Bukhara. The Postcard with the City Gates

Sep 2

2 min read

Updated: Oct 16

Olfactorium

On her first evening in Bukhara Liza bought a postcard showing the old city gates. She wrote her mother's address on it, and then the pen hung over the empty space.

Liza had come in October to interpret at a carpet exhibition. For a week she lived in a hotel and saw the city only from a taxi window, and in the evenings she called her mother and said everything was fine.

On Saturday the exhibition closed early, and Liza walked through the old quarters. The sky was bright blue, the air dry and warm, and the clay walls glowed in the sun.

That morning she had put Bukhara on her skin. She had picked up the bottle in Moscow before the trip.

At a small market by the canal a woman was selling dried apricots and walnuts. Liza reached for a paper bag, and the seller suddenly held her hand close to her face. "This is how our gardens smell in May, when the peach trees bloom," she said.

She invited Liza into the courtyard of her house behind the stall. An old quince and a pomegranate grew there, bunches of herbs dried under the awning, and the earth smelled of the day's warmth. The hostess poured her tea into a bowl with a chipped rim.

For almost an hour they talked in a mix of Russian and Tajik and understood each other perfectly. When they parted, she gave Liza a full bag of dried apricots.

In the evening, in her room, Liza took out the postcard with the city gates and filled it to the very edge. About the blue sky, the quince in the courtyard and the woman who recognised her own garden in the scent of Liza's wrist.

The niche fragrance Bukhara is dedicated to the ancient city of Bukhara as a symbol of the rich cultural traditions of the East.

How it smells

The opening is juicy and bright. Blackcurrant and raspberry give berry tartness, bergamot refreshes, mango and nectarine add ripe sunny flesh.

The heart is floral and honeyed. Hyacinth brings cool greenness, jasmine and rose open into a lush bouquet, orris root adds powder, honey and heliotrope warm the flowers.

The base is warm and deep. Sandalwood and white cedar give soft wood, patchouli and vetiver add earthy depth, tonka bean leaves a sweet trail.

What makes it special

Bukhara belongs to the Olfactorium collection and is dedicated to the ancient city of Bukhara as a symbol of the rich cultural traditions of the East. Its pyramid holds about forty notes, from berries and fruit to flowers and warm wood. Blogger @sunshineladyvera describes it as "blooming May gardens under a cool sky." Elenavalerievna on Fragrantica writes that it is "about the blessed Central Asian autumn," when "crystal-clear October days arrive." Elena Kaurova on VKontakte calls it "an amazingly varied scent," at times "sunny, smiling, like a clear autumn day with a deep blue sky." tastylooks sums it up: "Delicious, interesting, dessert-like." People wear it for a warm autumn and a blooming garden in one bottle.