The Registan was the heart of the ancient Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The name Registan (ریگستان) means "Sandy place" in Persian. It's said, the sand was strewn on the ground to soak up the blood from the public executions that were held there until early in the 20th century. The Registan's where Tamerlane stuck his victims’ heads on spikes, and's where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzha… (More on Registan)