Uzbekistan is famous for its magnificent Silk Road cities, turquoise-tiled mosques and ancient trading centers. But venture beyond Tashkent and you can discover something completely different: a remarkable Soviet-era scientific complex that uses the power of the sun to generate extraordinary heat.
TABLE CONTENTS: THE HELIOCOMPLEX / SOLAR FURNACE OF UZBEKISTAN
Known as the Heliocomplex, the Sun Institute or the Solar Furnace, this unusual attraction is easily reachable on a day tour from Tashkent. It’s a fascinating excursion for anyone interested in unusual architecture, impressive engineering or the more unexpected chapters of Uzbekistan’s history.
| 📌 QUICK FACTS FOR YOUR VISIT TO THE HELIOCOMPLEX / SOLAR FURNACE | |
|---|---|
| 📍 Location | 45 kms east of Tashkent |
| 🕗 Opening Hours | 8AM to 8PM every day of the week |
| 🎟️ Entrance Fee | About five US dollars for foreign visitors |
| ⏱️ Time Needed | The guided tour lasts around one hour |
| ☀️ Interesting Fact | One of only two solar furnaces of this design and power |
| ⭐ Worth Visiting? | Make the effort, you will be glad you did |
This isn’t a solar farm producing electricity for the national grid. This is a sophisticated research facility designed to concentrate sunlight into an intensely hot focal point.
A Scientific Marvel from the Soviet Era
Construction of the Heliocomplex began in the early 1980s, during the final decade of the Soviet Union. The facility was commissioned in 1987 as an experimental and industrial research center, developed to investigate the properties of materials exposed to extremely high temperatures.
The location was carefully chosen. Situated in the Parkent district, approximately 45 kilometers from Tashkent, the complex benefits from abundant sunshine and a hillside setting that allows its mirrors to direct sunlight toward a central concentrator.
The result is a striking collection of industrial buildings and enormous reflective surfaces that looks more like something from a science-fiction film than a conventional tourist attraction.
Unlike the historic monuments that dominate most Uzbekistan itineraries, the Heliocomplex offers a glimpse into the country’s more recent scientific and technological past.
How Does the Giant Solar Furnace Work?
The science behind the installation is surprisingly straightforward, even if the engineering is anything but simple.
The system begins with a field of 62 large, movable mirrors known as heliostats. These mirrors automatically track the sun throughout the day, reflecting its rays toward a huge parabolic concentrator.
The concentrator consists of thousands of smaller mirror facets arranged across a curved surface. It gathers the reflected sunlight and directs the energy toward a focal point inside a technological tower.
Concentrating such an enormous amount of solar energy into a small area produces temperatures approaching 3,000 degrees Celsius under suitable operating conditions. That’s hot enough to melt many materials and conduct experiments that would be difficult to perform using conventional heating methods.
The furnace has a thermal capacity of approximately one megawatt. Researchers use the installation to study materials and conduct high-temperature experiments, including work involving ceramics and heat-resistant substances.
One of the advantages of this technology is that it can generate intense heat without burning conventional fuels at the focal point. This makes the facility particularly interesting from the perspective of solar energy research.
Why Is the Heliocomplex So Special?
The Solar Furnace near Tashkent is one of only two solar furnaces of this design and power, the other being at Odeillo in the French Pyrenees. Its importance lies not simply in its size but in the combination of precision engineering, solar tracking technology and materials research that makes the entire system possible.
The architecture is equally distinctive. The enormous, curved concentrator dominates the landscape, while the orderly rows of heliostats create a striking geometric pattern across the hillside.
For visitors accustomed to Uzbekistan’s medieval architecture, the complex provides a dramatic change of scenery. Instead of ancient brickwork and intricate tile decoration, the attraction here is industrial scale, Soviet engineering and a remarkable application of renewable energy.
It’s also a reminder that Uzbekistan’s history extends well beyond the Silk Road. The country has a modern scientific heritage that is less familiar to many international visitors, but is well worth exploring.
Visiting the Heliocomplex from Tashkent
The Heliocomplex makes an interesting day trip from Tashkent, although you should arrange your visit before setting off. Fortunately, there are many day tours offering a trip to the Heliocomplex. I booked a day tour that combined the Heliocomplex with visits to Amirsoy and Charvak. You can find the tour details below.
This is a research institution rather than a conventional museum, so access arrangements and opportunities to see the equipment in operation can vary. I arranged my visit through GetYourGuide, but there were no complex arrangements other than making my booking off the GetYourGuide website.
The Heliocomplex was the first stop on my day tour. The visit lasted about an hour, which felt a little short given how interesting I found the place. A local guide explained the history and workings of the complex, and the bright Uzbekistan sunshine provided some wonderful photo opportunities.
The mirrors and concentrator are impressive to look at, but understanding how the different components work together adds another dimension to the experience.
Is the Heliocomplex Worth Visiting?
If your idea of an Uzbekistan holiday revolves exclusively around ancient cities, historic mosques and traditional architecture, the Heliocomplex might seem an unusual addition to your itinerary. But that’s precisely its appeal.
This is an opportunity to discover a very different side of the country, where scientific ambition and monumental Soviet engineering take center stage. The giant mirrors and solar furnace demonstrate how sunlight can be transformed into an extraordinarily powerful research tool.
You even have the chance to test a small concentrator yourself, burning a small piece of wood with the intense heat of the sun. When I visited in August 2026, admission cost 60,000 som, around five US dollars. I found this to be good value and my visit to the Heliocomplex to be one of the most fascinating aspects of my trip to Uzbekistan.
For travelers who enjoy unusual attractions and places that fall outside the standard sightseeing circuit, the Heliocomplex near Tashkent deserves consideration.
Uzbekistan has plenty of spectacular reminders of its past. At the Heliocomplex, you’ll find a reminder that its story also includes ambitious ideas about the future. Make sure that you add this fascinating complex to your schedule when planning your vacation to Uzbekistan.
Find The Sun Solar Furnace & Heliocomplex on Google Maps.
When I visited Tashkent, I stayed at the very impressive Intercontinental Tashkent by IHG.
Otherwise consider other accommodation options in Tashkent by using the search box below.
Consider reading other posts on Uzbekistan by Two Passports Packed.
(Visited in August 2026)