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Samarkand is not lacking in architectural delights! And we should thank the glorious Tamerlane for this (or "Amir Timur" as he is known in Uzbekistan). Here is Bibi Khanun, the main mosque of the city.

An interesting story of its construction is taken from http://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/samarkand.htm:

"Its construction began in 1399, after Timur’s victorious campaign on India. The mosque had been constructed in five years. By Timur’s plan the mosque Bibi Khanum was supposed to eclipse all that he saw in other countries. The architects, artists, foremen and craftsmen from many countries of the East were involved in construction. Two hundred stone-carvers from Azerbaijan, Fars, Indostan and other countries worked in the mosque and five hundred workers in the mountains near Penjikent, extracting and carving the stones and sending them to Samarkand.

The construction was not yet completed, when Timur again set off for one of his campaigns. After returning to the capital, he went immediately to look on the new mosque. ... Timur was dissatisfied by construction and in anger ordered to seize the nobles - Khoja Makhmud David and Muhammad Jeld, who were supervising construction. They were sentenced to death and hung up behind the channel Siab, at the foot of Chupanata.