A fine example of a parish center ia the Balyand mosque in the southern part of the city, dating back to the first half of the 16th century. It is a cube-shaped structure with a colonnade at he corner, and a refined interior. A paneling of hexahedral glazed tiles painted with gold, goes round the hall. A mosaic panel and the mihrab in the western wall face the entrance. The rest of the walls and the wooden plafond are covered by gilded relief patterns-"kundal". The suspended decorative plafond with twelve- and five-pointed stars also serves a functional purpose. It conceals the actual ceiling: beams forming a series of inscribed squares called "chorkhary" – a traditional wooden arch.