The Registan is the heart of the city of Samarkand, and is framed by three famed madrassahs: the Sherdor Madrassah, the Ulug Beg Madrassah, and the Tilya-Kori Madrassah. Additionally, located just off the Tilya-Kori Madrassah, is the Mausoleum of the Shaybanids. The Shaybanids conquered Samarkand from the remnats of the Timurid dynasty in 1500, and later went on to grab a large swath of territory in Central Asia.
It is at the Registan that people would gather to hear royal proclamations and witness public executions. It was, in many ways, a central point of royal power.
