Kukeldash Madrasah in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Kukeldash Madrasah Kukeldash Madrasah, inner decoration Kukeldash Madrasah, old photo

Kukeldash Madrasah (Kulba-Kukeldash) dates back to the 16th century and relates to the time of Abdullah-khan II. This is one of the biggest Bukhara madrasahs. It has one hundred sixty hudjras in two stories around 2-aivan courtyard. One of the famous Central Asian writers of the 20th Sadr ad-Din Aini (1878-1954) studied there. Traditional facades of the madrasah are decorated with majolica. The front facade with entrance hall, mosque and darskhana faces Lyabi-Hauz. Star-shaped plafonds made of burnt bricks or gahch form an original interior of the madrasah. There are interesting wall pictures of the 1930s (in soc. realism style) in the corners of the darskhana.