BUKHARA: THE PRINCESS OF CITIES - Tourism in Central Asia: Cultural Potential and Challenges - page 79

When Arab forces threatened Bukhara in 673 by crossing the river Amu
Darya, Kabaç Khatun, the ruler of Bukhara, kept the Arabs away until 709
by paying taxes. However, in 709 Bukhara was completely conquered by
the Arab commander Kuteybe b. Muslim (Kutabi). During the next 150
years, Sogdians and Turks who settled in Bukhara rebelled against the Is-
lamic forces. Nevertheless, none of the rebellions could prevent the spread
of Islam in the region (Uydu, 1995).
From the middle of the ninth century to the late tenth century, Bukhara
was the capital of the Samanid Empire (875-999). During this period, the
city was fortified by two city walls. Most of the inhabitants of the city
became Muslims during the Samanid era. Tomb of Ismail Samani is a his-
toric monument in Bukhara remaining from the same period.
After the decline of the Samanid Empire, Bukhara passed under the rule
of Karakhanid Dynasty (999-1141), when it lived its golden age. The above-
mentioned saying, “In all other parts of world light descends upon earth;
from holy Bukhara it ascends,” clearly expresses the importance of Bukhara
in the world as a glorious center of science, religion and art (Blunt, 1973).
Two of the most prominent scholars who were educated in the library
of the emperor's palace were Muhammad al-Bukhari (810-870) and Ibn-i
Sina (Avicenna) (980-1037). Ibn-I Sina wrote his world famous book on
medicine “ al-Qannun fi-tibb,” known as “ Canon Avicenna” in the western
world, in the library of the emperor. This topic was the most signiicant
medical textbook throughout the world in the seventeenth century. Another
very important book “ History of Bukhara ” by Narshakhi (899-960) was
also written in 933 in Bukhara (Esin, 1983).
According to Arab resources, especially during the times of I. İbrahim
bin Nasr I. İbrahim (Tamgach Bugra Khan) (1052-1068), Shems el-Mulk
Nasr bin İbrahim (1068- 1080), and Muhammed bin Süleyman Arslan
Khan (1102-1130), due to the emphasis given to scholarship and art,
Bukhara and Samarkand developed extensively and lived their golden
days in the field of architecture. During the Karakhanid era, monuments
such as Kalya Minaret and Ulug Mosque , Magok-I Attari Mosque and
Ribat'ül ül Melik Caravanserai were built and they still remain well-pre-
served today. The tradition of stone carving and reliefs, ornament with
green and turquaz glazed tiles, which the Karakhanids carried on from
their pre-Islamic capital Kashgar, can be seen in several turquoise and
green shiny domes and minarets in Bukhara and Samarkand. These monu-
ments A'mak describes as “golden oil lamps lit in front of emerald shrines”
are the symbols of Central Asia Islamic architecture (Esin, 1986).