Samanid Mausoleum
Samanid Park, Uzbekistan
This compact domed tomb makes its impression through brick rather than coloured tile. Its four sides use intricate patterns that change as sunlight moves across the walls, with small openings beneath the dome bringing light into the interior. Walk around the building instead of approaching it as a single façade. It offers a useful contrast to Bukhara’s larger madrasas and a close look at the ingenuity of the city’s early builders.