The Registan ("sandy place") sits at the historical heart of Samarkand and consists of three madrasas facing a central plaza:
- Ulugh Beg Madrasa (1417–1420) — the oldest, built by Timur's grandson Ulugh Beg as a centre of astronomy and mathematics. Its portal is decorated with geometric star patterns hinting at his scientific interests.
- Sher-Dor Madrasa (1619–1636) — the eastern building, famous for the twin "lion-tigers" chasing suns above its portal, an unusual figurative motif in Islamic architecture.
- Tilya-Kori Madrasa (1646–1660) — "gilded" for its lavishly gold-leafed interior mosque dome. It served as both madrasa and the city's main Friday mosque.
British statesman Lord Curzon called the ensemble "the noblest public square in the world" in his 1889 travelogue. Today the square is a UNESCO-listed centrepiece and hosts an evening sound-and-light show in summer.
Samarkand in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs of Samarkand from our travel archive.
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