Tailor-made Uzbekistan Tours 2026, 2027 & 2028

The three madrasahs—Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kari—form a 15th-century masterpiece of Timurid architecture. Their facades are covered in majolica and azure mosaics, featuring the famous tiger-and-sun motif. The site houses the Tilla-Kari Mosque, where the dome is decorated with five kilograms of gold leaf in the kundal style, reflecting a period when Samarkand was the global centre of science and astronomy.

This 2,500-year-old city is home to over 140 UNESCO monuments, including the 45-metre Kalon Minaret, built in 1127 with intricate brickwork that so impressed Genghis Khan he refused to destroy it. In the 16th-century trading domes (Toqi), artisans still produce hand-hammered copper and Susam silk. The city centre is anchored by the Lyabi-Hauz, a medieval reservoir surrounded by centuries-old mulberry trees and madrasahs.