Whilst on my travels through Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan, I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the Islamic art & architecture.

Whilst the tile work and art on walls, doorways & minarets was quite exquisite, it was the colourful intricate interior ceiling designs of mosques, madrasahs, mausoleums, khans & palaces that really took my breath away.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Gurbanguly Hajji Mosque, Mary, Turkmenistan

Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Bibi Khanum Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Juma Mosque, Shamakhi, Azerbaijan

Abdul Aziz Khan Madrasah, Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Sultan Sandzhar Mausoleum, Merv, Turkmenistan

Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Kok Gumbaz Mosque, Shahrisabz (Timur’s Birth City), Uzbekistan

Tilya-Kori Madrasah, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Citadel Kunya-ark, Khiva, Uzbekistan

Sheki Khan Winter Palace, Shekhi, Azerbaijan

Juma Mosque, Bukhara, Uzbekistan