Ark of Bukhara

The Ark is the great fortress at the north-west edge of Bukhara's old city, a walled citadel raised on an artificial mound where the city's rulers lived and governed for roughly a thousand years. Its massive sloping walls, entered through a ramped gateway flanked by towers, rise above the open square called the Registan of Bukhara. Inside, the Ark was once a small city of its own, with the palace, the throne room, the mint, workshops and a prison. In 1920 the Red Army bombarded and captured it during the fall of the emirate, and much of the interior was destroyed. Today a large part is ruins, as one travel source puts it, perhaps eighty percent, but what remains houses museums of local history, archaeology and natural history, and the seventeenth-century Juma mosque, a quiet courtyard of carved wooden columns. Visitors can walk the ramp, wander the courtyards and climb to viewpoints looking over the old town. It is less glamorous than the tiled madrasas, but it explains the city's political history, and the sense of scale is impressive. A guide helps make sense of the ruined areas, and a full-day Bukhara old-city tour usually includes the Ark among the main stops.

The history is the reason to go. The fortress is traditionally linked with the legendary founding of Bukhara in antiquity and rebuilt many times through the Samanid, Mongol, Shaybanid and Manghit eras. The last emirs ruled from here until 1920, and the Ark was the scene of great ceremony, with the coronation of rulers taking place on its grounds. The museum rooms hold coins, weapons, costumes, manuscripts and photographs from the late emirate period, including early colour photographs of the city. Guides often point out the old treasury and describe the rituals of the royal court.

Working the visit: arrive when it opens, because the sloped ramp, the courtyards and the exhibition rooms take an hour or more. Look at the entrance towers and the stone ramp from the square first, then walk up and through the gate. Photography rules in individual museums can vary, so check at each door. Take water, as the mound is exposed and there is little shade. The views from the upper walls over the old city's domes and the surrounding rooftops are among the best in Bukhara.

When to go and what to avoid: spring and autumn are best, and in summer mornings are essential. Opening hours and ticket arrangements can shift, so confirm the current schedule locally. Do not expect the glittering tilework of the Kalon complex; the Ark has a plainer, defensive mood, and its charm lies in its size and history. A good way to see it is within a full-day private or small-group old-city tour that links the Ark with the Kalon complex, the trading domes and Lyab-i Hauz, so that you have a driver or guide between stops and enough time to absorb the story of the emirate.