The Poi Kalan Complex, a true architectural gem in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, consists of a harmonious mixture of influences from Arab, Turkish and Persian art. In this monumental square, you will find a great mosque (16h century), a medersa (Quranic school, from the 16th century), and a tall minaret (12th century).
The Kalan Mosque is the second largest mosque in Central Asia. We wandered around the courtyard for a long time, simply enjoying the views.
Stéphanie spotted a puddle of water left over after the staff had cleaned the mosque that morning. Seeing the blue sky reflected in the surface, she got the idea to take this photo. The perspective with the dome of the medersa and the magnificent minaret is just incredible. The combination of the turquoise hues of the dome and the majolica with the ochre shades of the rest of the buildings is typical for the color palette of the Great Silk Road.
Don’t miss the full article about our trip along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan
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21 replies on “Bukhara, Uzbekistan: turquoise reflections”
Beautiful picture. I was trying to think where was the pool or pond at Kalan Mosque, then you answered the question for me. Maggie
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Thank you! Haha yes I suppose it’s a little surprising when you know the place! In our experience people would routinely help keep public spaces clean everywhere we went. In this case an elderly man had just finished sweeping and rinsing the floor, so I took the opportunity. A pool or reflective pond would be gorgeous here though
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Stunning photograph. It pays to get up early 😊
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Oh yes indeed, and we had some incredible sunrises AND sunsets on several of our stops in Uzbekistan 😄
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11 C minaret + 16 C buildings – gorgeous photo
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Incredible, isn’t it?! Uzbekistan has such amazing history. They even buried an important mausoleum in Bukhara to hide it from Gengis Khan at one point
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Incredible! Cool story.
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Gorgeous photo! I’m still in dreamland after my visit, how I would love to go back!!!
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Uzbekistan will do that to you! What was your favorite spot?
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Id have to say Bukhara! I really loved this town!
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So did we! It has such a special atmosphere. We loved Khiva as well but Bukhara was such a pleasant surprise
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Yeh i don’t know why buf I just loved the vibe of it. I liked how it wasn’t so spread out like Samarkand. Its up next on my blog to write about but I just don’t know how to do it justice!
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That’s exactly how we felt about it as well! With the exception of the Samanid Mausoleum and Chor Minor, everything is quite close together. Hope we get to see a post on Bukhara from you soon!
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Wonderful photo
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Thank you so much, we appreciate it 😀
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Lovely shot
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Thank you, Hannah! Glad you like it 🥰
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wow
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Thank you! 😊
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Lovely post 🥰
I love Bukhara, my favourite place in Uzbekistan, and Kalyan Minaret is absolutely stunning for me, as I couldn’t stop staring at it 😍🥹
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There is something really special about Bukhara, we agree! Absolutely magnetic
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