Uzbekistan - Central Asia - page 189

Photo¨Gallery¨ gALLeRY
(admission free; h 9am-7.30pm) The Museum of
Art is a Photo Gallery containing mesmeris-
ing photos of Bukhara Jews, gypsies and city
life shot by Bukhara Iranian photographer
Shavkat Boltaev.
Hoja¨Zayniddin¨Mosque¨ MoSQUe
( h 7am-7pm) In Bukhara's backstreets be-
tween Hoja Nurabad and Islamov, across
from the Ark on Hoja Nurabad, the interior
of the 16th-century Hoja Zayniddin Mosque
has a tremendous aivan and some of the
best original mosaic and ghanch- work
you're going to see anywhere.
2 ¨Activities
o Bozori¨Kord¨ BAThhoUSe
(hakikat ko'chasi; admission 60,000S; h 6am-mid-
night Wed-Mon, noon-midnight Tue) Bozori Kord
is an age-old Bukharan bathhouse where lit-
tle has changed for centuries. It's now solidly
oriented to tourists (hence the hefty entry
fee), but otherwise totally authentic and a
fantastic experience. You'll be put through
an hour-long process that involves working
up a sweat in the hammam, being washed
down, massaged and stretched and then
rubbed all over with ginger and left to sweat
it out again. The baths are open to men only
until noon; afterwards it's open to all.
Hammom¨Kunjak¨ BAThhoUSe
(ibodov 4; admission 70,000S; h 9am-4pm) This
ancient Bukharan bathhouse, in the shadow
of the Kalon Minaret, is for women only. It's
traditionally where women bring their new-
born babies at 40 days of age for a first ritual
wash, and is also available for private group
rental after-hours.
T ¨Tours
Most hotels and B&Bs can arrange guides.
We also recommend the following, all of
whom speak English.
Gulya¨Khamidova ( % [phone])
Noila¨Kazidzanova ( % [phone],
228 20 12; [e-mail])
Zinnat¨Ashurova ( % 190 71 27)
z ¨Festivals
The four-day Silk¨&¨Spices¨Festival in May
or June is a celebration of local folk art as
well as silk and spices, with lots of music
and dancing in the streets. Contact East
Line Tour (p199) or one of the B&Bs to es-
tablish when the festival is on.

4 ¨Sleeping
Bukhara's wonderful, largely traditional-
style B&Bs set the standard for accom-
modation in Central Asia. They tend to be
surprisingly large courtyard houses tucked
away in the backstreets of the old town
with rooms awash with traditional ghanch
and pieces of antique furniture. Several of
their traditional dining rooms in Bukhara
are even considered to be part of the city's
Unesco World Heritage status. It's essential
to book ahead during busy times of the year,
as the very best hotels can be booked for
weeks ahead of time.
Mubinjon's¨Bukhara¨House¨ B&B $
( % 224 20 05; eshoni Pir; dm US$8) Bukhara's
pioneer B&B is housed in a home dating
from 1766. Traditional kurpacha are spread
on the floor of the four rooms here and the
bathrooms are basic (with no hot water) but
sanitary. The legendary Mubinjon - a true
Bukharan eccentric - doesn't speak much
English but makes himself understood.
Check out the wonderful light blue antique
Volga while you're here - cultural experi-
ences don't come much better than this!
Breakfast is not included.
Sarrafon¨B&B¨ B&B $
( % [phone], 223 64 63; www.sarrafon-
travel.uz; Sarrafon 4; dm US$15, s/d US$20/30;
aW ) Expanding from four to seven rooms
in 2013, Sarrafon has forged a reputation for
being great value due to its ideal location,
friendly host family and quality breakfasts.
It may be rather low on traditional charms,
but it has some nice touches such as local
carpets on the floors and walls, and you
won't get a much better deal than this just
off Lyabi-Hauz.
Rustam¨&¨Zuxro¨ B&B $
( % [phone], [phone]; hotelr@
mail.ru; Bakhowuddin Nakshabandi 116; dm/s/d
US$10/25/35; aW ) A good budget option
just a stone's throw from Lyabi-Hauz, the
large carpeted rooms have flat screen TVs,
fridges and decent bathrooms. A recent ex-
pansion has brought eight new rooms and
there are more on the way.
Madina¨&¨Ilyos¨ B&B $
( % [phone], 224 61 62; madina-ilyos.
blogspot.de; Mehtar Ambar 18; r without bathroom
US$8-10, d with bathroom per person US$15-20)
This perennial backpacker fave is famous
for being great value and for being hard to
find. Walk past No 18, hang a left and look