The Kukaldosh Madrasa is one of the few remaining monumental architectural monuments in Tashkent. The madrasah was built in the 16th century by the powerful vizier Kukaldosh, the brother of the Barak Khan, the ruler of the province of Tashkent. A high hill was chosen for the construction of the madrasah and it served as a kind of pedestal for that Building. Similar to most of the great buildings of the time, the madrasah was built from baked bricks and only partially with majolica ceramics and tile patterns. The high portal of the main entrance is decorated with a magnificent star pattern. The height of the entrance arch is emphasized by a lancet niche above the doors. On both sides of the portal, the facades have two rows of loggias, massive minarets complete the construction at the corners. You can walk through the lobby and along the crooked passageways to a rectangular courtyard, which is surrounded by galleries and "hudjra" cells. Two deep “Ayvan” terraces facing the courtyard have portals almost as large as the one at the main entrance. On the left side of the entrance there was a "darskhona" (room for lectures), on the right side, a mosque. The madrasah was rebuilt several times, but its architecture remained unchanged. In the 18th century the building was used as a caravanserai (courtyard for means of transport). In the 19th century it was used as a ballroom for Kokand Khans, the governor general, for a short time. The windows in the outer walls of the building were made after a reconstruction. At first, the nine-meter-high walls looked like a fortified fortress. For a few centuries, Kukaldosh Madrasah towered over neighboring structures as a symbol of the greatness and power of its builder. Even today, its huge portal is considered a rival to modern multi-story buildings that surround the square. At the bottom of the madrasah on the walls, just like many centuries ago, there are rows for trade in stalls, the largest bazaar in Tashkent - Chorsu.
