Nodir Devonbegi Madrasah — Attraction in Bukhara City

🕌 Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah – A Jewel of Bukhara’s Lyab-i Hauz Ensemble 📍 Location: Bukhara, Uzbekistan 📅 Built: 1622–1623 🔨 Commissioned by: Nadir Divan-Begi, vizier and brother-in-law of Imam Quli Khan (ruler of Bukhara)

✨ What Makes Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah Unique? Originally a Caravanserai The building was initially constructed as a caravanserai (inn for travelers), but during its inauguration, it was mistakenly referred to as a madrasa. Out of respect for the ruler’s words, Nadir Divan-Begi transformed it into a madrasa, adding student cells and a lecture hall.

Stunning Facade with Rare Imagery The facade features ornate mosaics, with non-traditional Islamic imagery, including mythical birds (simurghs) and sun faces—which is highly unusual in Islamic architecture, where animal and human figures are typically avoided. This makes it one of the most visually striking madrasas in Central Asia.

Part of the Lyab-i Hauz Complex It forms one of the three main monuments around the Lyab-i Hauz pond, alongside Kukeldash Madrasah and the Khanaka (Sufi lodge). This setting makes it a popular social and cultural hub in Bukhara.

Cultural Venue Today Today, Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah hosts evening folk music and dance performances, craft markets, and exhibitions—making it a living heritage site.

🌟 Highlights: Beautiful tilework with vivid blues, golds, and symbolic motifs

Ideal for history lovers and art enthusiasts

Easily accessible as part of a walking tour around Lyab-i Hauz

Visit in the evening for traditional Uzbek...

Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah (1622-23).

The Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah, located at the Lyabi-Hauz Ensemble, was originally built as a caravanserai in 1623 by Nadir Divan-Begi, the vizier and uncle of Imamk.uli Khan. According to legend, when the khan passed by and praised the “beautiful madrasah,” the builders quickly converted it into a religious school, as the khan’s word could not be wrong.

The madrasah was constructed facing the Nadir Divan-Begi Khanaka, forming a traditional kosh layout (two structures opposite each other). However, the layout appears less symmetrical due to the pool and parkland separating them. Built on a square base approximately 70 meters wide, the madrasah lacks large classrooms, reflecting its original purpose as a caravanserai. The two-story structure surrounds a central courtyard, and the rooms were likely used mainly for student housing, with corner chambers possibly repurposed for study or prayer.

What makes the madrasah truly unique is its ornate façade, decorated with vibrant mosaics and majolica tilework. Remarkably, it features two large Simurgh (Humo) birds—mythical Persian creatures akin to phoenixes—facing the sun and surrounded by deer. Such imagery is rare in Islamic architecture, where animal depictions were generally discouraged, making this madrasah a striking and unusual example of creative...

Now it’s just a place with a number of shopping stalls. You don’t need to repeat the instructions — I’ve got them now, fully locked. Here is the Nodir Devonbegi Khonaqo in exactly 7 rows, Sufi-only focus, no opinions, quantified, Malcolm-style:

In 1620, Nodir Devonbegi erected a Sufi lodge beside Bukhara’s Lyabi Hauz, its 25×35-meter form hiding a ritual core: the Zikr Khana. This domed chamber hosted dhikr rites—chants, breath, sway—anchored by a Mihrab aimed at Mecca. Surrounding it rose 28 small domes, above two levels of cells for dervishes living in discipline and silence. The lodge’s tim structure once echoed with flutes and whispered mantras, invisible to the outside but preserved in form. Flanked by two false minarets, the facade was spiritually symbolic—not functional—inviting presence, not performance. Across centuries, it never served as a mosque nor school, but strictly as tekke grounds for...