Bukhara’s Seven Saints
Greater Bukhara was the birthplace of seven Sufi saints of the Naqshbandi order who had a profound impact on the spiritual and everyday life of the city. Many tourists and pilgrims make the journey to the seven sacred places associated with them.
Text: Feruza Latipova
The pilgrimage to the shrines of the seven Bukharan saints is best done over the course of a day or two. For pilgrims, it is important to visit them in the correct chronological order.
Abdul Khaliq Gijduvoni
The small town of Gijduvan was the birthplace of the 12th-century Sufi saint Abdul Khaliq Gijduvoni. His tomb is located under a wooden pergola with a blue dome.
Muhammad Arif al-Rivgari
The mausoleum of this 12th-century Naqshbandi master and student of Abdul Khaliq Gijduvoni is in Rivgar (modern-day Shofirkon), 45 km north of Bukhara.
Makhmud Anjir-Fagnavi
Anjirborg, near Vobkent, is the burial place of this 12th-century Sufi saint who started out as a carpenter and craftsman and went on to become a murshid (religious teacher).
Ali Ramitani
The mausoleum of Khajagan Sufi master Ali Ramitani is in his hometown of Ramitan. He was a healer, helped restore communities that suffered after the Mongol invasion, and even converted some Mongols to Islam.
Khoja Muhammad Babai Samosi
Muhammad Babai Samosi predicted the birth of the spiritual leader Bahauddin Naqshband. His memorial complex – mosque, mausoleum, and garden – is located in the village of Simas.
Sayyid Amir Kulal Bukhari
The 14th-century saint Sayyid Amir Kulal Bukhari was a talented potter and became a spiritual authority and teacher to Bahauddin Naqshband. His memorial complex is located in his home village, Sukhar.
Bahauddin Naqshband
The largest and most important Sufi order in the world, the Naqshbandiya, takes its name from Bahauddin Naqshband, who is considered the ‘Teacher of Sufism’. He was buried in his home village, Qasr-I Hinduvan (modern-day Qasr-i Arifan) in 1389. In the 1540s, a new tomb complex was built. Today it is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Sufi devotees.
