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.
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
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