The square is comprised of three majestic structures, each with a distinct function and history:
1. Ulugbek Madrasah (Ulugbek Madrasah) – (Established: 1420 CE).
2. Sher-Dor Madrasah (Sher-Dor Madrasah) – (Established: 1619 CE).
3. Tilya-Kori Mosque-Madrasah (Tilya-Kori Madrasah) – (Established: 1646 CE).
📚 Architectural Documentation and Scientific Depth
The grandeur of Registan is the result of technical expertise brought to Samarkand from a wide cultural sphere and merged with local innovation. This architecture style, characteristic of the Timurid empire, emphasized colossal scale, intricate geometry, and brilliant ornamentation.
1. Ulugbek Madrasah: The Hub of Rational Sciences
• Engineering Provenance: The oldest and most crucial scientific structure, the Ulugbek Madrasah, was designed and executed by Master Ismail ibn Tahir ibn Mahmoud Isfahani. The presence of this master craftsman from Isfahan (a major center of art and architecture) confirms the direct transfer of sophisticated structural and decorative techniques from the greater cultural region to the Timurid capital.
• Astronomical Focus: The star-patterned ten-point geometric motifs and celestial designs on the entrance façade are a documented artistic reference to the madrasah’s focus on astronomy (Hay’a), mathematics, and applied geometry, sciences that Ulugbek personally championed.
2. Sher-Dor Madrasah: Symmetry and Symbolic Art
• Patron and Architect: Commissioned by the ruler Yalangtush Bakhadur, sources identify the chief architect as Abdul-Jabbar.
• Architectural Goal: Sher-Dor was purposefully positioned to create a perfect axial symmetry with the Ulugbek Madrasah opposite it. Its colossal scale and structure deliberately mirror the 15th-century masterpiece.
• Distinguishing Feature: It is famous for its controversial imagery of lions (resembling tigers) hunting a gazelle with a rising sun behind them on the main arch—a bold, non-canonical use of living forms in Islamic tilework, symbolizing power and the state.
3. Tilya-Kori Mosque-Madrasah: Dual Function and Gilded Splendor
• Dual Role: The Tilya-Kori structure was built to serve the dual function of a Grand City Mosque (Masjid-i Jami) and a teaching institution, completing the ensemble of the square.
• The Tilya-Kori Technique: The name ("Gilded/Gold-Covered") comes from its main mosque hall. The interior dome and ceiling feature an optical illusion achieved through the Kundal (Kündal) technique of relief painting and gilding (Zar-nigari). This extensive gold leaf application creates the impression of a massive, purely golden dome, demonstrating the peak skills of the decorative artisans of that era.
🌍 Global Significance and UNESCO Heritage
The structures utilize highly advanced construction techniques, notably the widespread use of Double-Shell Domes for improved structural integrity and thermal regulation—a key engineering feature of monumental architecture of the time.
Recognized as a site of paramount cultural value, Registan Square and the Historical City of Samarkand were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 as a "Crossroads of Cultures," underscoring its historical role as a critical political, commercial, and educational center along the Silk Road.