These two madrasahs stand directly opposite each other in the bazaar district north of the Po-i-Kalyan complex, and the architectural conversation between them is one of the most interesting in Bukhara. The Ulugbek Madrasah was commissioned in 1417 by Ulugbek, the Timurid ruler and renowned astronomer who built the famous observatory in Samarkand. Its decoration is geometrically precise and relatively restrained — befitting a man who spent his evenings calculating celestial mechanics.
The Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah, built in 1652 across the street, takes a completely different approach: its interior decoration includes Chinese dragons and phoenixes among the Islamic arabesques, an unusual sign of the Silk Road's continuing influence even in the 17th century. Both madrasahs now function partly as craft workshops and shops where artisans produce traditional Bukharan items including miniature paintings, papier-mâché lacquerwork, and silk. Browsing the workshops is free and the quality is generally higher here than in the bazaar stalls nearby.