INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 03,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1834
GATES OF BUKHARA DURING THE REIGN OF ABDULLAKHAN II
Babayarova Shahnoza Shukhratovna
Researcher, Navoi State University
Annotation:
This article discusses the history of the construction of the gates of Bukhara, their
main functions, significance, the specific features of the gates during the reign of Abdullakhan II,
their role in agriculture, crafts, and trade, and reveals their essence by analyzing scientific
literature.
Keywords:
Abdullah Khan II, fortress, wall, Samarkand, Hazrati Imam, Oglon, Talipoch,
Shergiron, Karakol, Sheikh Jalal, Namazgoh, Sallahona, Qavola and Bukhara gates.
During the reign of Abdulaziz Khan and Abdulla Khan of the Shaybanids, a new wall was
built around Bukhara and gates were built. Abdulla Khan expanded the fortress walls built by
Abdulaziz Khan to the west and 11 gates were built[1]. They were named as follows: Samarkand
Gate, Hazrati Imam Gate, Oglon Gate, Talipoch Gate, Shergiron Gate, Karakul Gate, Sheikh
Jalal Gate, Namozgoh Gate, Sallahona Gate, Qavola (Karshi) Gate, Mazar-i-Sharif Gate.
Samarkand Gate. Built by the Shaybani ruler Abdulaziz Khan, it was renovated by
Abdullakhan in 1557-1560. Guests and merchants from Gijduvan, Tashkent, Kokand and other
cities, as well as from far abroad, entered the city through this gate via the Samarkand road. Near
the gate there was a market for carts, wooden materials, doors and windows. Later, during the
reign of Emir Abdulahad Khan (1885-1910) and Emir Olim Khan (1910-1920), the road leading
to the summer palace - Sitorai Mohi-Khossa, which was restored, passed through this gate, so
this place was considered very important for merchants[2]. The height of the gate is 11.4 meters,
equal to the height of the ancient wall, it was restored with an arch and tympanum, without a
bookcase, with several small windows, and was polished with a belt of terracotta and tiles. The
“bouquets” and the upper part are decorated with a beautiful edged crown, and are integrated
into the ancient wall. In the 60s of the last century, the structure was demolished under the
pretext of expanding the city. Since January 2009, it has been restored to its original appearance
based on the project of engineer-architect Mahmud Ahmedov.
Hazrati Imam Gate. Until the 8th century, it was called Darvozai Nav (New Gate). Then it
began to be called Darvozai Imam in honor of the famous Bukhara scholar Abu Hafs Kabir
Bukhari (767-832). According to Narshahi, the graves of Abu Hafs Kabir are also located on a
hill near this gate. Hazrati Imam Gate was also called Hakroh. The gate was 11.6 meters high, 13
meters wide, and 1.5 meters deep. It consisted of 31 arches. The arches were three-story, with a
room for guards. At the entrance to the city, on the right side of the road were shops selling
necessary equipment for horses and carts. On the left side of the road were warehouses and a
glass factory, as well as a well that provided water for travelers. The Hazrati Imam road joined
the road to Samarkand and Tashkent. This ancient road was paved with rough stone from Ark to
Sitorai Mokhi-Khossa[3]. Since September 2009, the restoration of this gate has been underway.
The construction work was carried out by master architects Muzaffar, Ma'mur and Ma'ruf
Mirzayev.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 03,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1835
Oglon Gate. Another of the majestic gates of Bukhara-Sharif was the Oglon Gate near
Charbakali. In front of this gate was a main road leading to Romitan and Gazli, and to the north
was the Oglon neighborhood, and to the south was the Nogorachilar neighborhood. Many of
them served in the palace of the kings in Ark by playing drums, trumpets, and trumpets. The
Oglon Gate was built with a mosque-madrasah attached to it, and the tomb of Saint Oglon Ata
was also located here. A religious ceremony was held here in memory of Khatmi Piridastgir, that
is, Abdulkadir Gilani. Oglon Ata was one of the great saints. Information about this is preserved
in the endowment documents of 1887-1888[4].
Talipoch Gate. This structure was built in 1557-1598 - during the reign of Abdullakhan II.
The ruler, who built a new avenue in the western part of Bukhara, built this gate near a large hill.
Through this gate, one could go to Amirabad, Chorbakr, Jondor, and Khorezm. The gate was
built in two "bouquets", an arch, a porch, a canopy, and decorated with a crown with a crown,
and was built in accordance with the walls of the ancient fortress. The shrine of the tombs of the
living elephant Ahmad Jami is also located near this gate. The gate was renovated in 1960 by
master Aminjon Salomov and Mubin Muminov, and in 2005 by Soli Karimov. Currently, the
Bukhara Central Bazaar is located near the Talipoch Gate.
Shergiron Gate. One of the gates built by Abdullah Khan is the Shergiron Gate. In ancient
times, there was a lion sanctuary where lions were kept, and they were trained for use in war. At
the same time, kings also used lions as treasure guards. A statue of lions was installed in the
palace of kings. According to the book of Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja'far an-Narshahi, the ruler
Amir Shahid Ahmad Ismail as-Somali had a custom, and he had a lion in his palace. Every night,
a lion was chained near the door where the emir slept. Whoever tried to enter the house, the lion
would kill him. One day, when the emir was sad, his close people were busy with him and forgot
to bring the lion (guard). As a result, while the emir was sleeping, a group of his slaves entered
and beheaded him. This incident occurred on January 12, 914. He was brought to Bukhara and
buried in the Navkand cemetery (now the Samanid cemetery mausoleum)[5]. From that time on,
the gate built on the road to Jondor was called the Shergiron Gate. From the 16th century, there
was a covered market on the road from the Shergiron Gate to the Mir Dostum Khanaqo-mosque,
where products such as vegetables, fruits, milk and cream were sold day and night. This tradition
continues to this day. However, the ancient Shergiron Gate and the fortress wall have not been
preserved[2].
Karakul Gate. One of the main gates on the Great Silk Road trade network, the Karakul Gate
was built by Abdullakhan between 1558 and 1575. There was a market on the inner side of the
gate, which continued to Volidai Azizkhan and Havzi Nav. The Karakul Gate was built in two
large "bouquets", vaults, and arches. It was built with square 25×25 cm bricks, the upper part
was decorated with a kungur crown, and was built flush with the fortress walls. The gate was
renovated in 1975 by master Ahror Asrorov. The people of Bukhara set off on the pilgrimage
through this gate. Therefore, it was also called the "Gate of Hajj". Merchants from Iran,
Khorasan, and Turkey entered the city through this gate. Currently, the gate stands separated
from the fortress walls.[6].
Sheikh Jalal Gate. Located in the south of Bukhara, one of the gates with a glorious history
is Sheikh Jalal Gate. Its history dates back to the era of Abdulaziz Khan (16th century). At that
time, Abdulaziz Khan, who was a disciple of Sheikh Jalalidin, named the gate, which was
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 03,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1836
previously known as Darvozai Babi Morkushan, after him. Abdulaziz Khan repaired the gate
between 1549-1550, polished it with tiles and built a khanaqoh, a pond, a minaret and cells near
it. The height of the gate is 11-12 meters, and the width is 14×20, and it has porches on the
outside and inside. Abdulaziz Khan ordered to decorate the upper part of the gate with a crown
and build blue domes on the khanaqoh. In 1898, due to the lack of attention to this dome, its tiles
shifted. The masters of that period were unable to restore the dome. As a result, the khanaqoh,
minaret, pond, and gate were also destroyed and demolished due to lack of space[7]. Information
about Darvozai Sheikh Jalal and the neighborhood with the same name can be found in
documents dating back to 1691-1692. Outside the gate are very large gardens, including the
gardens and mausoleums of Khoja Ismatullah Bukhari. In 2008-2009, Darvozai Sheikh Jalal was
rebuilt by master architects Muzaffar Mirzayev and Sharif Rakhimov based on a project prepared
according to the original. The ancient fortress wall around it was also restored.[8]
Namozgoh gate. The year of its construction is unknown, but it was renovated by Abdulaziz
Khan in 1540-1550. It was built using very beautiful majolica, tiles, terracotta, arches, and six
gultajs on the top of the "bouquets". The upper part consists of 12 gultajs and is built to match
the old fortress. Since people could not fit in the mosques inside the city, they gathered at the
gate of Ibrahim to the prayer hall. The prayer hall was crowded. By decree of the Turkish khagan
Arslan Khan, the area around the prayer hall was completely arranged, gardens were laid out,
and walls with towers made of baked bricks were built. The gate was built with a height of 11
meters 6 cm and a width of 13.8 meters.
Sallahona Gate. On the outside of the Sallahona or Mir-Mas'ud Gate, the emir's soldiers
were stationed, and military exercises were held here until the 1920s. During the former Soviet
era, parades and conferences were held on this square for a long time. The Sallahona Gate was
built by Abdulaziz Khan in 1540-1549 along with the ancient wall. At that time, a mausoleum, a
mosque, a pond, a well, and cells were built for pilgrims. Unfortunately, they have not survived
to our time. Information about the Sallahona Gate is found in the foundation documents (1683-
1684). The height of the gate is 11 meters 10 cm, the width is 21 meters, and the base is one and
a half meters. The top is made of 21 flower crowns, the "flowers" are two-story, and there was a
room for guards. At the entrance to the city, on the right side of the road was the two-story
Abdullabek courtyard. Next to it was the Arabon mosque, where the residents of the
neighborhood prayed. Through the Sallahona gate, people passed through Toqi Sarrofon, Toqi
Telpakfurushan and Toqi Zargaron to the central trading posts of the city. Along with other gates
of Bukhara, the Sallahona gate was restored and brought to its original state in October 2009.
The design and construction work was carried out by master architects Muzaffar Mirzayev and
Sharif Rakhimov.
Mazar-i-Sharif Gate. When Abdulla Khan expanded the city of Bukhara, he rebuilt the Mazar-i-
Sharif Gate on the road to the pilgrimage of Bahauddin. The gate is wide and solid, consisting of
18 arches, the vaulted tympanum (porch) is built without arches, consists of three chimneys
(holes), and the top is shaded with flat bricks. It is 11 meters high, equal to the city's fortress wall.
A separate place for guards and special rooms for gatekeepers were built near the Mazar-i-Sharif
Gate[9]. The gate is made of thick and strong hard elm. In order to further increase the strength
of the gate, the wooden materials were soaked in hot oil. They were made in one layer using iron
nails and thick beams. The zulfin and rings were made of copper iron using the haftjush method.
The threshold of the gate is made of mulberry wood, and the top beams are made of gujum.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 03,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1837
Therefore, these gates have served for centuries without losing their quality under any
circumstances. The bodies of deceased rulers were taken out of the gate of Mazar-i-Sharif and a
funeral was held in the Faizabad chamber[10]. From there, they were taken on foot to the tomb
of Bahauddin Naqshband and buried. The famous Shahrud stream of Bukhara flowed past the
gate. The city's residents went through this gate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and especially on Eid
days to visit Hazrat Bahauddin.
References:
1. Sukhareva O.A. The history of the cities of the Bukhara Khanate (historical and
ethnographic essays). -Tashkent: Izd-vo akademii nauk of the Uzbek SSR. 1958.
2. I. Muhsinov, M. Muhsinova. 2. The Eternal Life of Beauty. Bukhara 2011.
3. F. Bobojonova. History of Bukhara Architectural Monuments. Bukhara, 2022.
4. O. Sukhareva. Quarterly community of the late feudal city of Bukhara (in connection with
the history of the quarters). - Moscow: Nauka, GRVL. 1976.
5. Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja'far an-Narshahiy. History of Bukhara. -Tashkent: Sharq, 1993.
6. A. Jumanazar History of Bukhara education system T:2017.
7. Khayitova O.S. Bukhara khanate social-political and spiritual life of Karmana city. Diss….
history subject. . T:2004.
8. Pugachenkova G.A. Architectural monuments of Bukhara. - Tashkent.: Uzbekistan, 1965.
9. Ahmedov M.Q. History of Central Asia architecture. Tashkent.: Uzbekistan, 1995.
10.
Sh.Bobojonov. Sharif city monuments 2017.
