Bukhara

Bukhara (/bʊˈxɑːrə/ buu-KHAR-ə;[2] Uzbek and Tajik: Бухоро, romanized: Buxoro, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}pronounced [buχɒrɒ]; Persian: بخارا) is the seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents as of 1 January 2020[update].[1] It is the capital of Bukhara Region.[3] The mother tongue of the majority of people of Bukhara is the Tajik dialect of the Persian language,[4] although Uzbek is spoken as a second language by most residents. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time. Located on the Silk Road, the city has long served as a center of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion. Bukhara served as the capital of the Samanid Empire, Khanate of Bukhara, and Emirate of Bukhara. It was the birthplace of the scholar Imam Bukhari.[5] The city has been known as "Noble Bukhara" (Bukhārā-ye sharīf). Bukhara has about 140 architectural monuments. UNESCO has listed the historic center of Bukhara (which contains numerous mosques and madrasas) as a World Heritage Site.[6] The exact name of the city of Bukhara in ancient times is unknown. The whole oasis was called Bukhara in ancient times, and probably only in the tenth century was it finally transferred to the city.[7]