The Tilya-Kori Madrasah is the third and last Islamic school on Samarkand’s Registan public square. It was built between 1646 and 1660. It was not only a residential college for students but also served as a grand mosque, whose main hall is abundantly gilded.

These madrasahs might all look the same, but they aren’t – the tilework in particular is different in every one.

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The Registan, meaning “sandy place” or “desert” in Persian, was the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand of the Timurid dynasty. It was a public square where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes, as well as a place for public executions. It is framed by three madrasahs (Islamic schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture.

Mosque, Tilya-Kori Madrasah, Samarkand, posted earlier: