If there is one city that perfectly embodies the imagination of the Silk Road, it is undoubtedly Bukhara. With its turquoise domes, caravanserais, centuries-old madrasas, and covered markets, it seems frozen in time. Yet despite its immense historical wealth, it was probably the city I enjoyed the least during my trip to Uzbekistan.
This is certainly not because it lacks interest (quite the opposite). We spent three full days there and had enough time to visit absolutely everything we wanted to see. Looking back, however, it felt a little too long. Once we had explored the main sights, I felt the pace slow down, and two days would probably have been enough.
Nevertheless, Bukhara remains an essential stop for understanding the history of Central Asia. Even more than Samarkand or Khiva, it is, in my eyes, the city of merchants, the place that best represents the spirit of the Silk Road.
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