Registan Square Samarkand

The Registan was the public heart of Timurid Samarkand, and the three madrasahs that frame it are among the finest buildings in the Islamic world. Ulugh Beg Madrasah, on the left, dates from the 15th century; Sher-Dor, opposite, has big cats chasing deer across its portal; and Tilya-Kori, in the centre, holds a mosque glittering with gold inside.

Wander through the courtyards, where the old student cells now house craft shops selling suzani embroidery, ceramics and silk, and stand back for the classic view across the square. The tilework is so detailed that it repays a slow second look.

Come twice if you can: in the morning for photographs in soft light, and after dark, when the madrasahs are floodlit and a light show is sometimes projected onto the facades.