Lack of historical information makes this structure mysterious. It is deemed a male necropolis of the last Samarqand Timurids, descendants of Abu-Said (1451— 1468/9).
From the very beginning the Ulugbek madrasah was the main religious institution of Samarkand, its unique university in the Middle Ages. Originally the madrasah had 50 hujras (cells), which served as a dwelling for more than one hundred students.