# Lyabi-Hauz, Bukhara > Lyabi-Hauz is the square around a pool dug in 1620 in Bukhara’s old town, framed by the Kukeldash Madrasa and the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa and khanqah. It is **free** and open around the clock. Give it 45 minutes for the water, the Nasreddin statue and the madrasa courtyards — then come back after dark for tea by the pool. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz - City: [Bukhara](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Opening hours: Open 24/7, every day — it is a public square; madrasa craft shops keep daytime hours - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — an open public square - Open: 24/7, every day - Time needed: 45 minutes; add an hour in the evening for dinner or tea - Folklore show: Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa, in season at 17:30 (no dinner) and 19:30 (with dinner); book ahead - Payment: Cash in som is safest; foreign Visa or Mastercard works in bigger restaurants and hotels - Getting there: 10-minute walk from the Kalyan Minaret through the trading domes - Where: Centre of the old town, Bakhouddin Naqshband Street - Coordinates: 39.77308, 64.42024 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1620** — the pool was built for the vizier Nadir Divan-Begi (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour (from an Arabic inscription)) - **3 sides** — of the square are framed by the Kukeldash Madrasa and the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa and khanqah (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Uzbekistan.travel) - **≈ 5 m** — deep; 42–46 by 36 m depending on the source (source: Russian Wikipedia (42 × 36 m); English Wikipedia and Marcopolo.uz (46 × 36 m)) - **1568–1569** — the Kukeldash Madrasa went up — the oldest building on the square (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour) - **160 cells** — in the Kukeldash, one of Bukhara’s largest madrasas (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Uzbekistan.travel) - **1622–1623** — the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa was built — first as a caravanserai (source: Russian Wikipedia; OrexCA) - **Simurghs and a sun** — with a human face decorate the Nadir Divan-Begi portal (source: English Wikipedia; OrexCA) - **80+ pools** — existed in 17th-century Bukhara; almost all were filled in under Soviet rule (source: Marcopolo.uz; English Wikipedia) - **1950s** — the pool was refilled after a fire at a nearby grocery store (source: Russian Wikipedia; OrexCA) - **Nasreddin** — a bronze statue of him on his donkey, from the late 20th century (source: Uzbekistan.travel; OrexCA) - **2022** — Nasreddin storytelling was inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list (source: UNESCO; OrexCA) - **UNESCO** — part of the Historic Centre of Bukhara World Heritage Site (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) ## Is Lyabi-Hauz worth visiting? Yes — it is free, it is on the way to almost everything, and it is the one place in Bukhara where local life and travellers mix. You don’t come here for a single monument but for the whole scene: water, shade, three historic façades and a teapot on the table. Be realistic about the evening, though. After dark the cafés turn up the music, the fountains and floodlights come on, and the square gets busy. That’s the point for many people; if you want calm, come in the morning or walk five minutes to [Chor Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/chor-minor). ## What to see at Lyabi-Hauz - **The Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa portal** — two simurgh birds carrying white deer, flying towards a sun with a human face. Figurative images like this are rare in Islamic architecture. - **The Nasreddin statue** — the folk hero on his donkey, by the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa. Everyone takes a photo; kids get lifted onto the donkey. - **The Kukeldash Madrasa** — the biggest building on the square, with 160 cells around a courtyard and a tiled façade. Craft stalls fill some of the cells. - **The Nadir Divan-Begi Khanqah** — a Sufi lodge whose portal faces the water; shoot it from the opposite bank. - **The stone steps** down to the pool and the old trees along the banks — the best seats in town. - **Toqi Sarrafon**, the moneychangers’ dome, a two-minute walk west — the start of the trading-dome street to the [Kalyan Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/kalyan-minaret). > **Come twice: by day and after dark** In daylight the portals and tilework are easy to see and the square is quiet. In the evening the water is lit up and the cafés fill. The light on the khanqah portal is best in the late afternoon, from the east bank by the Nasreddin statue. ## The Lyabi-Hauz evening folklore show The Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa hosts a **folklore show** in the tourist season: dances from different regions of Uzbekistan, traditional music and a fashion parade by local designers, about an hour in all. These details are unofficial — we found them on tour operator pages, not on a venue website. According to Advantour and Eurasia.travel, it runs daily in April–June and August–October, at 17:30 without dinner and at 19:30 with dinner; dinner has to be ordered in advance. Prices quoted online vary widely, so ask your guesthouse to book and confirm the price. Bring **cash in som** for the show and the cafés around the pool. Visa and Mastercard issued abroad often work in hotels and larger restaurants, but small tea houses and stalls are cash-only. Bank ATMs and exchange offices in the old town dispense som and change US dollars and euros. ## A short history of Lyabi-Hauz The name means “by the pool”. The oldest building here is the **Kukeldash Madrasa** of 1568–1569. Around 1620 the vizier **Nadir Divan-Begi**, uncle of Imam Quli Khan, built a Sufi khanqah and dug the pool in front of it; in 1622–1623 he added a caravanserai opposite, which the khan ordered turned into a madrasa. Seventeenth-century Bukhara had more than eighty such pools. They supplied drinking water but also spread disease, and in the 1920s and 1930s nearly all were filled in. Lyabi-Hauz itself stood dry for years and was refilled in the 1950s after a fire at a grocery store next door that no one could put out. A local legend says the channel the vizier dug to feed the new pool ran past a Jewish widow’s house and slowly undermined its walls. There’s no solid record of it — treat it as Bukhara folklore, like the Nasreddin tales. ## How to get to Lyabi-Hauz 1. From Po-i-Kalyan square by the Kalyan Minaret, walk east along the pedestrian street. 2. Pass under the Toqi Zargaron dome, by the Tim Abdullah Khan and through Toqi Telpak Furushon — the old [trading domes](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bukhara-trading-domes). 3. After Toqi Sarrafon you reach the pool — about 10 minutes on foot in all. 4. From Bukhara airport (BHK), take a taxi with the Yandex Go app — about 15 minutes. From the railway station in Kagan, 12 km away, allow about 25 minutes. Ask for “Lyabi-Hauz”. 5. Cars barely enter the old town, so walking is the easiest way around the centre. ## Is it free, and how long do you need? Lyabi-Hauz is a public square, so there is no ticket and no closing time. You only pay for what you order — tea, dinner, souvenirs or the folklore show. Some madrasas and small museums in Bukhara charge their own small fee; the craft stalls in the courtyards here are simply shops. Forty-five minutes covers a lap of the pool, the statue and a look into the madrasa courtyards. Most travellers pass through several times anyway, because the square sits between the guesthouses of the old town and the main sights. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Som in cash for tea and souvenirs - [ ] Folklore show booked, if I want it tonight - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered if I step into a madrasa - [ ] Sun protection — little shade at noon - [ ] Phone charged for night photos - [ ] Next stop planned: the trading domes and the Kalyan Minaret ## Lyabi-Hauz vs Po-i-Kalyan vs Bolo-Hauz | | Lyabi-Hauz | Po-i-Kalyan | Bolo-Hauz | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Pool and three 16th–17th-century buildings | Minaret, mosque and Mir-i-Arab Madrasa | Mosque with a carved wooden porch and a pool | | Entry | Free | Square free | Working mosque | | Best time | Evening | Daytime and sunset | Morning, with the Ark | | Feel | Tea houses, people, music | Bukhara’s postcard view | Quiet | | Time needed | 45 min + evening | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 20 min | Three different sides of Bukhara: Lyabi-Hauz to relax and eat, Po-i-Kalyan for the grand view, [Bolo-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bolo-hauz-mosque) for a quiet pool by the [Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/ark-of-bukhara). All three fit into one day on foot. ## Bukhara by the water, compared Bukhara’s waterside places rated by YesGo. - [Lyabi-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Bolo-Hauz Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bolo-hauz-mosque) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 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 ## Old Bukhara on foot in half a day From the pool through the domes to the Kalyan Minaret and Mir-i-Arab, then up to the Ark. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Lyabi-Hauz](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/lyabi-hauz) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 2. [Trading Domes](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/bukhara-trading-domes) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Kalyan Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/bukhara/kalyan-minaret) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Square free, mosque ≈ 15,000 UZS 4. [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 5. [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 ## Good to know “Lyabi-Hauz” is also the name of a hotel and several restaurants by the pool — in a map app, pick the ensemble itself. Spellings vary: Lab-i Hauz, Lyab-i Hauz, Labi Hovuz are all the same place. Don’t mix it up with the Bolo-Hauz pool opposite the Ark, a 20-minute walk away. ## Tips - Start the day at the pool, walk through the domes to the Kalyan Minaret, and come back here for dinner. - The best angle on the khanqah is from the east bank by the Nasreddin statue, late in the afternoon. - Staying near Lyabi-Hauz works well on a first visit: the main old-town sights are 10–20 minutes’ walk away. - Haggling is normal at the madrasa stalls — convert dollar prices into som before you agree. - Too loud in the evening? Chor Minor is a short walk away and much quieter. ## Questions ### What is Lyabi-Hauz? The square around a pool dug in 1620 in the centre of Bukhara’s old town, framed on three sides by the Kukeldash Madrasa and the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa and khanqah. The name means “by the pool”. ### Is Lyabi-Hauz free? Yes. It is an open public square with no ticket and no closing time. You only pay for food, drinks, souvenirs or the evening folklore show. ### Is Lyabi-Hauz worth visiting? Yes — it is free, central and the liveliest spot in Bukhara. Come by day for the architecture and after dark for the lights and tea by the water; it gets loud in the evening. ### What time is the folklore show at Lyabi-Hauz? Unofficially, daily in April–June and August–October at 17:30 without dinner and 19:30 with dinner, in the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa. Book ahead and confirm the price. ### Where is the Nasreddin statue in Bukhara? On the Lyabi-Hauz square, by the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa on the east side of the pool — a bronze Nasreddin riding his donkey. ### How long do you need at Lyabi-Hauz? About 45 minutes for the pool, the statue and the madrasa courtyards. Add an hour in the evening for dinner or the show. ### How do I get to Lyabi-Hauz? Walk 10 minutes east from the Kalyan Minaret through the trading domes. From Bukhara airport it is about 15 minutes by Yandex Go taxi, from Kagan railway station about 25. ### Can I pay by card at Lyabi-Hauz? Sometimes. Foreign Visa or Mastercard often works in bigger restaurants and hotels, but tea houses and stalls want cash in som. ### Is it good to stay near Lyabi-Hauz? Yes for a first visit: dozens of guesthouses are a few minutes away and the main sights are within a 20-minute walk. Pick a room off the square if you sleep lightly. ## How we checked Lyabi-Hauz has no official website: it is an open public square with free access. The folklore show schedule is unofficial — Advantour and Eurasia.travel give the same times, so it is marked as being checked; prices quoted online range from 25 to 40 US dollars in tour packages, so we don’t show one. Pool size differs: Russian Wikipedia gives 42 × 36 m, English Wikipedia and Marcopolo.uz 46 × 36 m; we show the range. The Kukeldash dates are 1568–1569 in both Wikipedias and Advantour (OrexCA has 1568–1579). The age of the trees is not reliably documented, so we don’t give one. We found no reliable source for the year or sculptor of the Nasreddin statue and leave them out. The widow story comes from English Wikipedia and is presented as legend. Payment advice follows Travelto (2026) and applies to the whole country. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Lyab-i Hauz; Russian Wikipedia: Ляби-хауз; Wikidata Q4272468 - Uzbekistan.travel (National PR Centre for Tourism of Uzbekistan): Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble; Monument of Khoja Nasreddin Effendi - OrexCA: Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble, Bukhara - Marcopolo.uz: Lyabi-Hauz - Advantour: Lyabi-Hauz Complex; Folklore show at Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah - Eurasia.travel: Folklore Shows, Bukhara - Travelto: paying in Uzbekistan in 2026 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.