# Chor Minor, Bukhara > Chor Minor (“four minarets”) is the 1807 gatehouse of a vanished madrasa: a small brick building with four towers under turquoise domes. It is **free to see from the street at any hour**; inside is a souvenir shop, and the roof is only sometimes open. Allow 20 minutes; it is about a 10-minute walk from Lyabi-Hauz. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/chor-minor - City: [Bukhara](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - Opening hours: Exterior: any time; shop inside: daytime, roughly 8:00–20:00 (unofficial) - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free from outside; the ground-floor shop is free too - Roof: Not always open: sometimes a small fee via the shop, sometimes closed - Shop inside: Daytime, roughly 8:00–20:00 - Time needed: 15–20 minutes; up to half an hour with photos - Payment: Som in cash is safest; some souvenir shops take Visa and Mastercard - Getting there: ≈ 10 min on foot from Lyabi-Hauz, ≈ 20 min from the Kalyan Minaret - Where: Mehtar Ambar Street, a residential quarter northeast of Lyabi-Hauz - Coordinates: 39.77483, 64.42737 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1807** — built under the Manghit dynasty (Russian Wikipedia gives 1805–1806) (source: English Wikipedia; OrexCA; Russian Wikipedia) - **4 towers** — each capped with a blue-tiled dome, no two decorated alike (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour) - **A gatehouse** — the madrasa of Khalif Niyazkul behind it has almost entirely vanished (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Khalif Niyazkul** — a wealthy Bukharan of Turkmen origin who paid for the madrasa (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour) - **1 staircase** — runs up one tower; the other three were storerooms (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Not minarets** — the towers are decorative — no call to prayer was ever made from them (source: English Wikipedia; Indian Vagabond) - **A library** — once filled the domed room on the upper floor (source: Russian Wikipedia; Indian Vagabond) - **1995** — one tower collapsed after an underground stream washed out its base; it was quickly rebuilt (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Cross, fish, wheel** — motifs in the domes often read as symbols of different faiths — an interpretation, not a fact (source: English Wikipedia; Advantour; OrexCA) - **A hauz** — small stone-lined pool by the building, probably of the same period (source: English Wikipedia; Advantour) - **UNESCO** — part of the Historic Centre of Bukhara World Heritage Site (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) ## Chor Minor entry fee and opening hours There is no ticket. You look at Chor Minor from the lane, **free and at any time of day or night**. The ground floor is a souvenir shop that you can walk into for free; it keeps daytime hours, roughly 8:00–20:00 (unofficial). Bring som in cash. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants in Bukhara, but small shops and stalls often take cash only, so som is the safe bet here. Bank ATMs around Lyabi-Hauz dispense som. > **Can you go up to the roof?** Sometimes. Some guides describe a small fee paid in the shop to climb up for a close look at the domes; others say the upper floor is off-limits. We mark it as unverified. Ask the shopkeeper, agree the price before you climb, and don't plan your visit around it — the classic view is from the street. ## How to get to Chor Minor 1. From Po-i-Kalyan square by the [Kalyan Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/kalyan-minaret), walk east through the [trading domes](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bukhara-trading-domes) — about 10 minutes to [Lyabi-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz). 2. Pass the pool and the Kukeldash Madrasa, then head northeast into the residential lanes towards Mehtar Ambar Street. 3. Another 10 minutes or so. There are few signs, so keep Google Maps or Maps.me open and look for the turquoise domes above the rooftops. 4. From Bukhara airport (BHK), a Yandex Go taxi takes about 15 minutes; from Kagan railway station, 12 km away, about 25. Cars can get almost to the door. 5. Walk back the same way to Lyabi-Hauz for tea by the water. ## Is Chor Minor worth visiting? Yes — as a short detour. It is one of the most photographed buildings in Bukhara and nothing else in the city looks like it, but there is little to do beyond walking round it. Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough. If you only have half a day, put the Kalyan Minaret, the trading domes and the [Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/ark-of-bukhara) first. If you are already at Lyabi-Hauz, go: the walk is short and the lanes on the way show the residential old town most visitors never see. ## What is Chor Minor? A short history Chor Minor is a **darvazakhana** — the gatehouse of a madrasa founded by **Khalif Niyazkul**, a wealthy Bukharan of Turkmen origin. The name is Persian for “four minarets”, but the towers were never used for the call to prayer: one holds a staircase, the other three were storerooms. Downstairs was the entrance hall; the domed room upstairs housed the library. The usual date is 1807; Russian Wikipedia puts it at 1805–1806, and archive documents cited by Advantour suggest a Niyazkul madrasa already stood here in the late 17th century. The madrasa was also a Sufi centre — its mosque dome had good acoustics for dhikr. In Soviet times the student cells became housing and the madrasa was pulled down for its bricks, leaving the gatehouse, a few cells and the pool. In 1995 the southeast tower fell after an underground stream undermined it. UNESCO sent emergency aid and the tower was rebuilt — look closely and one tower still looks newer than the rest. ## What to see - **The four domes** — walk all the way round: the tilework on each tower is different. - The motifs: people spot a cross, a fish and a wheel and read them as symbols of four religions, or the four corners of the world. It is a popular interpretation, not a documented intention. - **The stork's nest** on top of one tower — storks are a lucky sign in Bukhara. - The small stone-lined hauz in front — the last trace of the madrasa courtyard. - The dome over the entrance hall, seen from inside the shop. - The lanes themselves: mud-brick walls and carved wooden doors — everyday Bukhara, not a showcase. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] “Chor Minor” saved in my map app — the lanes are confusing - [ ] Som in cash, in case the roof is open or I want a souvenir - [ ] Going early morning or late afternoon for softer light - [ ] Allowed 20 minutes plus a 10-minute walk from Lyabi-Hauz - [ ] Will agree the roof price before climbing ## Chor Minor vs Lyabi-Hauz vs the Kalyan Minaret | | Chor Minor | Lyabi-Hauz | Kalyan Minaret | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | 1807 madrasa gatehouse | Square around a pool with madrasas | The city's great 12th-century minaret | | Entry | Free from outside | Free | Square free | | Time needed | 15–20 min | 45 min, plus an evening | 30 min | | Crowds | Quiet, except tour groups | Busy, especially at night | Busy | | Where | Residential lanes, 10 min from Lyabi-Hauz | Heart of the old town | Po-i-Kalyan square | One day in Bukhara? Kalyan and Lyabi-Hauz come first. Chor Minor is the short add-on for one of the city's signature photos. ## Bukhara's historic sights compared Every historic place in Bukhara rated by YesGo. - [Lyabi-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Mir-i-Arab Madrasa](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/mir-i-arab-madrasa) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free; usually no entry past the foyer - [Chor Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/chor-minor) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free from outside - [Bolo-Hauz Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bolo-hauz-mosque) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Trading Domes](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bukhara-trading-domes) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Ark of Bukhara](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/ark-of-bukhara) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 60,000 UZS for foreigners - [Kalyan Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/kalyan-minaret) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Square free, mosque ≈ 15,000 UZS - [Samanid Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/samanid-mausoleum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 20,000 UZS, under 7s free - [Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/sitorai-mokhi-khosa) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 60,000 UZS for foreign visitors - [Chor-Bakr Necropolis](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/chor-bakr) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 10,000–15,000 UZS ## A morning in the old town, ending at Chor Minor From the minaret through the trading domes to the pool, then into the quiet lanes for the four domes. 1. [Kalyan Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/kalyan-minaret) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Square free, mosque ≈ 15,000 UZS 2. [Trading Domes](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bukhara-trading-domes) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Lyabi-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 4. [Chor Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/chor-minor) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free from outside > **Come at sunrise** The sun comes up behind the towers, the lanes are empty and tour groups arrive later. Stand by the pool to fit all four domes into one frame. ## Good to know Don't confuse Chor Minor with the Charminar in Hyderabad, India — a much larger and entirely different monument. Several Bukhara hotels and guesthouses also use the name “Chor Minor”; make sure your taxi is heading for the monument. ## Tips - Pair it with Lyabi-Hauz: tea by the pool is a 10-minute walk away. - The best angle is from the pool side, with all four towers in frame. - If the roof is closed, you are not missing much — the street view is the point. - Haggling is normal in the shop; convert dollar prices to som before you agree. - Mornings are quietest; tour groups usually pass through from mid-morning. ## Questions ### Is Chor Minor free? Yes. Looking at it from outside and stepping into the ground-floor souvenir shop are both free. Going up, on the days it is allowed, is usually a small fee paid in the shop. ### Can you go inside Chor Minor or up to the roof? You can enter the shop on the ground floor. Roof access varies: some visitors are let up for a small fee, others are told the upper floor is closed. Ask on the spot. ### What are Chor Minor's opening hours? The exterior can be seen at any time. The shop inside keeps daytime hours, roughly 8:00–20:00 — unofficial information. ### How do I get to Chor Minor from Lyabi-Hauz? Walk northeast through the residential lanes to Mehtar Ambar Street — about 10 minutes. Use a map app; signs are scarce. ### How long do you need at Chor Minor? 15–20 minutes to walk round it and take photos, up to half an hour if you visit the shop and the roof. ### Is Chor Minor worth it? Yes, as a short detour from Lyabi-Hauz — the building is unique. It is not worth a special trip if you only have a few hours in Bukhara. ### What do the four towers of Chor Minor mean? No one knows for sure. A popular reading links the different motifs to four religions or the four corners of the world, but the builder's intentions are undocumented. ### Is Chor Minor a mosque? No. It is the gatehouse of a madrasa that was demolished in Soviet times. The towers look like minarets but are decorative. ### When was Chor Minor built? Usually dated 1807; Russian Wikipedia gives 1805–1806. Archive records suggest a madrasa of Khalif Niyazkul stood here as early as the late 17th century. ## How we checked Chor Minor has no official website or price list: it is a building in a residential quarter, free to view from outside. Sources disagree on going up: Airial Travel and Indian Vagabond (2025) say the upper floor is off-limits, other guides describe a small fee paid in the shop — we give no amount and mark the row as unverified. Shop hours of 8:00–20:00 are unofficial, from Wanderlog and Airial Travel. The date differs: 1807 in English Wikipedia, OrexCA and Advantour, 1805–1806 in Russian Wikipedia, and Advantour and Eurasia.travel mention archive records of the madrasa from the late 17th century — we show all three. The 1995 tower collapse is from English and Russian Wikipedia. The four-religions reading of the domes is presented as an interpretation. We estimate the walk from Lyabi-Hauz at 10 minutes from the distance; Airial Travel says 20–30, so the row is marked unverified. Payment advice is from Kursiv's 2025 guide. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Chor Minor - Russian Wikipedia: Chor-Minor; Wikidata Q4517198 - OrexCA: Chor-Minor, Bukhara - Advantour and Eurasia.travel: Chor-Minor, Bukhara - Indian Vagabond: Chor Minor, Bukhara, April 2025 - Airial Travel: Chor Minor Bukhara Uzbekistan - Wanderlog: Chor Minor Madrasah place page - Kursiv: How to pay when traveling to Uzbekistan, 2025 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.