Po-i-Kalyan (Bukhara)

The minaret even Genghis Khan spared

The Kalyan Minaret was built 900 years ago and is 47 metres tall — the tallest building in Central Asia at the time! Its bricks were laid so well that even earthquakes couldn't topple it. When Genghis Khan destroyed Bukhara, he was so amazed by the minaret that he ordered it spared. At night a fire was lit on top to guide caravans.

Po-i-Kalyan ('foot of the Great') is Bukhara's central ensemble: the Kalyan Minaret (1127, Karakhanids), the Kalyan Mosque (1514, holding 12,000) and the Mir-i-Arab Madrasa (1536). The minaret is 46.5 m tall on a 10 m foundation, built of fired brick and a special mortar (legend says with egg white), with 14 bands of different patterns — a masterpiece of Central Asian brick architecture. In 1220 Genghis Khan burned the city but the minaret survived. It's also known as the 'Tower of Death' — criminals were thrown from it. Bukhara's historic centre is a UNESCO site (1993); Ibn Sina (Avicenna) was born nearby.

Fun facts

• The minaret hasn't fallen in a single earthquake in 900 years.
• Legend says egg white and camel milk were added to the mortar.
• The minaret has 14 ornamental bands — none repeat.