Imam al-Bukhari Complex

Muhammad al-Bukhari compiled the collection of hadith that Sunni Muslims regard as the most authoritative after the Quran itself, and he died in 870 at Hartang outside Samarkand, where his grave became a place of pilgrimage. The complex over it was entirely rebuilt in 1998: a domed mausoleum in blue tile, a mosque, a courtyard with a pool and a library, on a scale designed for the numbers who come from across the Muslim world. It was extensively renovated again in 2025, with the mosque rebuilt for more than twelve thousand worshippers, and reopened during Ramadan in 2026, so descriptions from before then show the earlier complex.

What's there

• The mausoleum - the blue-tiled domed building over the grave.
• The courtyard - the arcaded space with its pool at the centre.
• The mosque - rebuilt in 2025 for more than twelve thousand worshippers.
• The pilgrimage - visitors coming from across the Muslim world.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the comfortable months. Fridays and holidays are busiest. Modest dress is required and enforced.

Good to know

Everything standing is from 1998 or from the 2025 rebuilding; no old fabric survives above ground. Photography is restricted in places. This is a working shrine rather than a monument.

Nearby

Samarkand is south, and Konigil is on the way.

Key facts