Registan Square, Samarkand: The Real Thing

There are places in the world that have been described so many times that you arrive half-expecting disappointment. The Registan is not one of them. Three madrasahs arranged around a square courtyard, all covered in blue, turquoise, and gold geometric tilework at a scale that makes the scale of Islamic architecture actual and not merely stated. This was the public square of Timur’s Samarkand in the 15th century, later expanded under the Shaybanids. It competes with anything the Ottomans or Safavids built.

The Three Madrasahs

Ulugbek Madrasah (early 15th century) is the oldest. Its former student Ulugbek was a mathematician and astronomer who built an observatory outside the city. Sher Dor (1636), opposite, has a mosaic with tigers and human faces, which was strictly against Islamic convention and was apparently a political gesture by the Shaybanid rulers. Tilla-Kari (1660), along the top, has interior walls covered in gilded painting rather than tilework.

Entry to the complex is around 100,000 UZS (approximately $8-9 USD). The interiors of the madrasahs are largely converted to craft shops, which is mildly unfortunate, but the external facades and the experience of standing in the square are unaffected.

Gur Emir Mausoleum

About 800 metres from the Registan, this is Timur’s tomb. The dome is 34 metres high, fluted and covered in blue-green tilework. The interior has green jade cenotaphs and carved marble. Open daily, entry around 50,000 UZS.

Plov

Uzbek plov (pilaf) is the national dish: rice cooked in lamb fat with carrots, onion, and meat, finished in a kazan (large cast-iron pot). The Samarkand Plov Center on Universitetskaya Street is the standard tourist recommendation and does a solid version for around 30,000-50,000 UZS per portion. Markets in the morning have better versions eaten standing up.

Getting There

High-speed rail from Tashkent to Samarkand takes 2 hours and costs around $15 USD for a standard ticket. The train station is 5 km from the Registan; taxis cost around 15,000-20,000 UZS.