If from the Poi Kalyan complex you go through the old covered bazaar, you will come to the square where the Ulugh Beg Madrasah is located. Together with the Abdulaziz-khan Madrasah it is one of the oldest madrasahs in Bukhara.
The two madrasahs are opposite each other. The Ulugh Beg Madrasah has a strict-shaped portal with majolica, and the Abdulaziz-khan Madrasah has a more beautiful stucco work in the Moorish style.
The majority of Bukhara madrasahs were built during 16-18 centuries, and only the Ulugh Beg Madrasah was erected in 15 century in the reign of Ulugh Beg, a grandson of Timur, better known not as the ruler of the great empire but as the astronomer, who compiled the star catalogue, which is now used by the astronomers of the world.
The Ulugh Beg Madrasah was built in 1417, while the Abdulaziz-khan Madrasah – in 1652. In the majolica painting of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah you can discern star motifs. Apart from Bukhara Ulugh Beg built madrasahs in Samarkand on the Registan Square, as well as in the city of Gijduvan.
