Registan, Samarkand

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world, sitting right on the famous Silk Road where merchants used to travel between China and Europe. In the middle of the city is a giant square called the Registan, which means 'sandy place'.

Three huge madrasahs (Islamic schools) face this square. Their giant front gates are covered in blue, turquoise, and gold tiles, and their domes shine like jewels. Students used to live and study Qur'an, science, math, and Arabic in tiny rooms behind these gates.

The first madrasah was built by Ulugh Beg, a young prince who was also a brilliant astronomer. He built a huge observatory nearby and made a star map so accurate that scientists still admire it 600 years later!

When the call to prayer echoes across the Registan today, you can almost hear the footsteps of students and scholars who walked here for centuries. It is one of the most magical Islamic places on Earth.