Kukeldash Madrasah

Kukeldash Madrasah Highlights

Kukeldash Madrasah is from the 16th century in Tashkent which is situated near to Chorsu Bazaar. In the year 1570 of the 16th century, Kukeldash Madrasah was built by Shaybanids of the Turko-Mongol dynasty. The yellow bricks were used to build the madrasah with some traditional shapes and inner yards. The inner yards have small rooms in which students lived in the madrasah.

The big portal at the entrance is 66 feet high and also with two towers at sides. In the year of 1830-1831 of the 19th century was Kukeldash Madrasah’s first floor was demolished. Later on, the bricks of the first floor were used to build another Madrasah nearby in the name of Beklarbegi Madrasah. The restoration was done later on.

In 1868, the madrasah had undergone damage due to earthquake and after several years later in 1902-1903 it had to be reconstructed for the first time. In the 1950s, the second reconstruction of madrasah had to be done. Kukeldash Madrasah became the only religious building that withstood the disastrous earthquake in 1966 in Tashkent.

There is another madrasah in Tashkent known as Barak-Khan Madrasah. Among these two, the Kukeldash Madrasah has a completely different history and events in its favor. All the events in the past have been potential factors that brought fame and heritage to it, thus it is renowned in entire Uzbekistan.

This religious building underwent dramatic instances where it lost its identity several times. In one instance, the madrasah was converted into a caravanserai (the place where travelers stay overnight to rest from day’s journey) where traders used to stay. The second instance was in the 18th century, it was changed to a fortress. The third instance was in the 20th century it was a museum. Later in the 90s, the building was converted once again back to its identity as a madrasah.