Of uzbekistan fergana state university

2.2.History of religious and scientific objects in Bukhara 
 
Despite the fact that Bukhara is credited with many important historical 
events, there are few written records of its history. Although Bukhara is mentioned 
in some ancient sources, only the western section of ancient Soghdiana is referred 
to, not the city itself. A brief but more accurate description of the city is found in 
Chinese sources dating back to the early Middle Ages. 
There is no accurate data on the age of this ancient city, known in the 
Muslim world as "Kubbat ul-Islam" and "Bukhara-i-Sharif." Written sources that 
have been preserved do not provide the information necessary to determine the 
exact age of Bukhara. Based on legends taken from Narshakhi's History of 
Bukhara, the people of Bukhara claim that the city has been around for three 
millennia. 
Mukhammad Narshakhi's History of Bukhara, written in Arabic and 
translated into Persian in 1288 by Abu Masr Akhmad Kubavi, a courtier and 
translator from Ferghana, has been one of the most valuable sources of information 
about the city's history. Abu nasr Akhmad Kubavi asserts that Mukhammad ibn 
Djafar Narshakhi did not give credit to the chapter about the emergence of Bukhara 
which, according to Akhmad Kubavi, was taken from the Treasury of Knowledge, 

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a medieval book by Abulhasan Hishapuri which has not survived. In this chapter, 
Abulhasan nishapuri elaborately describes the historic and geographic process that 
formed the Bukhara oasis along with its landscape, hydrography, flora and fauna, 
the hunting, fishing, and farming activities of the people, how the population of 
Bukhara got there, and where they came from. 
According to Nishapuri, the people of Turkestan were attracted by the 
abundance of plants and animals. There was no the city as such but some villages 
(with names such as Nut, Kharkanrud, Vardana, Taravcha, and Safna Is-vana) were 
established. The History of Bukhara recounts that the western area of this territory 
was preferred for habitation. The people who came to the place where Bukhara is 
now situated initially lived in tents and yurts and, later, in houses they built for 
themselves.
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Abulhasan nishapuri links the construction of the Bukhara Ark with a 
legendary Iranian prince, Siyavush. Siyavush ibn Kaykawus had fled from his 
father, crossed the Djeykhun River and was welcomed by Prince Afrasiab who 
then married him to his daughter. Afrasiab also granted him an apanage within the 
Bukhara district. Siyavush liked this place so much that he decided to build the 
Bukhara fortress where he spent most of his time. But, because of some 
provocation, Afrasiab killed Siyavush and buried him at the entrance of the eastern 
gate of Ark, "Darvaza Quriyan" (which means "The Maysellers' Gate"). 
Narshakhi recounts that after Siyavush had been killed, his son Kaykhusraw, 
longing to revenge his father's murder, summoned a large army and set off for 
Bukhara. Afrasiab found refuge in the Ramitan fortress, which Kaykhusraw 
besieged for two years. Kaykhusraw attacked Afrasiab from the Ramus settlement 
he built opposite Ramitan. Finally, Kaykhusraw managed to conquer the fortress 
and kill Afrasiab. This legendary ruler of Turan was buried on the Khadji Imom 
Abu Khafs Kabir hill near the Mabad Gate of Bukhara, narshakhi asserts that 
"these events occurred over three millennia ago". 
13
"Бухоро Bukhara Бухара" На узбекском, английском и русском языках. Издательство "Узбекистан", 
Ташкент 2000 

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Similar legendary data that hints at the age of Bukhara is scattered 
throughout the pages of narshakhi's book. As a tenth century writer said, "the 
townsfolk of Bukhara sang a mourning song called 'Kini Siyavush' - 'The Battle of 
Siyavush" narshakhi repeats that these events took place "a millennia ago." Thus, 
according to narshakhi, Afrasiab built Bukhara and Ramitan, Siyavush - the 
Bukhara Ark, and Kaykhusraw, a son of Siyavush - the Ramish fortress. If we take 
this date as the benchmark, then the age of the Bukhara Ark would be over 4,000 
years while that of Bukhara would be about 3,000 years, but not 4,000 as the 
townspeople of Bukhara assert. 
While talking about the date of the establishment of Bukhara, attention 
should be given to one more piece of trustworthy evidence attributed to narshakhi's 
book. It covers the period when Bukhara had not yet developed into an urban unit, 
narshakhi writes: "The population increased and one man was elected to be emir. 
His name was Abruy". Thus, the first ruler of Bukhara was Abruy, who was a 
historical figure, unlike Afrasiab or Siyavush. Sources mention that in the 580s he 
led a popular uprising against the ruling powers in Paikend. To suppress it, 
landlords from Bukhara and Paikend asked the Turkic Kagan Karachurin for 
assistance. Kagan Karachurin sent a large army under the command of his son 
Sher-i-Koshvar to Bukhara. In 586, the uprising was suppressed and Abruy was 
killed. 
During the Middle Ages, Bukhara was the trading and administrative center 
of Maverannakhr. It lay on the Silk Road, the ancient international trading route 
that linked the countries of the Middle East to India and China. This route also 
served in wartime as a road for conquerors during their military campaigns. At 
other times, it served merchant caravans but also envoys, travelers, and dervishes. 
Throughout history, Bukhara was periodically invaded, plundered and 
terrorized. Despite this, during the early Middle Ages, it became the primary center 
of science and enlightenment in ancient Turan. Religion and secular sciences (such 
as 
history, 
poetry, 
astronomy, 
medicine, 
mathematics, 
and 
jurisprudence)developed here. Great scientists and philosophers such as Ismail 

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Bukhari, Abu AH ibn Sina, Marshakhi, Rudaki, Dakiki, Hoja Bahauddin 
Makshbandi, and many others led creative lives in Bukhara. Over the years, dozens 
of madrasas were erected for the education of thousands of students. 
For centuries, Bukhara was famous not only for the development of science, 
culture and trade, but also as a large administrative center for Turkestan. It was the 
capital of the ancient state of Bukhara whose population was situated downstream 
from the Zarafshan (sixth to eighth centuries A.D.). It was also the capital of a 
number of other states, including the Samanid Dynasty (ninth to tenth centuries), 
the Sheybanid Empire (sixteenth century), the Ashtarkhanid Dynasty (seventeenth 
to eighteenth centuries), the Bukhara Emirate (eighteenth to twentieth centuries) 
and the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic (1920 to 1924). 
According to Narshakhi, Sher-i-Kishvar built the Shakhristan in Bukhara, as 
well as the Mamastin, Sakhmatin, Samtin, and Farab settlements. If the above-
mentioned date can be believed, then Bukhara should only be about 1400 years 
old, not 3000 to 4000 years. Thus there are two contradictory dates for the 
founding of Bukhara. 
In addition, Narshakhi talks about the settling of the Bukhara oasis. The 
author asserts that such big settlements as Vardana, Varah-sha, Paikend, Ramush 
and Ramitan are "older than Bukhara", Narshakhi writes that Vardana was a big 
settlement containing the Kuhandiz Ark, a fortified inner city. From "time 
immemorial" the rulers of Vardana - the Vardan-khudats - resided here. Vardana 
was founded much earlier than Bukhara. It was built by the Samanid prince, 
Shapur Khusraw I (531 to 578 A.D.) and situated on the fringe of Turkestan. 
Remnants of the old Vardana settlement, now known as Vardanze, have survived 
as a large hill. Vardana, riarshakhi believed, was older than Bukhara, having been 
built in the 6th century A.D.
14
The book mentions that rulers had residences in Varahsha and Paikend as 
well as Vardana. "The big settlement that was the residence of the shah bore the 
14
"В.Г. Сааков Архитектурные шедевры Бухары. Бухарское областное общество "Китабхон" Уз ССР, Ровно 
1991 г 

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name of Paikend". The author implies that Kalai Da-busi (The Dabusi fortress) was 
a city. There are some books that use the name Ramitan Bukhara. "In ancient 
times, this was the rulers' residence and later on, after the emergence of Bukhara, 
rulers used it only as a winter residence. The same happened during its transition to 
an Islamic state." By analyzing Narshakhi's data, we may conclude that the 
Ramitan fortress was named Bukhara in ancient times. 
It is important to note that Narshakhi gives contradictory information on 
who built Vardana, Paikend, Ramitan, Varahsha, and Ramush and when Bukhara 
emerged. This information rests on legends that circulated among folklore 
narrators. If the sixth century is accepted as the limit according to this valuable 
source, one can definitely assert that the author of The History of Bukhara had no 
idea about the earliest features of the history of the city or the age of Bukhara. The 
opportunity to resolve this problem came later, after archaeologists had conducted 
research on Bukhara and other old urban centers around the oasis, namely 
Vardana, Paikend, Varahsha, Ramitan and Ramush. 

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