Ulugbek Medressa, Bujará, Uzbekistán
Built in 1417, this is Central Asia’s oldest medressa, and may well be familiar to you as it became a model for many others. The blue-tiled medressa, one of three built by Ulugbek the others are at Gijduvan, 45km away on the road to Samarkand, and in Samarkand’s Registan complex, is unrestored and in need of conservation work.
The small museum has some great old photos, including one of the Kalon Minaret with a chunk blown out of it after the Soviets bombed it in the 1920s.
Epic Uzbekistan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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