Sher-Dor Madrasah: lions, deer and the rising sun

In the early 17th century Samarkand was part of the Bukhara Khanate under the Ashtarkhanid dynasty. Its governor, Yalangtush Bahadur, was a powerful emir and a generous builder. On the east side of the Registan stood Ulugbek’s khanaka, which had decayed over two centuries. Yalangtush had it demolished and built a new madrasah in its place, deliberately matching the size and layout of the Ulugbek Madrasah opposite so that the square became symmetrical.

Work lasted from 1619 to 1636. A few years later Yalangtush began a third building on the north side, the Tilya-Kori, completing the ensemble you see today. The architect’s name is recorded in an inscription on the building as Abdujabbar.

The name Sher-Dor refers to the mosaic panels above the entrance arch: on each side a striped feline, usually described as a lion though it looks like a tiger, chases a white deer. Behind each animal rises a sun with a human face. Islamic religious architecture usually avoids images of living beings, which makes the portal remarkable.

Several explanations are offered. The sun with a face is an ancient Central Asian and Persian symbol of power and kingship, older than Islam. The lion chasing its prey was a common emblem of royal strength. Together they announced the might of the ruler who built the madrasah. Popular stories add that the architect paid for the boldness, but there is no evidence for that.

The motif is so recognisable that it appears on Uzbek official imagery and countless souvenirs. Look closely and you will notice that the lions’ bodies are drawn in a stylised way, with striped coats and flowing tails, designed to be read from far across the square.

Like the Ulugbek Madrasah, Sher-Dor has a tall portal flanked by minarets and two fluted, ribbed domes over the corner halls, set on high drums. The domes are a 17th-century addition to the Timurid formula and give the building its distinctive silhouette. The decoration combines mosaic faience and glazed brick in geometric, floral and calligraphic patterns. The courtyard is surrounded by two storeys of cells, now shops and workshops.

Seventeenth-century builders worked faster and with less precise foundations than their Timurid predecessors, and parts of the building had sunk and tilted by the 20th century. Extensive Soviet restoration stabilised the walls and rebuilt much of the tilework.

Sher-Dor is on the right side of the Registan as you face it from the viewing platform. The portal faces west, so it is lit by the afternoon sun; late afternoon is the best time to photograph the lions, and in the morning it is in shade. Inside, the courtyard is lined with craft shops, including miniature painters and musical-instrument makers who may demonstrate their work.

Entry is included in the combined Registan ticket. Spend time comparing it with the Ulugbek Madrasah opposite: the similarities in plan and the differences in decoration tell the story of two centuries of Samarkand architecture.

Sher-Dor was designed as an answer to the Ulugbek Madrasah across the square. The two buildings share the same width, a similar portal and two minarets each, so that when you stand on the viewing platform the square reads as a mirror. Yet the details reveal two very different ages. Ulugbek’s portal is decorated with abstract star patterns, the language of mathematics; Sher-Dor’s with animals and faces, the language of royal power.

When the Tilya-Kori madrasah was added between them a decade later, the Registan became the three-sided ensemble we know today. Many visitors find that understanding the dialogue between the buildings makes the square far more interesting: walk slowly from one to the other and compare their portals, their tile colours and the way their courtyards are arranged.

Sher-Dor shares its square with the Ulugbek and Tilya-Kori madrasahs, all on the same ticket. Gur-Emir is ten minutes away on foot, and Tashkent Street leads to Bibi-Khanym and Siab Bazaar in about 15 minutes.