The exhibition, held at Bonum Factum gallery (Tashkent. Uzbekistan) until February 18, is a collaborative project by renowned documentary photographers Umida Akhmedova and Zilola Saidova. Over 40 images, created between 2013 and 2025, invite viewers into the intimate world of Bukhara’s old houses. Every element, from delicate wall patterns to modest household items, becomes a thread connecting past and present.
The project began with an unexpected discovery. Zilola Saidova recalls how her Iranian friend, who had studied Bukhara for years, helped her see familiar streets from a new perspective. During their walks, they discovered inscriptions in Persian, Arabic, and even Hebrew, like poetic lines frozen on the walls. These findings inspired the photographers to create a dialogue between the past and the current inhabitants of these historic homes
Photo: Zilola Saidova
For Umida and Zilola, a house is not merely an architectural structure but a living organism preserving the memory of generations. In her work, Umida Akhmedova explores traditions and everyday life, often addressing socially significant topics, while Zilola Saidova focuses on ethnographic subjects, aiming to preserve the image of the vanishing Old City. Together, they reveal how architecture and human life intertwine within a shared space.
The authors are particularly concerned about the fate of historic houses. “Most of them are in poor condition,” Zilola Saidova notes. “Restoration requires resources, and strict regulations do not always take people’s real lives into account.” And these buildings are the ones that preserve personal, not abstract, memory, embedded in interiors, objects, and rituals.
Photo: Zilola Saidova
The exhibition offers not only a visual but also an audio experience: video stories of Bukhara residents complement the displays, highlighting the connection between people and their homes. The artists aim for visitors to feel that the loss of historic architecture means losing living memory, traditions, and the unique atmosphere of a place.
“In the pursuit of the new, we often forget the past,” notes Umida Akhmedova. “Today, old mahallas are demolished, replaced by high-rises, and surviving houses are often remodeled. In the process, we lose what makes these places alive.”
Where: Bonum Factum Gallery, Tashkent
When: Until February 18, daily from 12:00 to 20:00 (closed Mondays and Fridays)
Admission: 15,000 UZS
