Barak Khan Madrasa

Barak Khan Madrasa is a 16th-century Islamic school on the Khast Imam square in the Olmazor District of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with its address on Abubakr Shoshiy Street. It was founded by Navruz Ahmed Khan, known as Barak Khan, a Shaybanid ruler, and today it forms one side of the Hazrati Imam religious ensemble. Its facade is covered in blue and turquoise tilework and a tall arched portal leads into a courtyard surrounded by two storeys of former student cells. Those cells now operate as craft shops, where visitors find hand-made paper, ceramics, musical instruments, miniature paintings, calligraphy and textiles, often sold by the craftspeople who make them. The building also houses a mausoleum of its founder and a small religious school function remains in parts of the complex. A visit usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, enough to admire the entrance portal, walk the arcade, browse the shops and photograph the courtyard. Entry is free, though prices in the shops vary and are often negotiable for larger items. Mornings are the quietest time, with a calm courtyard and soft light on the tiles, whereas midday brings tour groups that crowd the arcade. The best photographic angle is from the centre of the courtyard looking back at the portal, and from the square outside, where the facade appears against the neighbouring domes. Visitors are expected to dress modestly, since the complex is an active religious site, and the surrounding square is easily explored on foot in combination with the Tilla Sheikh Mosque and the Muyi Muborak Library Museum, both of which are within a minute or two's walk.