Sufi tour - pilgrimage tour in Uzbekistan

Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast, sightseeing tour of Tashkent:

• Our pilgrimage tour will begin with a visit to the cult-memorial complex Zangi-Ata in the suburbs of Tashkent. The ensemble was formed at the burials of the Sufi sheikh Zangi-ata and his wife Ambar-bibi, who lived in Tashkent in the 13th century. Zangi-ata is known as an Islamic saint (awliya), an elder (feast), a theologian, a spread of Islam in Central Asia, one of the followers and disciples of Sheikh Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The mausoleum over his grave was built in the 13th century, and its extensions and other architectural elements were built in the 17th and 20th centuries. Sheikh's wife - Ambar-bibi - is the patron saint of motherhood. You will see many young women sweeping the floor around the mausoleum; they came to ask for a child.
• Upon returning to Tashkent, we will visit the Sheikhantaur ensemble, which was formed around the Sheikh Havendi Takhur mausoleum (XV-XIX centuries). Sheikh Hovendi at-Takhur (Sheikhantaur) was born in the 13th century and was a Seid, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. His father, Sheikh Omar, arrived in Tashkent for the sole purpose of spreading Islam. Young Sheikhantaur took initiation among the dervishes of the city of Yassy, ​​where the cult of the Sufi Sheikh and the founder of the order of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was already widespread at that time. Sheikhantaur remained in the memory of Tashkent people as "the wisest of the wisest".
• Kukeldash Madrasah is one of the largest and surviving madrasahs in Central Asia, which is located in the most ancient part of Tashkent near Chorsu Square. The oldest Chorsu market is also located here, walking along which you will feel the whole flavor of the oriental bazaar.

Lunch at the restaurant. Afternoon visit:

• The Khast Imam complex is a religious center in the old city of Tashkent, formed on the grave of the famous scholar, expert on the Koran and hadith, poet and craftsman Khazret Imam. Here is the mausoleum of the outstanding Shafi'i lawyer, hadith scholar and commentator of the Koran, the revered cleric Muhammad Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi. The main value of the complex is the library housed in the Tillyashih mosque, where you can see rare collections of the Korans, collections of hadiths, and the famous Koran of Osman of the 7th century. The ensemble also includes other buildings - the Barak Khan Madrasah of the 16th century, a majestic operating mosque, and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan and the Islamic University are also located here.
• Sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Amir Timur square, the building of the opera house named after Alisher Navoi, squares and avenues of the city.
• In the evening we will visit the Minor Mosque or the White Mosque, built in 2014. The mosque is located on the banks of the Ankhor canal. The building of the mosque was built in the traditional oriental and Uzbek style, it has two minarets and a sky-colored dome. The interior of the mosque is decorated in the naksh style and the mihrab is decorated not only with sayings from the Koran, but also with hadiths. The mosque is designed for over 2,400 people. After opening, the "Minor" mosque became one of the largest spiritual centers of Muslims in Tashkent and all of Uzbekistan.

Dinner at the restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

* Mosques for prayer (namaz) in Tashkent: Mosque in Khast Imam, Khoja Akhrar Mosque, Minor Mosque.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the station and transfer to Bukhara by high-speed train.
Arrival in Bukhara, transfer and check-in at the hotel.
Lunch at the restaurant. After lunch we will visit the sights of Bukhara:

• ARK fortress (IV BC - XIX century) - in the Middle Ages it was a whole small city surrounded by a wall. Inside the fortress there were the emir's palace, mint, mosques, government institutions, warehouses, shops, a prison and a public meeting area.
• Bolo Hauz Mosque (1712) - a famous and revered mosque near an artificial reservoir with amazing wooden columns.
• Mausoleum of Chashma Ayub ("Source of Job"). According to legend, even before the existence of the city, people who lived here were dying of drought, but when they saw the wandering Job (the prophet Job from the biblical story), they asked him for water. He struck the ground with his staff, and in the same instant a source of crystal clear water appeared. The construction of the mausoleum began in the XII century and the building was rebuilt many times. An unusual conical dome in the form of a tent appeared in the time of Timur, thanks to the captive workers from Khorezm. Today in the building of the mausoleum, in addition to the source, there is a water museum. And the water in the spring is still clear and pure.
• The Samanid Mausoleum (IX-X centuries) - the first building in Central Asia, built of baked bricks in the shape of a cube, with a covered dome and a unique geometric design of masonry - a masterpiece of world architecture.

Dinner at the restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

* Mosques for prayer (namaz) in Bukhara: Mosque in Naqshbandi, Kalon Mosque, Bolo Khauz Mosque.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Today is dedicated to visiting the graves of the Seven Pirs of Bukhara.
The mystical movement Khojagon, which originated in Bukhara, united most of the Sufi communities, won dominant positions, and its postulates became the main spiritual guidance in the life of society. Its ranks rallied a huge number of followers, most of whom were extraordinary people and left a bright mark in the history of the state. These are the famous "seven pirs of Khojagon - Naqshbandi", who were born in the Bukhara district, who lived their glorious life here and are buried in their homeland. Their graves are today places of pilgrimage for devout Muslims from all over the world.

• In the morning we drive to ancient Gijduvan (40 km from Bukhara), to the grave of Sheikh Abdul Abd Al-Khalik Gijduvani,
  the founder of the Sufi order Hajagan (Path of the Teachers). He was born in the town of Gijduvan in 1118 and was one of four disciples and followers of Yusuf Hamadani. He founded the school of Central Asian mysticism (Sufism) - Tariqat Hajagan, whose main difference was the quiet dhikr. The teaching that he developed was distinguished by the fact that it cultivated such qualities of a Muslim as kindness, respect for elders, adherence to moral principles, generosity, love of work.
• Then we drive to Shafirkan (50-60 km from the center of Bukhara). Here is the grave of the fourth disciple of Abdukhalik Gijduvani - Khoja Muhammad Arif Ar Revgari, known as Saint Khoja Arif Mohitobon (died at the age of 103 in 1259). After the death of the great teacher, he received permission to be a spiritual mentor for others and led the order.
• Next, we will visit the grave of Khoja Mahmud Anzhir Fagnavi in ​​the village of Anzhirbog (died in 1286). The famous Sufi was born near the city of Vabkent. At the beginning of his career, he was a craftsman and carpenter. Fagnavi continued the spiritual Sufi tradition after Arif ar-Rifgari, whose disciple he was for a long time. It was he who, when sending prayers, began to greet and encourage, along with the quiet dhikr - khufi, also the loud dhikr - jahriya.

Lunch at the restaurant.

• After lunch, our way lies to the Rometan region, where the mausoleum of Khoja Ali Rometani is located. He was a student of Khoja Mahmud Fagnavi. The people called the Sufi "Azizkhon" - the venerable sheikh. He has been professionally weaving throughout his life. Ali Ramitani succeeded in the impossible - he converted the Mongols to the Islamic faith. He helped to restore the scattered lands after the invasion of the Mongols, was engaged in healing. Legend has it that the Sufi was able to read people's thoughts and answer the question asked, before it was voiced aloud.
• Then we will go to the village of Simas, where the Memorial Complex of Khoja Muhammad Bobo Samosiy is located. This is the burial place of the famous Sufi, a follower of Haji Ali Ramitani. Hajja Sammasi made an invaluable contribution to the development of Sufism, predicting the birth of a great personality - Bahautdin Muhammad Naqshbandi.
• Memorial complex of Khadja Sayyid Amir Kulal Bukhari. Sayyid already during his lifetime had the nickname Kalon, which means "Great", and was famous for being professionally engaged in pottery. It is for this that he was nicknamed the word "kulal", which translates as a potter. Sayyid Amir Kulal was a spiritual authority, had more than a hundred followers, among whom was Bahautdin Muhammad Naqshbandi. He introduced Naqshbandi to the basics of Sufism, the correct reading of dhikr, and the traditions of the mystical path of Hajagan.
• The memorial complex of Khoja Bahautdin Naqshbandi - one of the most important shrines of Uzbekistan - is considered a Central Asian Mecca. Every self-respecting Muslim knows and respects this name of Bahutdin Naqshbandi. The great theologian of the XIV century, the sheikh of the Sufi order of Naqshbandiyya was Timur's spiritual mentor, performed the hajj to Mecca 32 times. He urged people to be modest, rejected luxury. However, he did not accept the asceticism and solitude that required begging. The Sufi had to earn his living exclusively through labor. Bahautdin Naqshbandi had several professions, and in each he achieved perfection. He was a weaver, potter and metal carver, for which he received the nickname Naqshband (artist). Following his example, many Sufis gave up their vagrancy and began to make a living as a craft. Due to the high holiness and piety of the famous theologian, Bukhara was named the "Dome of Islam in the East", and he himself was ranked among the saints and recognized as the patron saint of this blessed city in which his whole life passed. Believers from different Muslim countries come to the mausoleum of Saint Bahautdin to ask for the fulfillment of desires and forgiveness of sins. It is believed that prayers from the holy place reach Allah best of all. And three hiking trips from Bukhara to the necropolis "count" as one hajj.

In the evening, return to the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel or restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Free time until 11:00. You can relax or take a walk in the morning Bukhara.
Standard check-out from the hotel before 12:00.

Sightseeing of Bukhara:

• The Poikalyan complex (XII-XVI centuries) is a visiting card of Bukhara - an architectural ensemble consisting of the current cathedral mosque Kalyan, the Miri Arab madrasah and the Kalyan minaret, the highest (46 m) in the Central Asian region.
• Magoki Attari Mosque - in 937 the mosque burned down almost to the ground in a fire and in the 12th century it was restored in the likeness of a miraculously preserved southern portal.
• The Lyabi-Hauz complex - the heart of Bukhara - is one of the central squares formed in the 16th-17th centuries. The central pond "hauz" is framed by three buildings - Kukeldash madrasah, Divan-Begi madrasah and Divan-Begi khanaka.

Lunch at the restaurant. After lunch, transfer to the station and transfer to Samarkand by high-speed train (15: 50-17: 20).
Arrival in Samarkand, transfer to the hotel and check-in.
Dinner at the restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

* Mosques for prayer (namaz) in Samarkand: Rukhabad Mosque (near Gur-Amir), Mosque in the memorial complex of Ubaydullah Akhrar, and Mosque in Shahi Zinda.

Breakfast at the hotel.

• We will begin our tour of Samarkand with a visit to the mazar of a prominent representative of Sufism of the 15th-16th centuries known in different countries of the East - Khoja Ahmad Kosoni or Makhdumi Azam Dakhbeti
• Then our way lies to the memorial complex of Imam Ismail Al-Bukhari. Highly respected scholar from the Islamic world, luminary of the science of hadith (remembrance of the words and deeds of the Prophet). His famous collection of hadiths "Al-Jami as-Sahih" ("True Assembly") is considered the second after the Qur'an, the basis of Muslim doctrine. The place of his burial is one of the most sacred places for worship among Muslims.
• After that, we will return to the city and make a pilgrimage to the Shahi Zinda Complex. This is not only a unique and beautiful historical complex, consisting of more than 20 buildings of various times of construction, but also one of the most holy places of worship. The complex formed around the grave of the Prophet Muhammad's cousin - Kusam ibn Abbas. He arrived in Central Asia in the 7th century to preach Islam. According to legend, Kusam ibn Abbas was beheaded by the Zoroastrians during prayer in this very place, but did not die, his spirit is still here. And the complex was named after him "The Living Tsar". Even in the Middle Ages, a pilgrimage to the tomb of the "Living King" was equated with a hajj to Mecca.
• We will also visit the Khazret Khizr Mosque. It was built in the place where the first mosque of Samarkand appeared in the 8th century. Khazret Khizr is the patron saint of all travelers and pilgrims.

Lunch at the restaurant. After lunch we head to

• The Mausoleum of Khoja Doniyar is a place of numerous pilgrimages for Muslims, Jews and Christians, and is covered with numerous legends and legends. Khoja Doniyar, or Saint Daniel, was a prophet, and at the behest of Amir Timur, his relics were brought to Samarkand and a mazar was built.
• The Abdi-Darun complex, erected at the grave of the revered saint. Khoja Abdi Darun was one of the first missionaries of Islam in Samarkand. His mausoleum appeared here in the 9th century. The complex also includes a functioning mosque.
• Mazar of the holy miracle worker - Khoja Ubaydulla or, popularly known by the name, Khoja Akhrar Vali (1404-1489). The saint's grave is located on the territory of the Khoja-Akhrar cult-memorial ensemble, founded in the 15th century. Khoja Akhrar was a great learned Sufi and theologian of his time in Maverannahr and Khorasan. As Sheikh of Tariqat Naqshbandiya in the 15th century, he comprehensively developed its theoretical and practical aspects. The Sheikh was the spiritual mentor of the Timurids. This outstanding man was not only a thinker, miracle worker and patron of the poor, but also a sophisticated politician.

Dinner at the restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
All day sightseeing of Samarkand with a visit to:

• Rukhabad Mausoleum - Sheikh Burkhan ad-din Sagardzhi is buried here. He was one of the largest persons of the Suhrawardiya brotherhood in the middle of the 14th century. In 1345-46. the famous Arab traveler Ibn Batuta met him in China, in Beijing, in the palace of the Mongol Khan - the ruler of China. Here the sheikh was recognized as the "head of the Muslims" (sadr-i jihan), and here he died. Sagardzhi bequeathed to his son to transport his ashes to Samarkand and bury there. In the 80s of the XIV century, considering the holiness of Sheikh Burkhan ad-din Sagardzhi universally recognized, Amir Timur erects a mausoleum over his grave, known as the mausoleum of Rukhabad - "Abode of the Spirit". According to legend, Burhaneddin Sagardji possessed a great relic - a box in which the hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad was kept. They say that during the construction it was walled up in the dome of the mausoleum. Thanks to this, the tomb acquired the status of one of the most revered shrines of Samarkand.
• Directly opposite Rukhabad is the Gur Emir Mausoleum (15th century) - the burial place of the Timurid dynasty and Amir Timur himself. According to Timur's will ("to bury him at the feet of his feast"), the grave of his spiritual mentor Mir Sayyid Barak is also located here. The mausoleum itself is a unique architectural monument with an unforgettable blue and blue dome.
• Registan Square (XV-XVII centuries) - the heart of Samarkand. A unique ensemble, consisting of three madrasahs, which were and are the center of the old city and the passage of forums and festivals.

Lunch at the restaurant. Afternoon visit:

• Ulugbek Observatory (15th century) - the first observatory in the east with a 30-meter sextant built by Ulugbek. All that remains of the goth of the ancient observatory is the curved trench of the sextant part.
• Siab Bazaar is a modern traditional "oriental" market in Samarkand that surprises tourists with its colorfulness and variety of products and goods offered.
• Bibi-Khanum Mosque (XIV-XV centuries) - a project conceived by Timur as the largest mosque of that time.

Dinner at the restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport for a morning flight out