# Sufi orders in Central Asia

> Central Asia is the birthplace of several major Sufi orders — most importantly the Naqshbandiyya, founded by Bahauddin Naqshband near Bukhara in the 14th century.

**Sufism** — Islamic mysticism emphasising direct personal experience of God through meditation, chanting (dhikr), and spiritual discipline — has been central to Central Asian Islam since the 9th century.

Major Sufi orders with Central Asian origins:

- **Naqshbandiyya** — founded by **Bahauddin Naqshband** (1318–1389), born and buried near Bukhara. Emphasis on silent meditation (as opposed to vocal dhikr). Became the most politically influential Sufi order in Central Asia, Ottoman Turkey, and Mughal India.
- **Kubraviyya** — founded by **Najm al-Din Kubra** in Khiva (12th c.). Known for vivid colour-based meditation visualisations.
- **Yasaviyya** — founded by **Ahmad Yasavi** in Turkestan (12th c., modern Kazakhstan). Turkish-language order, hugely popular among Turkic nomads.

Sufi shrines in Uzbekistan (still active pilgrimage sites):
- **Bahauddin Naqshband complex**, 12 km outside Bukhara.
- **Khoja Ahrar tomb**, Samarkand.
- **Sultan Saodat**, Termez (Sayyid-Sufi cemetery).
- **Al-Hakim al-Termezi shrine**, Termez (9th-century mystic).

Soviet era: all Sufi orders were formally banned. Lodges (khanaka) closed. But underground practice continued, and shrine visitation persisted in rural areas.

Post-independence: shrines restored. State promotes 'heritage Sufism' (architecture, manuscripts) while maintaining political distance from active mystical practice.

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Keywords: Sufi, Naqshband, mysticism, Bukhara, Kubra, shrine
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: history
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-history-sufi-orders-central-asia