Situated in Uzbekistan on the ancient Silk Road trade route linking the East and the West, the ancient city of Bukhara is Central Asia's holiest city. Bukhara is known as a 'city museum' with about 140 architectural monuments, including numerous medresses, minarets, fortresses, mosques, teahouses and spice markets. The city centre has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the best places to catch a glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan. Visitors can look forward to exploring a number of popular attractions such as the spectacular Ark of Bukhara, the city's oldest structure, the 47-metre-tall architectural wonder, Kalon Minaret, the exquisite Chor Minor, a gatehouse of four beautiful towers showing Indian influence, and the Abdulaziz Khan Madrassah, home to the finest collections of Bukharian wood carving art.