world to pray and pay their respects at his grave.

In the 16th century when the complex's main buildings were constructed, it was common to combine a necropolis with a ritual building. In 1544, Abd al-Aziz-khan erected an above-ground crypt for the saint. It is a dakhma with a carved marble fence on top. Later, the mother of Abulfayz Khan (1711-1747) built the mosque with two ivans (terraces), and then Nasrullah Khan's vizier (minister) Hakim Kushbegi built a second mosque in the 19th century. The final building of note within the complex is the minaret, which dates from 1720.

In the Soviet period, the Naqshband shrine was in a state of desolation. Thankfully, it has been sensitively restored and the complex is once again a thriving place of prayer and pilgrimage. Non-Muslims are welcome to visit, but please dress appropriately as this is a sacred place.