ULUGH BEG AND ABDUL AZIZ KHAN MADRASAS

We're east of the jewellers' bazaar. " Kosh madrasa " means "two madrasas". The term refers to all buildings facing each other or belonging to the same complex. This is why, to the south-west of the Bolo Khaouz mosque, the two madrasas Modar-i-Khan and Abdullah Khan are also known as "kosh madrasas".

The Ulugh Beg madrasa, dating from 1417, is the older of the two. It was built by the Prince Astronomer of Samarkand, successor to Tamerlane. The inscription on the entrance door is a reminder of its builder's wisdom and open-mindedness: " To aspire to knowledge is the duty of every Muslim man and woman." This was the first of three madrasas built by Ulugh Beg, the other two being in Samarkand and Gidjuvan, 45 km from Bukhara. This madrasa, smaller than its sister in Samarkand's Registan, is a fine example of medieval Timurid architecture, with its harmonious proportions and skilfully restrained decoration.

The city's Restoration Museum is housed in the former mosque on the right, and souvenir and craft stores have invaded the cells. Much less sober than its neighbor, the Madrasa of Abdul Aziz Khan was built two hundred years later, in 1654, when Bukhara had become the capital of the Khanate. The architecture and decoration of this imposing madrasa, built under the Chaybanids, were created by the best master craftsmen of the time.

The mosaic on the pishtak, or entrance portal, features a bright yellow tangle of vegetation, including simorgh birds and even a dragon. These decorations, like those on the façade of the Nadir-Divanbeg madrasa, are a departure from the Islamic rule prohibiting figuration. But the madrasa's decorator, Abdul Aziz Khan, was inspired by Persian influences. A variety of techniques were used: relief majolica, painted gantch moldings, engraved marble, chiseled mosaics... The decoration of the interior domes of the winter and summer mosques is particularly remarkable. The darskhana to the right of the entrance, converted into an antique store, is a must-see for its decor (unrestored) and its stalls of fine carpets and suzani. Fireplaces can also be seen, a great innovation for the time. The decoration of the façade and part of the courtyard remained unfinished when Abdul Aziz Khan was dethroned. His successor completed the work.