The Registan of Samarkand is the very soul of the ancient city’s heritage. Standing majestic in the heart of Samarkand, the Registan has witnessed the turns of history that shaped the ancient city as well as Uzbekistan. Its historic presence represents Samarkand’s legacy as an ancient oasis along the silk road, and the Timurid dynasty’s commitment to culture, governance and learning.

The Registan, meaning “a sandy place,” is the central public place in a given ancient city in Uzbekistan. It served multiple purposes for the ancient citizens of Samarkand. Trade, culture, official administration and Islamic learning in the Registan were breaths of civility that brought Samarkand the grandeur that it stands for today. And as we found out later in the day, this breath of civility would renew in a modern vein.

A Brief History of the Registan in Samarkand

During Amir Timur’s lifetime, activities at the Registan were mostly commercial in nature. There were six main roads that ran through the square. The square was also connected to Amir Timur’s citadel by these roads. There used to be a domed bazaar, but Amir Timur’s grandson Ulug Bek ordered the construction of the Ulug Bek Madrassa, thus perhaps permanently changing the character of the square into historical and cultural. Surely, throughout its ancient existence the open space was often the site for military parades, the public announcement of royal edicts, or even where executions took place, but it was always the heart of all things important for the citizens of Samarkand.

The three grand structures that make the ensemble at the Registan are namely, the Ulug Bek Madrasa to the west (on the left, if you stand on the viewing platform), the Tillya-Kari Madrasa to the north (in the center), and the Sher Dor Madrasa to the east (on the right).

The Ulug Bek Madrasa

The Ulug Bek Madrasa was a work of Ulug Bek between 1417 and 1420. In many ways the architectural designs of the building reflected the learned nature of Ulug Bek himself, especially in all things scientific and astronomical. Against the background of earthy toned bricks are set turquoise glazed tiles laid out in mosaics, their patterns representing the stars in the sky. At a total height of 45 meters the front portal drawfs all human presence in the square.

As a standard design in Islamic architecture, the Kufic inscription declares the magnificence of the architecture itself, “This magnificent façade is of such a height it is twice the heavens and of such weight that the spine of the earth is about to crumble.”

The Ulug Bek Madrasa provided 50 rooms for student accommodation (each room typically housed two students). As an educational institute, the Ulug Bek Madrasa did not limit itself to religious instruction. Students engaged in secular studies, especially in science and astronomy.

The Tillya-Kari Madrasa

By the 17^th century, the Mirzoi caravanserai (an inn denoting a resting and trading place for merchants, but most likely this caravanserai served pilgrims) that Ulug Bek built on this site lied in ruins. The ruins of the Bibi Khanym Mosque was also viewed to necessitate a new site dedicated to Islamic learning and worship. As such, Baohir Yalangtush commissioned the Tillya-Kari Madrasa, which includes both a madrasa and a mosque. The building construction completed within a 14-year period in 1660.

Meaning “the Gold-covered Madrasa,” The Tillya-Kari Madrasa has the most elaborate appearance in its pishtaq (front portal) in my opinion. The tile mosaics fully cover the whole brick underlay. They exhibit intricate patterns that are lavish, with a touch of sophistication that somewhat differs from that of the Ulug Bek Madrasa.

The name of the Madrasa came from the decorated interior of the dome, which is gilded in gold leaves. Therefore be certain to check out the interiors of the monument, and look up at the marvel of Uzbek architecture.

Unlike the Ulug Bek Madrasa, where students participated actively in secular learning, the Tillya-Kari Madrasa was conceived with a purely religious purpose. The mosque was for congregational worship.

The invasion by Nadir Shah in the 18^th century damaged the dome. Restoration of the dome was only completed in the 20^th century.

The Sher Dor Madrasa

Meaning “with lion,” the Sher Dor Madrasa was built by the 17^th century mayor Bahodir Yalangtush in Samarkand between 1619 and 1636. The key difference between the Sher Dor Madrasa and the Ulug Bek Madrasa is that there is no mosque in this structure. It provided 52 hujras (student rooms) for students.

In terms of design features, the Sher Dor breaks with Islamic tradition in a key way. Figures of lions (or two felines with lion manes and tiger stripes at the same time) do appear in its pishtaq. Islamic architecture and art typically shun figurative representations of animals. There are very few other examples of this break with Islamic tradition. However, in Bukhara’s Lyab-i Hauz ensemble simurgh birds also adorn the pishtaq of the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasa.

According to Calum Macleod, “legend claims the architect responsible died for his heresy.”

These three monuments were all lying in ruins by the 18^th century. At some point they became the grain storage for Samarkand. In the 19^th century, a religious revival again called attention to their significance. Perhaps not surprisingly, the original student rooms at these madrasas are now the small shops for souvenirs and art galleries.

A Wonderful Afternoon Coffee at the Registan

We went through the three structures respectively and by late afternoon we were desperate for a break. There is a coffee cum souvenir shop at the Ulug Bek Madrasa on the second floor. We decided to grab a table and had our afternoon coffee. The owner told us that it was a prime spot for pictures and so he snapped a few very good shots for us. It is such a wonderful experience relaxing amidst the very epitome Samarkand’s grandeur.

The Registan Today

During the warmer months, there is a light show that illuminates the Registan in all colors of the spectrum in every evening. The light show comes at 8 to 8:30pm or so and it goes for about an hour. The lights presented the Registan in an incredible glamor. We stood completely absorbed in the accompanying Uzbek music that celebrated Samarkand. One song rang in our ears repeatedly all evening. We did not understand anything else in the lyrics, except for “Samarkand, Samarkand” sung repeatedly.

One would take a spot at the elevated viewing podium that faces the middle of the public square. It offers a full view of the Registan. Its plaza being enclosed on three sides by imposing monuments, the Registan as an ensemble has centuries’ worth of history behind. We took just a few steps beyond the viewing podium, hoping to take an even more embracing view of the Registan’s grandeur, and only then did we see clearly why there was a crowd sitting at tables before the public square.

The people of Uzbekistan were having a chess tournament that evening. No, it was not chess playing that was the breath of civility that renewed in a modern vein. Amir Timur himself was a serious chess player. What made chess playing a modern vein was rather the tournament. We witnessed the very essence of community that evening at the Registan. The gaming spirit united people from all walks of life. From men to women and from girls to boys, they all gathered under the colors of the Registan and played to the music of their pride.

When we went, we observed many, many Uzbek tourists, especially young students touring in large groups. Some of them asked to take photographs with us. We thought they were rightly proud of their heritage as amply shown in these monuments at the Registan.

Allow a good few hours, perhaps a whole afternoon, for a thorough walk in the structures of the Registan. The picture-taking itself will be time consuming, because of the throngs of tourists there fighting for the prime photo spots. Of course, reserve time after dinner to come back for the light show. It was one of the most amazing experiences I had in Uzbekistan.

Sources

Uzbekistan.Travel on Registan Square.

Descriptions on site at the Registan of Samarkand.

Moya Carey, An Illustrated History of Islamic Architecture (2012).

Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan, Bradt Travel Guide (2020).

Dominique Clevenot & Gerard Degeorge, Ornament and Decoration in Islamic Architecture (2000).

After visiting metro art, we exited the Amir Timur station and arrived at the vicinity of the Amir Timur Square. When we saw Hotel Uzbekistan, we decided that we could take a break and have coffee there. Our coffee session turned out to be an other-worldly, dreamy-spy-movie-like experience.

Hotel Uzbekistan

Calum Macleod said in The Golden Road to Samarkand that Hotel Uzbekistan is “so ugly that it’s almost beautiful.” Upon seeing the building, I tended to agree with him. The hotel was built by the Soviets and the government only sold it to private hands in 2018.

The building shapes like a book with opened leaves and standing upright. The oddest of its appearance is what looks like an additional layer of steely, or wooden, material in absolute uniformity that covers the hotel’s windows. This additional layer comes in rectangular shapes with overlapping corners, which makes the hotel look cold and rigid, but intriguing at the same time.

Perhaps the ugliness comes from its still-shiny steel adornments, including the sign of Hotel Uzbekistan and this odd, seemingly unnecessary layer of window façade, that remain golden, but a gaudy kind of golden.

The sight of the hotel itself was education to me. I have probably not ever seen anything that is truly “Soviet Union,” although the gaudy gold does somewhat echo the state hotels of China built in an earlier era. This architecture expresses what “grand” entails in an ideological era long bygone. Hotel Uzbekistan was meant to be top-of-the-line when it was built, and certainly it still markets itself as a luxurious hotel in Tashkent now.

A Chanced Encounter with Uzbek Youth

Just as we were heading to the hotel, a group of young women approached us. They were students of English and they would like to interview us. This would be the first conversation with the locals that is in-depth. They asked us how old we were, but we told them it is not polite to do so, especially in asking women. Then we discussed what they wanted to do in life. They were students of English so they were thinking of becoming teachers. I told them the only Uzbek word that I knew so far, and that was “honym,” referring to the “Uzbek lasagna” that we had at the Chorsu Bazaar earlier.

Bar Vienna – Spy Movie Setting in Old Soviet Style

We bid farewell with this group of youth and headed right into the hotel. There are two sections, Café Bar and Bar Vienna. Bar Vienna was a whole lot more interesting so we sat down there at a compartment seating on the side.

I said our coffee there was other-worldly-dreamy because this setting was the perfect backdrop for a spy movie. It felt like a 1950s classics there. I sat down and started imagining Soviet agents eavesdropping on foreigners discussing the affairs of the world.

I did the super silly thing of asking the only English-speaking waitress whether what we were about to order on the menu was Russian. We went through a few choices, to which she confirmed that they were Russian. But then soon she came back saying that both were out of stock. Our only choice was the brownie, and that would not have been Russian. I acted so silly because Hotel Uzbekistan does induce this strange rush of nostalgia. I imagined that I could relive Soviet Union there.

The Amir Timur Square

The Amir Timur Square lies at the very heart of Tashkent. A tree-lined public space in an open area, the square has gone through an interesting history of “changing hands.” The key statue that stands in its focal point has changed depending on the political correctness of the times.

The Amir Timur Square was originally built in 1882 by Nikolai Ulyanov working under Mikhail Chernyayev. At different times of history, the statues of General von Kaufmann, Lenin, Stalin and Karl Marx had sat on the very spot of the Amir Timur statue. The current statue of Amir Timur was erected in 1994, and as one of the three in the country to commemorate the 660^th anniversary of Amir Timur’s birthday in 1996.

Perhaps it won’t be so surprising that the celebration of Amir Timur as a national hero was also motivated by political intentions. The dictator Islam Karimov, who led Uzbekistan during the Soviet times and well into the Republic, had wanted to position himself as a Timurid-like ruler. It was under his auspices that Amir Timur again found his recognition revived and memorialized in the Amir Timur Square.

Amir Timur the Warrior and Learned Statesman

The appreciation of Uzbekistan would not be complete without knowing something about Amir Timur. For the western audience, the most familiar cultural reference to Amir Timur would be Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great, a Play in Two Parts. The 1588 play was based loosely on Amir Timur’s life.  Tamerlane, another name for which Amir Timur is known in the west, came from the idea of “Timur the Lame,” owing to the fact that Amir Timur had sustained a leg injury from an enemy early in his life.

He is the 14^th to early 15^th century ruler of Uzbekistan. He is hands down the greatest national hero for the Uzbeks. Amir means “commander,” referring to his title. Timur means “iron.”

Amir Timur was born in 1336 to a minor chief of the Barlas clan south of Samarkand. The early signs of Amir Timur’s strategic and warrior capabilities would come to full blossom in 1380 or so. By then he had already established his stronghold in Samarkand. Onward he would rage military campaigns, spanning as far as northern India and southern Russia. There was no question that he blazed a bloody trail as he sacked Urgench, Baghdad Damascus, Herat, Delhi and more.

Amir Timur built his military prowess by fully engaging the mobility and skills of horsemanship, archery and swordcraft, all of which are the strengths of nomadic warfare. Timur further enhanced classic nomadic warfare with strategic planning. His brutality would exceed that of Genghis Khan in the 12^th and 13^th centuries. Tens and millions died due to his ruthlessness in war.

Amir Timur’s reign would usher in a golden era for Uzbekistan. The Timurid dynasty followed a period of periodic invasions by various powers in that part of the world during the 10^th to 13^th centuries, after the Islamic period. The Genghis Khan Mongols were eventually victorious. They ransacked the ancient cities, including Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkan, rendering them to abject ruins. By the time Amir Timur was born, the Genghis Khan Mongols that ruled this part of Central Asia were slowly losing their grip on power. Amir Timur’s rise would bring to the region the stability that enables a revival of learning and culture, perhaps in both the Turkic Mongol and the Islamic ways.

During his lifetime, Amir Timur dominated this part of Central Asia with a centralized rule. Commonly viewed as a Turkic-Mongol ruler, Amir Timur was fluent in both Turkic and Persian. Besides being a warrior, Amir Timur also had an exceptional intellect. He was very serious about history, architecture, astronomy, medicine and general matters of culture. Along with the loot from his military campaigns he also brought back skilled artisans, who would eventually build Samarkand into a city of glory during his time.

Amir Timur died in 1405, but the Timurid dynasty did not survive for very long after his death, perhaps lasting for less than a century into the early 16th century. Although seemingly short-lived, the Timurid dynasty did establish a centralized empire and it is remembered for its glory to this day.

As we headed on to other parts of Uzbekistan, we would be learning more about Amir Timur’s posterity.

Samarkand was the origin of Amir Timur’s greatness. It was also the capital of the Timurid Empire. With this learning in my bag I would be heading out to Samarkand on the next leg of the journey in Uzbekistan.

Dinner at Navvat

After a quick walk around the area, we decided that we were good in our first day in Uzbekistan. We simply searched for a restaurant with good reviews in the vicinity. Navvat was in the vicinity with excellent ambiance and English speaking staff. We ordered a Plov and a vegetarian salad. The food was fair although on the more expensive end.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Amir Timur Square.

The Wikipedia on Tamburlaine.

Calum Macleod, Uzbekistan: the Golden Road to Samarkand (2014).

Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan, Bradt Travel Guide (2020).