Registan Square

Registan Square

Registan Square

Registan Square
The heart of the city and an important symbol of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the majestic Registan Square. Located in the elevated part of the city, this square is surrounded by an ensemble of three madrasas, which were built about 600 years ago. In Samarkand all roads lead to the Registan. The large portals, domes and minarets of Ulugbek Madrasa, Sher-Dor Madrasa and Tilla-Kari Madrasa can be seen from all over the city.

Of the three madrasahs on Registan Square, the Ulugbek Madrasah is the oldest. During the time of Amir Timur's reign, a large vaulted shopping arcade was built near Registans ("sand place"). In 1420 the structure was pulled down to make way for the madrasah by the famous architect Kavamaddin Shirazi of Herat. The main facade is covered with beautiful mosaic flower patterns in the "Islimi style", and has a high portal with astral patterns. The right-angled inner courtyard of the madrasah is equipped with a two-storey building with "Hujra" rooms for over 100 students. At each of the four corners of the building there was a minaret crowned with stalactite decorations. Due to frequent earthquakes, the two western minarets collapsed in the 17th century, while the other two minarets became inclined. In 1932 the northeast of the minaret was returned to the upright position with the help of hydraulic jacks. The same was also done on with the southeast minaret. During Ulugbek's reign, Registan Square was completely rebuilt. On the left side of the madrasah the royal Mirza caravanserai was built and opposite - a chanaka - for wandering Sufi dervishes.

Two hundred years later, Registan Square was radically rebuilt by Yalangtush Bohadur, the governor of Bukhara Khans in Samarkand. The Sher-Dor Madrasah was built in 1636 opposite the Ulugbek Madrasah by the architect Abdul-Jabbar. A tall peshtak rises above the main entrance; the domes are placed on cylindrical drums, cover a “darskhona” classroom and a mosque; the flanking minarets are only a little lower than those of the Ulugbek Madrasah. The right-angled courtyard is enclosed by two rows of “hujra” rooms; in the middle of each flank there is a large Ayvan terrace for summer classes. The walls are almost entirely covered with carved marble slabs and decorative mosaic. Lions with shaggy manes are depicted on the large tympanum; they clawed white deer on the background of suns, they have human faces. This image is very unusual for Muslim art, which gave the madrasah its name, Sher-Dor, which means "a lion". Between the Ulugbek Madrasah and Sher-Dor Madrasah is the Tilla-Kari Madrasah, which was built in the middle of the 17th century. The facade, which has two rows of pointed arch niches and a stable portal, gives the ensemble a sense of completeness and harmony. Instead of minarets, the corners of the building are outlined by “Guldasta” towers with small domes. Tilla-Kari was not only a Muslim school but also the main Friday mosque for citizens. On the right hand side in front of the central entrance to the Tilla-Kari Madrasa there is a turquoise colored dome on a huge drum. Soon after the madrasah was built, the dome collapsed during an earthquake, covering the structure of the mosque. The facility was only restored at the end of the last century. The interior of the mosque is of particular interest. Through the Mekhrob niche, which points towards Mecca, a high marble "Minbar Tribune" was built for imams who preached there. The inside of the dome is covered with unique Kundal gold paintings on paper mache. This magnificent ornament gave it its name - Tilla-Kari, or the "gilded" in translation. Due to the fabulous oriental architecture and rich national decorations of the three madrasahs, this outstanding monument deserves worldwide fame (world cultural heritage).

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