Description of the attraction
Ulugbek Madrasah is a huge building that appeared in Bukhara during the Timurid era. The beloved grandson of Timur, the khan of Samarkand, and later the lands of Maverannahr, Ulugbek from childhood was drawn to knowledge, communicated with learned men and in every possible way contributed to the development of science and education in his own state. In 1417-1420 he built a madrasah in Samarkand and Bukhara. The most famous mathematicians and poets of that time were invited to teach in these educational institutions. Ulugbek sincerely believed that every Muslim should dream of receiving knowledge and be able to receive it. An aphorism on this topic is written above the entrance to the madrasah.
Ulugbek madrasah with a high portal was designed by two architects - Ismail Isfahani and Nazhmetdin Bukhari. The building is simple in design and wraps around the courtyard. The architects changed the traditional arrangement of rooms in the madrasah. In typical schools, the courtyard can be accessed through the main corridor starting right at the entrance. In the Ulugbek madrasah, a passage connects the central portal with the mosque and the lecture hall.
Ulugbek was a famous astronomer, therefore he insisted on a peculiar design of madrasahs in Bukhara and Samarkand. On the facades of the local madrasah you can see symbols associated with stars, comets, etc. An attentive observer will surely notice the difference in the execution of some decorative elements, which is associated with the numerous transformations of the building.
About 80 students could study at the Ulugbek madrasah at the same time. After leaving school, many were expected to have a brilliant career at the court of the ruler.
Today, the Ulugbek madrasah houses a museum dedicated to the restoration, transformation and renewal of the city's historical monuments.
