The bronze monument to Nasreddin Khoja is located in the central city square of Bukhara, beside the "Lyabi-Hauz" complex. It was installed in 1979. Apparently, it gives an air of joy and humour to the ancient atmosphere of traditional buildings.
Nasreddin Khoja is a national hero of the national folklore of Central Asia and Middle Eastern countries. Initially, this is the image of a wise man and a simpleton at the same time. In all the parables and anecdotes, the cunning old man with his faithful donkey companion wandering around the cities, getting into various troubles and finds a way out of the most delicate situations with the greatest benefit.
Wit, wisdom, eloquence, mastery of the word - are the main features of Nasreddin Khoja. He tactfully ridicules greedy rulers, hypocrites, cowards, bribe takers and other human vices in his stories. Finding a non-standard way out of any situation and skillfully wrapped fools around the finger, he tells about his adventures everywhere in a humorous way, gaining wide fame over time. Thus, the literary hero Nasreddin Khoja becomes a popular favorite of the entire multinational people of Central Asia, as evidenced by modern monuments built in Bukhara, Yenishehir (Turkey) and Moscow.
Favorite Fairy-Tale Character
There are always a lot of people around the monument, especially children. And quite convincingly. There is a belief that if you put a small child on a donkey, his whole life will be filled with joy and fun, that is why the children continually climb around the donkey. If you look at Nasreddin Khoja’s cunning smile, you will be instantly charged with fun and a good mood will be guaranteed for the whole day. So many tourists want to be photographed with this monument and capture the unforgettable happy emotions.
