In the days of the Silk Road, Registan was the greatest trading centre in the world. Spices, silk, precious stones and furs have all had to pass through this sandy square over the centuries. From the 15C it had three madrasas: in building them, the architects tried to outdo each other in feats of audacity and engineering. Although Samarkand lost its vocation as an international trading centre after the 16C, the beauty of the monuments persists and the magic of the city can still be felt.