Tillya-Kari Madrasah

In 1660, the main square of Samarkand, Registan, acquired its current appearance: the Tillya-Kari madrasah was completed, which became the final one in the architectural ensemble. The construction, begun in 1646 by order of the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bahadur, lasted almost 15 years. By the way, it was built on the site of a caravanserai, which stood here for more than 2 centuries. And the madrasah got its name due to the rich gilding on the facade. "Tillya-Kori" literally translates as "decorated with gold."

The madrasah building is square in shape and fills the entire space between Ulugbek and Sherdor madrasahs. The facade facing the square has a symmetrical shape and consists of a high portal and arched niches in two floors extending from the entrance and ending with low corner towers. Hujras (cells) intended for students open into the large courtyard of the Tillya-Kori madrasah.

The entire building of the madrasah is abundantly covered with various floral ornaments and linear patterns. Most of the original finishes were lost, but thanks to the efforts of restorers, they were restored in the second half of the twentieth century. And in 2001, this beautiful monument of Central Asian architecture was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There is a mosque in the western part of the madrasah, which is crowned by a large glazed dome. Its interior decoration impresses with the amount of gold applied by the kundal method. For a long time this mosque was the main cathedral mosque of Samarkand.