It was public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, and watch public executions. It is framed by three madrasah.
The Ulugbek Madressah, is the original Madressah,(a muslim place of education), its construction dates back to the early 15th century Named after its founder, Ulugbek, who is said to have taught mathematics theology, astronomy and philosophy.
Standing opposite to Ulubek is the Sher Don Madrassah, completed in the early 17th century, it took 17 years to build, its name translates as "The Lion".
The entrance is decorated with two lions (though they look like tigers!) hunting deer, with Zoroastrian-inspired suns rising from their backs to symbolise the enlightened mind.
Beyond the facade lie the souvenir shops, though I must hasten to add the most spectacular looking shops I have seen for awhile.
Ornate chess sets
Plenty of little figurines of the Aqsaqal
The central of the three is the Tilla-Kari Madrassah, built in the 17th century
Contained within is a mosque, intricately decorated with blue and gold to symbolise Samarkand’s wealth.
The ceiling, ornately covered in gold leaf, is flat but its tapered design makes it look domed from the inside.
There is also within the mosque a very interesting picture gallery of B&W photos of old Samarkand.
The three structures have taken their knocks over the years, damaged due to the frequent earthquakes and tremors in the region.
Unusual for the the Soviets, but to to their credit, they endeavoured to restore and maintain the structures, some of the vintage snaps from over 100 years ago, I so wish I was a time traveller.
Within the Sher Don Madrassah, a pleasant courtyard, just as ornately cladded in majolica tiles, lies another collection of souvenir shops
There are no facilities for weddings to take place at the square, but it is a popular place for those going through the ritual to come visit to pose for photographs.
Uzbek people believe that a wedding is celebrated noisily and cheerfully. with many many people attending (inc. an old fart sticking his lens in).
Thanks for visiting my page, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. this is Stephen aka, @grindle, happily retired, travelling the world snapping away. My weapon of choice is currently a Nikon Z6(2). Unless stated all images are shot by me (©@grindle) all text is mine, based on various info sources. NOT AI generated. If you like my blog, it would be very much appreciated if you upvote and follow me. Also please feel free to drop a comment.
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