Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Islamic religious complex in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
In the village of Hartang, now the Xo'ja Ismoil district about 25 km north of Samarkand, lies the tomb of Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (810 to 870), compiler of Sahih al-Bukhari, the most respected hadith collection in Sunni Islam. He came to Hartang, where he had relatives, after a falling-out with the governor of Bukhara, fell ill there and died, and was buried in the village cemetery. In the 16th century the Shaybanids built a mosque and library beside his grave. In the Soviet era the site was abandoned and fell into ruin; when Indonesian President Sukarno visited in 1961, he asked for it to be rebuilt and reopened to visitors, and the present memorial, with its mosque, tomb and halls, was built in the late 1990s. The complex has a mausoleum clad in marble and blue tilework, a large mosque and a garden courtyard with arcades, and it draws Muslim visitors from around the world, especially from South-East Asia, Turkey and the Arab world.
According to Wikivoyage the complex has been closed for a major reconstruction since 2021, so check that it has reopened before going. When open: it is about half an hour by car from Samarkand; as a mosque and tomb it calls for modest dress, women covering their hair and shoes off, and visits outside prayer times. Allow an hour.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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