In 1417, the young king of Maverannahr, Mirzo Ulugbeg, the grandson of Amir Temur, initiated new construction projects in Samarkand, Bukhara, Shahrisabz and Ghijduvan. The first was the madrasah – high school in the center of Samarkand. It was constructed in 1417-1420, on the western edge of Registan. The madrasah occupied a rectangular area of 56x81 m. It was built from burnt bricks on ganch mortar. Inside there is an open square yard 30x40 m with octagonal hauz in the middle. The front entrance, looking at Registan, is built in a form of a huge portal and crowned by enormous lancet arch with 15 m span length. The mosaic panel above the arch symbolically represents heavens with five- and ten-pointed stars. At the corners of the portal there are two small auditoria of two-storey in height. Opposite the madrasah there is mosque. Madrasah has dwelling hudjras (cells) on two floors. Before construction of Ulugbeg’s observatory, the madrasah had the ground for astronomic observations. Figured tiles with majolica coated the walls. Some of them have dates – 1417, 1419, 1420.
Originally, madrasah consisted of 50 cells where could live 100 students. Among outstanding students of the madrasah were naqshbandi sheikh Khodja Akhrar and Sufi poet Djami. In Samarkand, the people clearly realized connection of the new madrasah and the king, who personally taught there. Up to this day, the madrasah has kept the name of Ulugbeg. When in spring 1450, the son and murderer of Ulugbeg, Abdullatif was executed, his head was exhibited on the madrasah of his father as a symbol of triumph of justice and return to traditions of Ulugbeg. By the 18th century, madrasah had been damaged. The second floor and domes at the sides of portal were dismantled. By the 20th century, the most part of mosaics on facades had been lost. All that required serious restoration works to preserve the outstanding architectural monument. In 1932, the north-eastern minaret was restored, and in 1965 – the south-eastern. Their domes were installed newly. The portal arch and tympan were re-installed. Opposite the madrasah, on the place of modern Sher-Dor, Ulugbeg constructed Sufi khanaka. Babur titled its dome as “the biggest in the world”. Architectural opposition of the madrasah and khanaka reflected actual dualism of Islamic spiritual and natural-scientific education and mystic Sufi knowledge. In khanaka of Ulugbeg or beside it was located the tomb of Imam Muhammad ibn Djafar, related to the 9th – 10th cc.