Sherdor Madrasa

The Sherdor Madrasa anchors the eastern side of the Registan square with two massive, tawny-colored domes and a central portal covered in tile tigers hunting deer. Yalangtush Bakhodur, the city governor, ordered its construction in the early seventeenth century to mirror the older Ulugbek Madrasa directly across the plaza. While Islamic art traditionally avoided depicting living creatures, the architect here defied that custom, placing golden lions across the facade. Legend says the artisan who finished them never worked again, blinded by the sun.