# Bukhara's trading domes: covered bazaars from the 16th century

> Three surviving covered market crossings — Toki Zargaron (jewellers), Toki Sarrafon (money-changers), Toki Telpak Furushon (hat-makers) — built by the Shaybanids around 1570.

Medieval Bukhara had dozens of **tim** and **tok** (covered market buildings). Three tok survive intact, at intersections that were originally chosen for their commercial function:

- **Toki Zargaron** — Dome of the Jewellers. Still functional; goldsmiths and gemstone dealers under the domes.
- **Toki Sarrafon** — Dome of the Money Changers. Historically the currency exchange of the Silk Road, where 30+ regional currencies were bought and sold. Today mainly souvenir stalls.
- **Toki Telpak Furushon** — Dome of the Cap-Makers. Traditional Bukharan and Tajik headwear is still sold here.

A fourth dome, **Tim Abdulla Khan** (1577), is a covered silk market a short walk south of Toki Sarrafon. It has the finest architectural detailing of the four buildings.

Design brilliance: the intersecting-vault structure keeps interiors 8–10°C cooler than the summer street outside, without any mechanical ventilation. Air circulates by convection through the corner openings, which double as light wells.

Best shopping under the domes: **suzani** embroidered textiles, miniature paintings on paper or camel bone, hand-forged copper tea sets, karakul lambskin caps.

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Keywords: Bukhara, trading domes, bazaar, Silk Road, Shaybanid, Tok
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: destinations
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-bukhara-trading-domes