The Khast Imam quarter is the old spiritual core of the city. Here, the Barak-Khan Madrasa and Tillya Sheikh Mosque frame one of the most serene squares in all of Central Asia. The Muyi Muborak Museum houses the Uthman Quran – a 7th-century manuscript regarded as one of the most significant Islamic relics in the world. A short distance away, the Chorsu Bazaar bursts with colour and noise under its distinctive dome: mounds of spices, stacked dried fruits, bolts of silk and the scent of freshly baked bread. And then there is the Tashkent Metro – each station a unique work of art in marble, mosaic and chandelier light, built during the Soviet era as underground palaces for the people.