Bolo Hovuz minaret

This slim minaret stands in front of the Bolo Hauz mosque, across from the Ark citadel in Bukhara's Registan district. It was added in 1917 by the renowned local master builder Shirin Muradov, nearly two centuries after the mosque itself was constructed in 1712 beside the octagonal pool, or hauz, that gives the complex its name. The minaret became known locally for a visible lean that increased gradually over time, drawing informal comparisons to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, until restoration work later reinforced and straightened the structure. Built in an elegant, understated style that echoes the decorative language of Bukhara's older towers, it complements the mosque's richly carved wooden iwan with its twenty columns and ranks among the notable architectural details of this UNESCO-listed ensemble, which remains an active place of worship today.