Stand in the Registan at Samarkand

What the experience is

The Registan was the heart of Samarkand under the Timurids and remained its commercial, educational and ceremonial centre for centuries. It is a paved square enclosed on three sides by madrasas, Islamic colleges, each with a tall arched portal, or pishtaq, facing the centre. The fourth side is open. Few public spaces in the world are so completely composed.

The three buildings

Ulugh Beg Madrasa, 1417 to 1420. The oldest, on the west side, was built by Ulugh Beg, grandson of Timur, ruler of Samarkand and an astronomer. Its portal is flanked by high minarets, and its courtyard is lined with the cells of students and with lecture rooms.

Sher-Dor Madrasa, 1619 to 1636. Two centuries later the Uzbek governor Yalangtush Bakhodur built a matching college opposite. Its name means “having tigers”; the mosaics above the arch show two big cats, each with a rising sun on its back, pursuing deer. Images of living creatures are rare on a religious building.

Tilya-Kori Madrasa, 1646 to 1660. The same patron closed the north side with a building that was both a college and the city’s main mosque. Its name means “gilded”, and the reason is inside: the prayer hall is covered in gold leaf, with a painted ceiling that appears to be a dome.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the comfortable months. Summers are very hot. Go early in the morning, before the tour groups, to see the courtyards, where craftsmen now have workshops in the old cells. Return at dusk: the facades are floodlit after dark, though how and where the evening view can be had, and whether a ticket is needed, changes, so check on the spot.

Good to know

The tilework was heavily restored in the twentieth century, and the buildings look newer than they are. A ticket generally covers the three madrasas. Samarkand is a little over two hours from Tashkent by high-speed train, which makes a day trip possible, though two nights are better.

Why OKYTO recommends it

It is the best-known sight of Central Asia and an easy one to reach.