Chor Minor is recognisable by its four towers with blue tops. Dating to 1807, it formed part of a madrasah; describing it simply as a mosque with four functioning minarets would be misleading.
Compare the details
Start with the silhouette, then look at the decoration of each tower. View it from different permitted sides without entering private courtyards. Its modest scale offers a different experience after the monumental Poi Kalyan ensemble.
Enjoy the approach respectfully
Save the map pin and use public streets. In residential lanes, avoid photographing people in windows or courtyards without permission. If a photograph requires standing in the road, watch traffic and leave residents room to pass.
Ask about access
Exterior viewing, interior entry and any upper-level access are separate matters. Do not assume a climb is available because you have seen somebody else’s photograph. Ask whether it is open and what it costs. Allow around 30–45 minutes including the approach, longer if you want to explore the neighbouring streets slowly.
Cover image: The four blue-domed towers of Chor Minor in Bukhara. Photo: Aleksandr Zykov from Russia, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized; the thumbnail may be cropped.
Sources and checks before travelling
Prepared on 26 October 2026. Suggested visit lengths are planning recommendations. Confirm current access, opening hours and tariffs with the operator for your visit date; dated price lists are identified in the text.
Read next
- All guides: Bukhara
- Ulugh Beg and Abdulaziz Khan madrasahs: a useful comparison
- Bukhara’s trading domes: architecture between the shops
- Your first trip to Bukhara: planning an independent visit
This is a guide for independent travel. Sait Ablaev does not offer tours in this city.