Samarkand and the Registan

Samarkand is one of the most legendary cities on earth, a fabled crossroads of the ancient Silk Road that flourished under the conqueror Timur into a capital of breathtaking Islamic architecture. Its crowning glory is the Registan, a majestic public square framed on three sides by soaring madrasas, their vast portals and minarets sheathed in intricate, dazzling blue and gold tilework, one of the most magnificent architectural ensembles in the world, alongside the mighty Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the exquisite Shah-i-Zinda necropolis.

What you actually see

• The Registan - the majestic square of three tiled madrasas.
• Shah-i-Zinda - the stunning avenue of tiled mausoleums.
• The Bibi-Khanym Mosque - the mighty, colossal mosque.
• Gur-e-Amir - the elegant tomb of Timur.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the mildest weather, avoiding both the fierce summer heat and the cold winter; the tilework glows most beautifully in the warm light of morning and late afternoon, and the Registan is stunning when floodlit at night.

Honest expectations

Much of the dazzling tilework has been heavily and controversially restored in the Soviet and modern eras, so it is often brighter and more perfect than the original, which purists note, though it remains breathtaking. Uzbekistan is easy and welcoming to visit, with a fast train linking the Silk Road cities. Its architecture is genuinely among the most magnificent in the Islamic world.

Nearby

Bukhara and Tashkent are linked by fast train; the Silk Road cities spread west.