A 37.7-Meter architectural marvel: Ulugh Beg’s centuries-old scientific legacy now shines in Tashkent!

🔴The blue guardian of the cosmos – reviving the spirit of 15th-Century Samarkand in 21st-century Tashkent

🔴The secrets of the new scientific and spiritual symbol at the Center of Islamic Civilization

One of the most striking highlights of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan is the Ulugh Beg Portal, standing proudly on the eastern façade of the building. Its architectural design is created in harmony with the traditions of 15th-century Samarkand madrasas, fused with a contemporary style.

Historical roots and spiritual continuity

Mirzo Ulugh Beg (1394–1449) left an indelible mark on history as a great statesman, patron of science, and world-renowned scholar. The madrasas and observatory he built served as centers of learning for centuries. Just as the inscriptions and ornaments on the portal of Ulugh Beg’s madrasa once called people to knowledge, today’s Ulugh Beg Portal continues that same spirit in a modern form.

Architectural design — a spiritual symbol

The portal, measuring 37.7 meters in height and 33.7 meters in width, is built according to the principles of symmetry. This symmetry symbolizes harmony between the human heart and mind, and the unity of the inner and outer worlds. The square towers flanking the structure represent perfection and the greatness of the nation.

The three entrance doors allude to the three Renaissance periods, reminding visitors of our country’s great intellectual awakenings.

The secret of colors and patterns

The portal is decorated with turquoise tiles — a color symbolizing the cosmos, peace, and tolerance. The floral girih patterns on its wings point to Mirzo Ulugh Beg’s astronomical discoveries, and in some places the map of the universe and models of the metagalaxy are depicted.

Epigraphy — a call to knowledge

Verses from the Qur’an and hadiths are inscribed in Thuluth and Kufic scripts on the portal. Among them are divine calls such as “Read!” (Surah Al-‘Alaq, verse 1), summoning humankind to seek knowledge. Every inscription on the portal and its arches serves as a school of spiritual and moral education.

A symbol of spiritual awakening

The ten arches on the wings of the portal symbolize the five pillars of Islam and stages of spiritual maturity. Each arch bears hadiths that call people to sincerity, humility, and the pursuit of knowledge.

The Ulugh Beg Portal is not just an architectural monument — it is a symbol reflecting the harmony of science, knowledge, and spirituality, the spiritual heart of the Center of Islamic Civilization. Every pattern and every verse engraved on it calls visitors to intellectual exploration, awakening of thought, and a journey toward higher values.

Durdona Rasulova
P/S: This article may be used with reference to the official website of the Center.