Registan is the centre of the ancient city of Samarkand. The name comes from Persian meaning ''sandy place'' or ''desert''. Registan Square has the most famous and the most beautiful architectural ensemble in Central Asia. It is framed by three madrasahs of distinctive oriental architecture: the Ulugh Beg Madrasah( 1417-1420), the Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646-1660) and Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619-1639).
The Registan Square initially was a public square and it was not surrounded by madrasahs. They were built later. The square, however, served as a place for gathering people to hear khan's announcements. The celebrations and public executions also were being held here. It was also one of the main trade places, so most of the streets leading to Refistan Square were noisy and lively.
This was the Registan of Timur's time. The madrasahs were built after his death, but they couldn't be built without him. By the time he died, he made Samarkand the capital and the style of buildings was very well defined.
The first madrasah was built by Timur's grandson Ulugh Beg, who was an astronomer and mathematician. The other two were added to match Beg's madrasah in the17th century.
Today they altogether are majestic tourist destinations. Different concerts, celebrations and many important events are being held on the Registan Square. It also holds an international festival of traditional music called Sharq Taronalari.
Other Travel Articles
Koytendag Range
Uly Balkan
The Moon Mountains
