"The Registan – history" Top 5 Page for this destination Samarkand Things to Do Tip by toonsarah

The Registan is Samarkand’s (indeed, probably Uzbekistan’s) most famous sight, and with good reason. There is so much to see here that I need to break it down into several tips.

First, some history:
The Registan was the heart of ancient Samarkand. The name Registan means "sandy place" in Persian and it was said that the sand was strewn on the ground to soak up the blood from the public executions that were held here until early in the 20th century. This is where Tamerlane stuck his victims’ heads on spikes, and where people gathered to hear royal proclamations. In his time this was the commercial centre of his capital city, where six roads met under a domed bazaar; it must have been similar to the Trading Domes of Bukhara. But his grandson Ulug Beg had grand plans for this space, and nowadays three madrasahs surround the large open space he created: the Ulug Beg Madrasah (1417-1420) which he had built, plus the later Shir Dor (1619-1636) and the Tillya Kari (1646-1660) Madrasahs. These stunning buildings are all constructed on a grand scale, dwarfing the people at their bases.

I’ve written separate tips describing each of them in more detail, but first, some practical information …

Directions: On Registan Street in the city centre – you can’t miss it!