Short answers, pulled from the story.
Timur founded the Timurid Empire and systematically recruited the finest craftsmen from every territory he conquered to build a new capital in Samarkand. He forced these artisans to relocate to his capital, creating a mass migration that turned Samarkand into a crucible of styles. This policy prioritized grand scale and overwhelming luxury to project power through the sheer magnitude of domes and the brilliance of tilework.
The defining feature of Timurid architecture is the double-shelled dome, a structural innovation that transformed the skyline of Central Asia. The outer shell was often an onion shape covered in predominantly turquoise tiles, while the inner support used squinches at the corners and concave spandrels to form a more circular base. This engineering feat allowed for taller, more imposing structures that seemed to float above the ground.
Construction on the Gur-i Amir Mausoleum began at the start of the 15th century and serves as the final resting place of Timur, who died in 1405. The building features a surprisingly complicated but rationally organized layout of rooms inside a rectangular floor plan. The dome is supported on a tall, cylindrical drum and covered in turquoise tiles that have survived for centuries.
The Bibi Khanum Mosque was built between 1399 and 1405 and was named after Timur's wife. It was entered via an imposing portal that leads to a large courtyard surrounded by four iwans, with the eastern iwan being much larger and more elaborate. Four thin minarets are arranged symmetrically along the mosque's front façade, adding to its imposing presence.
After Timur's death, the capital of the Timurid Empire moved from Samarkand to Herat, where his son and successor Shah Rukh initiated a new phase of architectural development. Gawhar Shad commissioned the Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad between 1416 and 1420, which consists of a four-iwan courtyard attached to the shrine. Her work in Herat and Mashhad represented the height of Timurid architectural sophistication.
The Ulugh Beg Madrasa was built between 1417 and 1420 and features a large façade covered by a rich variety of decoration including intricate tilework and geometric patterns. Ulugh Beg also built an astronomical observatory in 1420, which has been partially preserved and uncovered by 20th-century excavations. The observatory was originally a cylindrical three-story building that contained a giant sextant, sundial, and sector.