Registan Square,
Samarkand
 During centuries Registan Square
was the center of Samarkand. The word Registan means
“sand place”. There was a river running
there many ages ago, before building the first Madrassah
on the square. Years passed, the river dried out and
left lots of sank there, that was the first place
where the first Madrassah was built in the beginning
of the 15th century and named Registan square. As
the Madrassah was first built, all the holidays, parades,
festivals and Sunday bazaars took place.
The ensemble consists of three Madrassah: Ulugbek
Madrassah (15th century), Sher –
Dor Madrassah (17th century) and Tilla-Kari
Madrassah (gold covered)(17th century).
Madrassah– is the Muslim high educational institution.
Only the boys from reach families studied there. The
training lasted for 10, 12, 20 years. It was up to
the discipline the student selected. The main discipline
for all of them was Learning Koran. The rest of the
subjects were not obligatory and could be selected
by students.
The Ulugbek Madrassah was built by the Ulugbek’s
order and guidance. It lasted only three years from
1417 to 1420. When the medresse was constructed, Ulugbek
gave lectures on mathematics and astronomy till his
death.
 Two years later, the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush
Bahadur ordered to build the copy of the Madrassah,
and the second Sher-Dor Madrassah was built opposite
it. The only difference was that it had two more winter
teaching halls, but the main structure was the same
as in Ulugbek Madrassah.
Several years later, the same ruler of Samarkand ordered
the third Tilla-Kari Madrassah. It’s outward
is the same as those two other medresses, but coming
in you’ll see a one story building. To make
the architectural ensemble, the architecture made
two floors on the outside but only one inside. Madrassah
was always built by one project – four-cornered
yard with four terraces and cells along the whole
perimeter. The main entrance was always locked with
lattice and two other entrances were used by purpose.
The doors in cell were always low because “Islam”
means “obedience”, that is why everyone
who entered or went out of cell always had to bow,
it was like greeting and wishing health to everyone.
Only Tilla-Kari Madrassah was bult like medresse,
but was used mostly as mosque; just looking at minarets
can see this, Tilla-Kari has low minarets to call
people to pray.
In 17th century Till-Kari mosque and Madrassah was
the biggest mosque in Samarkand. Right up to 19th
century Madrassah and Madrassah-mosque was used by
purpose, and only from the beginning of 20th century
till now they serve as monuments.
“Eden of Ancient East”, “Precious
Pearl of Islam World”, “ Rome of East”,
“Rui Zamin”-“Face of Earth”-with
such magnificent names poets, historians, medieval
geographers of Iran, India, China, Byzantium, Egypt
called Samarkand.
Even though of such magnificent description Samarkand
saw many sites of fire and destructions, which left
their sign in history.
During centuries Samarkand was gained by different
nomadic and half nomadic generations, which always
were destroying, sacking, and leaving ruins after
them.
Samarkand saw three the largest tragedies.
1. The first ine is related to the time of Aleksandr
Macedonian’s gains in 329 year BC; the city
was fully destroyed, citizens were exterminated. After
reconstruction of the city there was a development
of different crafts, the east and Greek cultures mixed
together, and this left its sign in the history of
Samarkand.
2. The second tragedy is related to 8th century, when
Arabs were gaining the Central Asia. Stating from
8th century Islam became main religion in Central
Asia. Before that time there were different religions
in Central Asia but the main was zoroastrism. And
only Arabs with sword and fire, destroying people
brought new religion Islam to Central Asia. And till
now it is still main religion here.
3. Third tragedy is related to 13th century, when
Chigiz han was gaining the central asia. When the
city was destroyed, Samarkand ame to the new decline.
And only in 14th century when Timur came to the power
Samarkand was reconstructed. 14-15th centuries are
called the Renaissance because Timur brought scientists
from each aggressive crusade. In particular he was
assisted in development of different sciences in Central
Asia.
Samarkand reached the highest level of development
only during Timur’s government, though he is
described as cruel gainer in history. All this was
happened because during 35 year he brought with him
mathematicians, astronomers, architectures, and musicians
from his aggressive campaigns to his country.
Architectures from many countries participated in
the construction of many monuments. Various décor,
and picture of rising sun with lions chasing after
fallow-deers is the illustration of it. It is not
allow illustrating animals and people in Islam. But
Sher-Dor medresse is decorated exactly with pictures
of animals.
What is concerned about decoration of the whole ensemble,
here it is possible to see the difference in designing
of tympanums of every medresse. If in Ulugbek medresse
cable is often repeating, but in 17th century medresse
no picture is repeated because it was prohibited in
that time to repeat the pictures in architectures
work. Geometric, letter design, and crockets were
used in designing.
|
