Uzbekistan has inaugurated a rebuilt and greatly enlarged memorial complex at the shrine of Imam al-Bukhari near Samarkand, increasing its capacity more than five-fold ahead of Eid al-Fitr.
The site was opened by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ahead of Eid al-Fitr, marking the completion of a large-scale reconstruction project. The complex is now designed to receive up to 65,000 visitors each day, compared with approximately 12,000 under the previous layout.
Located 25 kilometres from the centre of Samarkand, the complex covers 45 hectares and includes a central mosque, the mausoleum of Imam al-Bukhari, administrative buildings and an aiwan supported by 154 columns. Four minarets rise to 75 metres and the site features 14 domes.
A newly established museum built with digital technologies offers an immersive experience tracing the life and legacy of Imam al-Bukhari, widely revered as the Sultan of Muhadditheen. Exhibits also cover the history of prophets mentioned in the Qur’an, the genealogy of Prophet Muhammad and the compilation of hadith literature.
To accommodate growing visitor numbers, the project included the construction of one four-star hotel, two three-star hotels and 22 family guesthouses within the complex. The first Eid al-Fitr prayer at the new mosque was held on the day of the inauguration.
Imam al-Bukhari, born in 810 CE in what is now Uzbekistan, is recognised across the Islamic world for compiling Sahih al-Bukhari, regarded as the most authoritative collection of hadith after the Qur’an.
Uzbekistan has also launched the multilingual Imam Bukhari pilgrimage tourism television channel and the Tabarruk Ziyorat online platform, which provides information on nearly 260 pilgrimage sites across the country in seven languages.
In the first half of 2025, 57% of Uzbekistan’s inbound tourists came from member and observer states of the Organisation of Turkic States, with more than 1.5mn arriving from the Kyrgyz Republic and 1.1mn from Kazakhstan.
President Mirziyoyev called for expanded scholarly and community programmes at the site, saying he wanted it to become “a school of enlightenment.” — Islamonweb