Uzbekistan

The Ak-Saray was Timur's summer palace at Shakhrisabz, his birthplace. Construction began in 1380 and was never completed. Its surviving 65-metre portal towers give a clear impression of the intended scale.

The Ark of Bukhara is the ancient royal citadel of Bukhara, Uzbekistan. A fortress-palace complex occupying the highest point in the old city, it served as the centre of power for over a thousand years.

Gur-e-Amir is the mausoleum of Timur in Samarkand, completed in 1405. Its azure dome and gilded interior directly inspired Mughal architecture including the Taj Mahal.

Itchan Kala is the walled inner town of Khiva, Uzbekistan. UNESCO-listed since 1990, it is the most complete surviving medieval Silk Road trading city in Central Asia.

The Kalon Minaret is a 45-metre tower built in 1127 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. It served as a call to prayer and a Silk Road beacon, and is the focal point of the Po-i-Kalyan ensemble.

The Registan is Samarkand's central public square, framed by three monumental Timurid-era madrassas whose tilework facades and towering portals are among the finest examples of Islamic architecture in Central Asia.