The Registan, meaning “sandy place” in Persian, was the central square of Samarkand during the Timurid Empire and a focal point of the Timurid Renaissance. It served as a gathering place for public announcements, delivered to crowds by blasts from large copper trumpets, and as the site of public executions. The square is framed by three monumental madrasahs, each representing a different phase of the city’s architectural history. The Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), built under the Timurid ruler and astronomer Ulugh Beg, was one of the leading centers of learning in the Muslim world during the 15th century. Its grand iwan, geometric mosaics, and tall minarets framed a courtyard containing a mosque, lecture rooms, and student dormitories. Ulugh Beg himself lectured here, and among its notable students was the poet and scholar Abdul-Rahman Jami. In the 17th century, the ruler Yalangtoʻsh Bakhodir commissioned two new madrasahs to complete the square. The Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636) is named for its striking portal mosaics depicting tigers with rising suns, an unusual example of living figures in Islamic art. Opposite it, the Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) served both as a student residence and as Samarkand’s main mosque. Its richly gilded prayer hall and two-story facade enclosed a large courtyard surrounded by dormitory cells and arcaded galleries. Together, these three madrasahs form one of Central Asia’s most iconic architectural ensembles, symbolizing the cultural and scholarly achievements of Samarkand’s golden age.