An element of the Kalyan Ensemble, the Mir-i Arab Madrasa was built across from the Kalyan Mosque in the 1530's, during the reign of Ubaydallah Khan, the Shaybanid appanage in Bukhara. It has continued functioning as a madrasa until the present. Like the Kalyan Mosque, the madrasa exhibits a traditional four-iwan courtyard plan. Over one hundred spacious student cells are located behind the double-height courtyard arcade. Each of the courtyard façades contains a central iwan that functions as a summer classroom. The tomb of the madrasa's founder, Mir-i Arab, occupies the largest classroom, located behind the main façade.
Borodina, I. 1987. Central Asia: Gems of 9th - 19th Century Architecture. Moscow : Planeta, 128.
