The trading domes of Bukhara

In the 16th century, under the Shaybanid dynasty and especially under Abdullah Khan II, Bukhara was rebuilt as a great commercial capital. Along the main street that crossed the city, domed structures were built over the intersections. Each tok (plural toki) was a brick dome on arches with openings in four directions, surrounded by smaller domes and stalls. Shade, ventilation and the thick brick kept the interior cool in summer and protected goods from rain and dust in winter.

Each dome specialised in a trade, and its name still records it. Around them were caravanserais where merchants stayed with their camels and goods, and tims, covered market halls. Bukhara once had dozens of such structures; most disappeared in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the surviving domes have been restored and remain in use as markets.

The dome of the moneychangers is the closest to Lyabi-Hauz and stands over what was once the Shahrud canal, the main water channel of the city. Bukhara attracted traders from India, Persia, Russia and China, and moneychangers here exchanged their coins and offered credit. Today the dome shelters souvenir and textile shops. It is the starting point for most walks through the bazaar street towards Poi Kalyan.

The dome of the hat sellers is the most complex of the three, placed over a junction of five streets, so its plan is irregular. It once sold skullcaps (tubeteika or duppi), turbans and fur hats. Today you will find embroidered caps, carpets, suzani, scarves, books and antiques. Look at the dome’s interior: the way the builders resolved the uneven plan with a ring of arches is a fine example of Bukharan engineering.

Between the domes stands the Tim of Abdullah Khan (1577), a covered market hall built for the silk and wool trade. Its large central dome is surrounded by galleries of smaller domes and rows of stalls. Today it holds shops selling silk, carpets and textiles, and its cool, dim interior is one of the most atmospheric spaces in the bazaar.

The dome of the jewellers, the largest of the three, stands at the northern end, close to Poi Kalyan and opposite the Ulugbek and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs. In the 16th century it held dozens of jewellers’ workshops. Jewellery is still sold here, alongside ceramics, metalwork and knives, and nearby blacksmiths make the famous stork-shaped scissors of Bukhara before your eyes.

• Suzani and textiles: embroidered wall hangings, cushions and bedspreads; ikat silks and scarves.
• Carpets: from small rugs to large hand-knotted pieces; ask about knot density and materials.
• Ceramics: plates and bowls from Gijduvan and Rishtan.
• Metalwork: engraved copper and brass, and handmade knives and the stork scissors from local forges.
• Miniatures and puppets: painted miniatures and the traditional wooden puppets of Bukhara.
• Hats: skullcaps and fur hats.

Bargaining is expected in most shops. Prices for tourists start high, so compare and negotiate politely. For older items, ask for documents for export: Uzbekistan restricts the export of antiques and cultural property. See our Uzbekistan visa and entry guide for general entry rules.

Walk the whole route from Lyabi-Hauz to Poi Kalyan, about 10 minutes without stopping, through all three domes and the Tim. Shops open from mid-morning and close in the early evening. The domes are free to enter. Go early to see them quiet, with the light falling through the openings in the domes, and leave purchases for later in the day when you have compared prices.