Registan Square in Samarkand
The Registan is the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand. The name Registan means "Sandy place" or "desert" in Persian.
The Registan was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes. It is framed by three madrasahs (Madrasah is an Arabic term meaning school) of distinctive Islamic architecture. The three madrasahs of the Registan are:
- The Ulugbek Madrasah (1417–1420)
- The Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660)
- The Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636)