Kukeldash Madrasah

Kukeldash Madrasah is a 16th-century Islamic educational institution located in Old Tashkent, near the Chorsu Bazaar. Built in 1570 under the Shaybanid Dynasty by Vizier Dervish Khan, whose nickname “Kukeldash” means “milk brother of the khan,” the madrasah features a square layout with a tall portal, two flanking towers, and an inner courtyard. Its yellow brick walls are adorned with sky-blue majolica tiles, rivaling the finest architecture of Samarkand and Bukhara. Over the centuries, it has served various roles — religious school, warehouse, even prison. Today, it stands as one of Tashkent’s most iconic historical landmarks.