Uzbekistan has considerable tourist potential. Bukhara, once a trading center on the silk route, is famous worldwide for its architecture and carpet-making. To Muslims, it is second only to Mecca as a religious center. Muslims unable to undertake the "haj" (pilgrimage) to Mecca can become
"hajis" by visiting Bukhara seven times instead. The city of Samarkand was built in the 14th century by Tamburlaine, and is home to the monumental gateway of the Shir Dar Madrasa, which vies with India's Taj Mahal as one of the most beautiful buildings in the Islamic world.
