Facing each other on the same street stand two madrasahs that are easy to see in a single stop. Ulugbek Madrasah was built in the 15th century by Tamerlane's grandson and is considered one of the oldest surviving educational buildings in the region — its portal is decorated with geometric ornament without any depictions of living creatures, following the strict religious tradition of the time. Two centuries later, the Abdulaziz Khan Madrasah was built directly across from it, its portal decorated instead with figures of birds and dragons — a rare departure from the canon that shows how architectural tastes shifted over time. Comparing the two portals, standing a couple dozen meters apart, takes no more than 15 minutes and gives a clear view of Bukhara's architectural evolution in one spot.
