Po-i-Kalyan ensemble

The minaret is the reference point for the whole old town. It was built in 1127 under the Karakhanid ruler Arslan Khan, and its round brick shaft is covered in bands of different brick patterns, with a lantern of arches at the top from which the call to prayer was given. The Mongols destroyed much of the city in 1220, but the minaret survived, and stories about why have been told ever since.

The Kalyan Mosque beside it is the city's main Friday mosque. Its present form dates from the early 16th century: a large courtyard surrounded by galleries of small domes, with a blue dome over the prayer hall on the far side. Across the square stands the Mir-i-Arab madrasa, from the 1530s, with two turquoise domes. It still trains students, so visitors usually see only the entrance hall and the facade.

The square is at its best early in the morning and again at dusk, when the minaret and domes are lit. Many visitors come back more than once.