Architectural ensemble Poi-Kalyan (Roi Kalon Ansambli)
Poi-Kalyan is a unique architectural ensemble located in Bukhara. It rises on the parade square Registan and amazes with its grandeur. It is said that not to see Poi-Kalyan means not to see Bukhara. The complex consists of three structures built in XII-XVI centuries: Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri Arab Madrasah. Kalyan Minaret is a majestic column, which is difficult not to notice from any point of the city. To call to prayer, the muezzin would climb to the top of the minaret and announce it to the entire neighborhood. This is the oldest building on the square, it was built in 1127 by Arslan Khan and has never been repaired for almost 900 years. The height of the Kalyan minaret is 46.5 meters, with a lower diameter of 9 meters. The structure has a conical shape with a lantern at the top, decorated with strips of flat and relief masonry. The dome of the lantern has not been preserved. The second object of Poi-Kalyan is the Kalyan Madrasah, recognized as a masterpiece of Bukhara architecture. The monument of the V century was restored from ruins during the years of Soviet power. At the beginning of the XVI century it was already reconstructed. The arches of amazing shape and the decor of the portal became a feature of Bukhara style in XVI-XVII centuries. The inscription above the arch of the portal dates back to the period of restoration: 1514-1515. And in 1541 at the entrance there was a marble slab, installed by Khan Abdulaziz I, which says that Bukhara residents are exempted from paying some taxes. The Miri Arab Madrasa was built by Ubaidullah Khan for Sheikh Abdullah of Yemen in 1535-1536. The madrasa is quite large, containing 111 hujras and 2 cruciform halls: the first hall was used as a mosque and lecture hall, the second was the tomb of Ubaidullah Khan and Abdullah of Yemen.
