Ulugbek madrasah

 ULUGBEK MADRASAH IN BUKHARA

    Ulugbek also spelled Ulugh Beg, Ulughbeg, Ulugh-Beg, Tamerlane’s grandson, was an enlightened and intellectual ruler.Ulugbek madrasah in Bukhara is the first of three madrasahs built in the time of Mirzo Ulugbek. Following the tradition of his grandfather Emir Timur, Ulugbek patronized science and education. His name was glorified by the construction of the grandiose astronomical observatory of the 15th century in Samarqand. The inscription on the entrance door of the Bukhara madrasah says: duty. Besides the Bukhara madrasah Ulugbek built a madrasa in Samarqand, and one in Ghijduvan. 

    Ulugbek madrasah is situated to the east of Poi-Kalyan square. The construction was finished in 1420. The name of the architect built the madrasah is Ismail ibn Tahir ibn Mahmud Is- fahani. Inside the building of the madrasah there is a double- ayvan yard with two-storeyed hujras, darskhonas (clasrooms) and a mosque. The facade is decorated with a portal, two-story loggias and corner turrets which had the form of minarets some time before. Originally the classrooms were covered by four domes. 

    In 1586 Abdulla-khan II ordered to reconstruct the madrasah, and s facade was decorated with glazed bricks and majolica. "Aspiration to knowledge is every moslem man and woman's'. He was very much concerned with development of science in his large kingdom. Besides the well-known madrasah in the Registan Square in Samarkand and the madrasah in Gijduvan , he ordered that one be built in conservative and strict Bukhara, the Islamic capital of Central Asia, in the hope the city would become a center of science and education as well. Ulugbek Madrasah in Bukhara was for a long time followed as an example by builders of Islamic schools in other Central Asian cities.

        The madrasah was built in 1417 by Ismail Isfagani and Najmeddin Bukhari, the best architects of the time. The structure shows harmonious proportions and forms of its elements; it has little decoration and yet looks impressive and even majestic. It is a rectangular building with a large portal and a courtyard. It features an entrance corridor splitting and leading in two directions: to the mosque and darskhona classroom. This was against the common design of madrasah corridors, which led right into the yard. The gate of the madrasah has a carved inscription taken from the Koran: ‘The pursuit of knowledge is the responsibility of every Muslim man and woman’. This citation can be considered to have been Ulugbek’s motto. There was also another inscription:‘May the door of God’s blessings be every day open to the people who are aware of book wisdom’.

    Ulugbek was famous for his astronomical researches throughout the world. That is why astral designs in the decoration of the madrasah predominate. Some decorative elements differ in the ways they were made, which is evidence of the fact that the madrasah has been restored several times.Ulugbek Madrasah could seat up to 80 students. They studied Astronomy, Mathematics, Arabic and religious subjects. Many graduates from the madrasah became eminent scholars and poets.The madrasah is one of most outstanding Bukhara architectural monuments. Thousands of lovers of Central Asian culture visit it every year. Today the madrasah houses Bukhara Restoration History Museum.Ulugbek Madrasah in Bukhara is one of the earliest buildings, which was constructed by the donation of Ulugbek (1394 - 1449 gg.). It was completed in 1417 and it was not known before the opening of Ulugbek madrasah in Samarkand.  Ulugbek, according to historian Al- Abdurazzakov Samarkand, visited his madrassa in the month of Dhu al- ka'da (November 1419) at a trip to Bukhara. Here he wrote about the author said: "Shahzad Ulugbek was pleased to visit the madrasah, located within the city of Bukhara and constructed due to its exceptional generosity."

Ulugbek Madrasah was repaired several times. The first repair was made on the order of Ubaidullah Khan (1533 -1539 years). During the reign of Khan and his son Abdulaziz (1539 - 1549) in the Ulugbek Madrasah were taught eminent scholars, poets, calligraphers.

     After a while, in 1586, here was made even one repair, and several inscriptions kept archival document about this restoration of the madrasah fragments. Around the end of XIX - early XX centuries the madrasah was redecorated during the reign of Bukhara khalifat.In 1994, for the anniversary of Ulugbek madrasah were performed on the following work: restored main portal group with Arabic inscription on the portal, harness majolica, partly restored galleries of the first and second floors, courtyard and blind area within the perimeter of the yard, landscaped grounds with lowering of the surface before the main portal.

    Near the middle column under the dome there is a miniature cauldron made of calcium carbonate (limestone). Sometime later, after pouring the water into the boiler, the water comes to a warm state. The secret of this miracle then knew only limited, some of the attendants of the madrasah. This measure is carried out to bring in the surprise of Muslim believers, was intended to strengthen the position of Islam among the masses.