The Ark is a massive earthen citadel that was Bukhara’s seat of power for more than a thousand years: a walled town-within-a-town that housed the emir, his court, a mosque, mint, and prison. Its sloping ramparts rise dramatically above the modern square, and the climb in passes through a grand fortified gate.
Don't miss
- The fortified main gate and its ramped entry corridor
- The Friday mosque and royal reception courtyards inside
- Museum rooms on Bukhara’s emirs and the Great Game
Good to know
Entrance
Ticketed; allow an hour to wander the inner courtyards and small museums.
Getting there
Opposite the Bolo Hauz Mosque, an easy walk from the old-town centre.
Rebuilt Again and Again
Every time the Ark was destroyed by invaders, Bukhara’s rulers levelled the ruins and rebuilt on top, so the citadel slowly rose on a mound of its own history. The last emir fled in 1920 as the Red Army shelled the fortress; much of what stands today is the heavily restored survivor of that final siege.
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