Panjab Madrasa in Samarkand

Panjob madrassa, also known as panjiob, is a non-operating Shiite Muslim madrassa in Samarkand, on Firdawsy Street, built in 1889. It is located in the center of the historical-geographic city area of Panjob, in the eastern part of Samarkand, where a large diaspora of Central Asian Iranians live, both in other parts of Samarkand and beyond. The name Panjob is derived from Persian and Tajik languages and is translated as five rivers or five rivers (panj + ob - water / river).

The Panjob madrassa was built in 1889 by the local architect and businessman Hoja Abdurayim. From the time of its construction until the 1920s, along with Islamic sciences, secular sciences were taught. Hoja Abdurayim also built the Panjob mosque in place of the old mosque with the madrassa. At the same time, Hoja Abdurayim built an entire complex and called it Panjob. The same complex also included the Bath of David Panjob, which was built by Hoja Abdur after his return from a visit to the cities of Mashhad, Nishpur, Isfahan, Sheroz, Yazd and Qum in Iran.

The madrasa is a one-story building in Persian style with a four-story courtyard surrounded by a barn and dormitories.

During the Soviet period, the madrasah fell into disrepair. In the early 1990s, the madrasah and mosque were fully restored by the efforts of the government and the local community of Central Asian Iranians who believed in the Shiite sect of Islam. In the following years, small restoration work was carried out in the mosque.

Together with other architectural, archaeological, religious and cultural monuments of Samarkand, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name of Samarqand Cultural Cross .