Samarkand's Shimmering Shah-i-Zinda.

The best old tile work in Uzbekistan is at the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand. The complex is a collection of about 20 mausoleum buildings, most encrusted with stunning tiles. Titans of the Silk Road are buried here: rulers, Timur relatives, clergy, military folks and even a purported cousin of Mohammad.

The complex is a slow growth endeavor, built between the 11th and 19th centuries. Those mausoleums aren't going to tile themselves.

A kaleidoscope of blue shades. Why stop with the exterior? Inside one of the mausoleums.

Why stop at the walls? Endless tiling, the ceiling, the dome, whatever surface is available.

Back outside, rest the corneas for more tile work. Forget flat, tiles cover stalactite shapes and columns.

The sun may be setting, no dimming on the impressive facades.