Islamic heritage tour of Uzbekistan

For centuries, the cities of Mawarannahr, "the land beyond the river", were among the great centres of Islamic learning. Scholars born here shaped the faith across the Muslim world: Imam al-Bukhari, whose Sahih is the most respected collection of hadith; Imam at-Tirmidhi, compiler of the Sunan; the theologian Imam al-Maturidi; and the Sufi master Bahauddin Naqshband, founder of the Naqshbandi order, followed from Turkey to Indonesia.

Their shrines are places of pilgrimage for Uzbeks and for Muslims from around the world. A ziyarat tour combines prayer and reflection at these shrines with the great madrasahs and mosques of the Silk Road cities.

Termez is optional: without it, the tour takes about 7 days.

Visit the Khast Imam complex, the religious heart of the capital, with the Hazrati Imam mosque, the Barak Khan madrasah and the library that holds the Uthman Quran, one of the oldest surviving Quran manuscripts, traditionally linked with the third caliph. Pray at the mosque and visit the mausoleum of the scholar Kaffal ash-Shashi.

Take the Afrosiyob to Samarkand. Visit the Registan, where the madrasahs were once among the greatest centres of learning in the Islamic world, and the Gur-Emir, where Timur and his descendants are buried beside their spiritual teacher.

On day 3, drive about 30 minutes to the Imam al-Bukhari complex, a large memorial with a mosque, courtyards and the tomb of the great muhaddith. Return to the city to visit the Imam al-Maturidi mausoleum, then the Shah-i-Zinda, traditionally linked with Qusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet. See Tashkent to Samarkand.

Travel to Termez in the far south, either by the scenic road via Shakhrisabz and Boysun (6–7 hours, see Samarkand to Termez) or by flying via Tashkent.

In Termez, visit the shrine of al-Hakim at-Termizi, a Sufi master of the 9th century, on the bank of the Amu Darya; the Sultan Saodat complex of the Termez sayyids; and, about an hour north, the mausoleum of Imam at-Tirmidhi at Sherabad. See things to do in Termez.

Fly via Tashkent or drive via Karshi to Bukhara, "the dome of Islam". Visit the shrine of Bahauddin Naqshband, the most important pilgrimage site in the city, where pilgrims walk around the old mulberry tree and pray in the courtyard. Then the Chor-Bakr necropolis of the Juybari sheikhs, and in the old town, the Poi-Kalyan ensemble, with the Kalyan mosque and the Mir-i-Arab madrasah, which still trains imams today. See things to do in Bukhara.

Bukhara has traditionally been associated with seven pirs of the Naqshbandi order buried around the city; a full pilgrimage to all of them requires an extra day.

Cross the Kyzylkum to Khiva (6–7 hours). See Bukhara to Khiva. In Ichan-Kala, visit the Juma mosque with its forest of carved wooden columns, and the mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud, the city’s patron saint, poet and wrestler, a place of prayer for local people. Fly back to Tashkent from Urgench. See our Khiva itinerary.

Many of Uzbekistan’s historic madrasahs are now museums, craft centres or hotels, but some still teach. The Mir-i-Arab madrasah in Bukhara trains imams, and the Imam al-Bukhari International Research Centre in Samarkand and the Islamic Civilisation Centre in Tashkent study and present the scholarly heritage of the region. In Tashkent, the Khast Imam library holds rare manuscripts. Visiting these places shows how the tradition of learning that made the region famous continues today.

• Dress modestly: long sleeves and trousers or long skirts; women should cover their hair.
• Remove shoes where carpets are laid.
• Shrines are active places of prayer: keep your voice low and avoid photographing people praying.
• Small donations are customary at many shrines.
• Friday midday prayers attract large crowds; plan visits around them, or join if you wish.
• Follow the custom of each shrine: at some, pilgrims walk around a sacred tree or touch a stone; ask your guide what is appropriate.

• Halal food is the norm; alcohol is easy to avoid.
• Mosques are found everywhere; many hotels can indicate the qibla.
• Ramadan changes opening hours in some restaurants; shrines are busy in the evenings.
• The best seasons are spring and autumn; in summer, visit shrines early.
• A guide who knows the lives of the scholars makes the visits much richer.

See also Uzbekistan for Muslim travellers, and the visa pages for Indonesian and Malaysian citizens. We can arrange guides, trains and transport for a ziyarat tour.