The Kukeldash Madrasah is a Madrasah in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. It is the most important madrasah of the twenty-three in the old town of Tashkent. It was built at the latest in 1568-1569 by the minister (vizier) of the Shaybanid sultans, Barak Khan and Dervish Khan, and took the name of “Kukeldash”, which means “milk brother”, that is – that is to say in fact “friend of heart”. This is how the trusted dignitaries of the sultans were named.
Located in Chorsu Square in the city centre. It is built by Kulbaba (1551-1575). The main side of the madrasa faces south. There is a mosque on the left and a classroom on the right. The roofs of mosques and classrooms consist of domes mounted on intersecting arches. Its courtyard is large (38×26.9 meters), surrounded by rooms and open terraces. There are 38 rooms around the courtyard, connected to the classroom and the mosque. The madrasa was originally three-storied. The architects decorated the madrasa, focusing on the front of the building.
In 1902-1903 on means presented by the population of the city of Tashkent repair work was begun, but because of lack of funds repair of madrasah was stopped. To madrasah it was not returned in former situation. At capture of Tashkent in 1865 by the general Chernyaev the madrasah building Kukeldash and near it the mosque Hodzhi Akhrara of Valya were strongly damaged.
In 1886 as a result of reconstruction of the mosque and madrasah by the Russian engineers its initial architectural appearance is completely lost. Over time as a result of internal wars, strong earthquakes, uses of the building in various purposes, carrying out several repair work of madrasah the initial beauty and grandeur gradually began to lose. Especially at the beginning of the eighteenth century of madrasah came to the thrown state. At the end of the same century, by madrasah it was used in quality karvansary. During board of communistic ideology the building of madrasah remained a demon of supervision: rooms were used under warehouses, hostels, various workshops.
