Description of the attraction
Ulugbek Madrasah on the former market square of Registan is a medieval university, which was considered the largest and most prestigious in Central Asia. Madrasah at the beginning of the XXI century was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
With the construction of the madrasah, the rebuilding of the Registan Square began, where there was a lively trade until the beginning of the 15th century. The enlightened ruler of Samarkand and the surrounding lands Ulugbek ordered to build a huge educational institution. The construction of the building took several years and was completed in 1420. Among the graduates of the university were many renowned poets and scientists. Here they taught mathematics, theology, logic, etc. The best minds of the Islamic world were invited as teachers.
When in 1533 the capital of the Timurid Khanate was transferred to Bukhara, Samarkand was gradually turning into an ordinary provincial city. However, the Ulugbek madrasah was still popular. After a while, in his likeness, another madrasah was built nearby, which was named Sherdor. There were also sad pages in the history of Ulugbek madrasah. So, one of the khans ordered to dismantle the second floor of this building in order to prevent the rebels from taking an advantageous position from where they could shoot at the palace. In the 19th century, the madrasah was twice badly damaged by earthquakes.
The restoration of the medieval university was started only in the 20th century. The restoration work took 7 decades. First, the architects leveled one of the leaning minarets, then began to repair the portal and various decorative details. After a while, they gave the correct position to another minaret and restored the destroyed second floor of the building.
