The Registan () was the heart of the city of

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

of the

Timurid Empire The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of co ...

, now in

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

. The name ''Rēgistan'' () means "sandy place" or "desert" in Persian. The Registan was a

public square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called ''dzharchis'' — and a place of public executions. It is framed by three

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

hs (Islamic schools) of distinctive

Persian architecture Iranian architecture or Persian architecture (, ''Me'māri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distr ...

. The square was regarded as the hub of the

Timurid Renaissance The Timurid Renaissance was a historical period in Asian history, Asian and Islamic history spanning the late 14th, the 15th, and the early 16th centuries. Following the Islamic Golden Age, the Timurid Empire, based in Central Asia and ruled by ...

Madrasahs

The three madrasahs of the Registan are the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636), and the Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660). ''

Madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning ...

'' is an Arabic term meaning school. Registan maquette

Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420)

The Ulugh Beg Madrasah, built by

Ulugh Beg Mīrzā Muhammad Tarāghāy bin Shāhrukh (; ), better known as Ulugh Beg (; 22 March 1394 – 27 October 1449), was a Timurid sultan, as well as an astronomer and mathematician. Ulugh Beg was notable for his work in astronomy-related ma ...

during the

era of

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

, has an imposing iwan with a lancet-arch pishtaq or portal facing the square. The corners are flanked by high

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s. The mosaic panel over the iwan's entrance arch is decorated by geometrical stylized ornaments. The square

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

includes a mosque and lecture rooms, and is fringed by the dormitory cells in which students lived. There are deep galleries along the axes. Originally the Ulugh Beg Madrasah was a two-storied building with four domed ''darskhona''s (lecture rooms) at the corners. The Ulugh Beg Madrasah () was one of the best clergy universities of the Muslim Orient in the 15th century CE. Abdul-Rahman Jami, the great Persian poet, scholar, mystic, scientist and philosopher studied at the madrasah. Ulugh Beg himself gave lectures there. During Ulugh Beg's government the madrasah was a centre of learning.

Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636)

In the 17th century Uzbek ruler of Samarkand, Yalangtoʻsh Bakhodir, ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor () and Tillya-Kori () madrasahs. The tiger mosaics with a rising sun on their back are especially interesting for their depiction of living beings and use of Turko-Persian motifs. The name of the madrasah comes from the patterns on the portal of the building as the word "Sher" means tiger.

Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660)

Ten years later the Tilya-Kori (, meaning "Gilded") Madrasah was built. It was not only a residential college for students, but also played the role of grand ''masjid'' (mosque). It has a two-storied main facade and a vast courtyard fringed by dormitory cells, with four galleries along the axes. The mosque building (see picture) is situated in the western section of the courtyard. The main hall of the mosque is abundantly gilded. File:Rajasthan3.jpg, Ulugh Beg Madrasah File:Sher-Dor Madrasa 02.jpg, Sher-Dor Madrasah File:Tilya-Kori Madrasa 01.jpg, Tilya Kori Madrasah File:Registan 02.jpg, Registan at night

Other buildings

Mausoleum of Shaybanids

To the east of the Tilya-Kori Madrasah, the mausoleum of Shaybanids (16th century) is located
see picture
. The real founder of Shaybanid power was Muhammad Shaybani—grandson of

Abu'l-Khayr Khan Abu'l-Khayr Khan (Turki/Cuman language, Kypchak and Persian language, Persian: ابو الخیر خان; –1468), also known as Bulgar Khan, was Khan (title), Khan of the Uzbek Khanate from 1428 to 1468, which united the nomadic Central Asian t ...

. In 1500, with the backing of the Chaghataite Khanate, then based in

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

, Muhammad Shaybani conquered Samarkand and

Bukhara Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...

from their last Timurid rulers. The founder of the dynasty then turned on his benefactors and in 1503 took old Tashkent. He captured

Khiva Khiva ( uz-Latn-Cyrl, Xiva, Хива, ; other names) is a district-level city of approximately 93,000 people in Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan. According to archaeological data, the city was established around 2,500 years ago. In 1997, Khiva celebr ...

in 1506 and in 1507 he swooped down on

Merv Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian peoples, Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium& ...

(Turkmenistan), eastern Persia, and western Afghanistan. The Shaybanids stopped the advance of the Safavids, who in 1502 had defeated the Akkoyunlu (Azerbaijan). Muhammad Shaybani was a leader of nomadic Uzbek tribes. During the ensuing years they substantially settled down in oases of the Central Asia, Caspian shore, Tian Shan valleys, Russian steeps and Indostan. The last and vast Uzbek invasion of the 15th century CE was the large component of today's Uzbek nation ethnogeny.

Chorsu trading dome

The trading dome Chorsu (1785) is situated right behind the Sher-Dor. Chorsu located at southeast of the Registan at the intersection of the cross-roads connecting

, and

Shahrisabz Shahrisabz, lit. "Green City" in Persian, is a district-level city in Qashqadaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has selected Shakhrisabz as its tourism capital for 2024. It is located approximately 80& ...

. ''Chorsu'' is a word of Persian origin meaning "crossing roads," referring to this famous intersection of busy roadways. The building is old. It has a rather rich centuries-old history. At the moment, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the rest of the historical part of the glorious city. Chorsu was originally a bazaar constructed in the 15th century but was rebuilt in the 18th century, becoming a hat market.Ancient Business Center "Chorsu" in Samarkand
The current building was built during the reign of Amir Shahmurad, in 1785. Today, the bazaar which was previously located at Chorsu is nowadays the

Siyob Bazaar Siyob Bazaar (,Tajik language, Tajik: Бозори Сиёб), also called Siab Bazaar, is the largest bazaar in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The building is built in the shape of a dome, under which there are several pavilions with a large number of sh ...

near the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. In 2005, ownership of Chorsu was transferred to the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan. While renovating the building, three meters of dirt were removed from the building revealing the original base construction. Chorsu now serves as an art gallery which offers the work of artists both contemporary and historical. The art of in the Chorsu gallery displays the arts, culture, history, and diversity of the multi-national Uzbek people. Street Tashkent mausoleum Sheibanids.jpg, Mausoleum of Shaybanids Chorsu 2015.JPG, Chorsu trading dome

References

External links

* {{coord, 39, 39, 17, N, 66, 58, 32, E, region:UZ_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Samarkand Squares in Uzbekistan Islamic architecture in Asia Timurid architecture Madrasas in Uzbekistan