Solar Furnace, Parkent, Uzbekistan, Adventures of Nicole

Solar Furnace Uzbekistan: How to Visit from Tashkent

Updated September 2026, Solar Furnace Uzbekistan: How to Visit from Tashkent was originally published in January 2022

The Solar Furnace in Uzbekistan is one of the strangest day trips you can take from Tashkent. Tucked into the foothills near Parkent, about 45 to 50 kilometers east of the capital, the enormous Soviet-era Physics-Sun Heliocomplex looks like something NASA accidentally left behind in Uzbekistan‘s mountains.

Also known as the Institute of the Sun, the complex uses 62 sun-tracking heliostats and a huge parabolic concentrator covered in thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight into an intense beam capable of producing temperatures above 3,000°C. The facility is still used for scientific research, and visitors can tour the complex with a guide.

I first tried to visit the Solar Furnace during a trip to Tashkent in May 2021, but my timing was terrible: I was there on a Sunday when the research complex wasn’t operating. I finally made it out during my next trip in fall 2021, and it was every bit as weird and fascinating as I’d hoped.

In this guide, I’ll cover how to visit the Solar Furnace from Tashkent, how the furnace works, its Soviet history, what the tour is like, how much it costs, and what you need to know before going.

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Solar Furnace Table Of Contents

Solar Furnace Uzbekistan at a Glance
What Is the Solar Furnace in Uzbekistan and How Does It Work?
How is the Energy Created by the Heliocomplex Used?
What Is the Solar Furnace Used For?
Why Is the Solar Furnace in Parkent?
History of the Solar Furnace in Uzbekistan
How to get to the Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan
What to Expect on a Solar Furnace Tour
Solar Furnace Uzbekistan: Entrance Fee, Hours and Contact

Solar Furnace Uzbekistan at a Glance

Where	Parkent District, Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan
Distance from Tashkent	About 45 to 50 km
Also known as	Physics-Sun Heliocomplex, Institute of the Sun, Sun Institute
What it is	A large Soviet-era solar research complex
Built	1981–1987
Heliostats	62
Concentrator	About 10,700 mirror facets
Maximum temperatures	More than 3,000°C
How to visit	Guided visits can be arranged by contacting the facility
Phone	+998 70 722 53 00
Time needed	Allow several hours, including travel from Tashkent

What Is the Solar Furnace in Uzbekistan and How Does It Work?

The Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan, also known as the Physics-Sun Heliocomplex or Institute of the Sun, is a huge solar research facility in Parkent, just east of Tashkent. It is one of the world’s largest solar furnaces and was built during the Soviet era for high-temperature materials research.

The system works by concentrating sunlight rather than burning fuel. A field of 62 heliostats tracks the sun and reflects sunlight toward a giant 54 meter tall parabolic concentrator made up of approximately 10,700 mirror facets. The concentrator then focuses that solar energy into the furnace’s focal area, where temperatures can exceed 3,000°C. Temperatures this high are needed liquify steel, iron, and even titanium.

During the Soviet era this energy was mainly used to create weapons parts and refractory materials for the aerospace industry, hence the secrecy.

In other words, the Solar Furnace essentially turns a mountainside full of mirrors into an enormous solar-powered laboratory. And yes, seeing it in person is considerably cooler than that sentence makes it sound.

Heliostats, Solar Furnace, Parkent, Uzbekistan, Adventures of Nicole — The 62 heliostats that reflect light energy toward the parabolic concentrator

The Heliocomplex is an impressive feat of engineering with how it functions and what it produces. The 62 heliostats (flat mirrored panels), on the hill opposite the concentrator mentioned previously, are automatically controlled to swivel in unison, tracking the sun in order to reflect light energy to the concentrator, which then reflects the light into the furnace (also called the manufacturing tower).

From the 6th floor of the concentrator, the Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan is controlled by the 160 laboratory employees hard at work to make sure the mirrors are always following the sun.

How is the Energy Created by the Heliocomplex Used?

The heat energy produced by the Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan is mainly used these days to test the effects of high heat on various materials, in the production of hydrogen fuels, scientific experiments, creation of new types of ceramic, and for foundry purposes.

The Heliocomplex is known to create clean and pollutant-free solar energy, giving it an advantage over other types of furnaces, such as those that are fuel or coal-powered that create impurities.

Don’t miss the beautiful Tashkent Metro Stations

What Is the Solar Furnace Used For?

The Solar Furnace isn’t simply a Soviet relic sitting in the mountains. It remains a working scientific facility used for high-temperature research and materials science.

Research at the facility has included testing materials under extreme heat, developing ceramics and refractory materials, studying solar technologies, and investigating applications such as hydrogen production. The furnace can generate concentrated solar energy without burning conventional fuel, making it particularly useful for experiments requiring extremely high temperatures and controlled conditions.

Why Is the Solar Furnace in Parkent?

The location wasn’t chosen randomly. The Solar Furnace needed a site with abundant sunshine, relatively clear skies, and suitable terrain for the enormous heliostat field.

Parkent, in the foothills east of Tashkent, fit the bill with an average 270 days of sun per year. The facility sits at roughly 1,050 meters above sea level, with the surrounding mountains providing an ideal setting for the heliostats and concentrator. The location also gives visitors fantastic views toward the Chatkal Range from the upper levels of the complex.

History of the Solar Furnace in Uzbekistan

The story of the Solar Furnace in Uzbekistan actually starts long before that massive wall of mirrors appeared on the hillside outside Parkent.

During the Soviet period, Tashkent became an important center for physics and technical research, eventually laying the groundwork for what would become the Physics-Sun complex. Uzbek scientist Sodik Azimov was also instrumental in developing research into solar energy and high-temperature physics at the institute.

Construction on the Solar Furnace in Parkent began in 1981, with the research complex completed in the mid-1980s. The furnace officially began operating in 1987.

During the Soviet era, the facility was a highly restricted research site and was involved in military-industrial research, including testing materials at extremely high temperatures. So, yes, the whole giant-mirror-on-a-mountain situation was considerably more secretive back then.

Today, the Solar Furnace is primarily used for scientific research and materials testing. The Soviet-era buildings and enormous infrastructure are still very much part of the complex, which is a big part of what makes a visit here so unusual. It feels less like visiting a traditional tourist attraction and more like getting a glimpse inside a piece of Soviet scientific history that somehow survived in the mountains outside Tashkent.

Need ideas? Check out this two week Uzbekistan itinerary

How to get to the Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan

The easiest way to visit the Solar Furnace from Tashkent is by taxi or private car. The complex is in the Parkent District of Tashkent Region, roughly 45 to 50 kilometers east of central Tashkent, and the drive generally takes around an hour depending on traffic.

By taxi from Tashkent

I recommend taking a Yandex taxi or arranging a private driver for the day. If you’re using a ride-hailing app, make sure your driver understands that you’re going to the Physics-Sun Heliocomplex in Parkent District, rather than simply Parkent city.

The important thing to remember is that you need a plan for the return journey. The Solar Furnace is a research facility outside the main town, so I would either arrange a round trip with a driver or ask your driver to wait while you take the tour (there is a fee for wait time).

By public transportation

If you’re traveling on a budget, you can travel from Tashkent toward Parkent by marshrutka or other local transport, then continue by taxi toward the Quyosh settlement, where the Solar Furnace is located. You could also walk from Parkent to the Solar Furnace, but it is about 7 km one way.

This option is more complicated than taking a taxi directly from Tashkent, and you’ll need to allow extra time for connections.

Read up more on strange sites around Uzbekistan: The now-demolished secret lab of Aralsk 7 on a dead island in the Aral Sea

What to Expect on a Solar Furnace Tour

We arrived at the entrance to the Solar Furnace around 1 pm. A man working at the gate called the researchers to let them know some visitors had arrived.

We were met by Javohir Zafarovich, a Ph.D. in technical science, who would give us a grand tour of the facility. Javohir has worked at the Institute of the Sun for over 20 years.

The Miniature Solar Furnace Demonstration

Miniature Concentrator, Solar Furnace, Parkent, Uzbekistan, Adventures of Nicole — Javohir demonstrating the quick energy of a miniature concentrator

Javorhir first brought us to a miniature parabolic concentrator where he held up a stick with a pinecone tied to it to show us that within just a few seconds that the light energy from the concentrator would light the pinecone aflame.

The Solar Furnace Museum

Institute of the Sun, Solar Furnace, Parkent, Uzbekistan, Adventures of Nicole

After the demonstration, we went into the museum, located on the west side of the complex to watch an informative video and look at various models. The Solar Furnace Museum even features beautiful artwork inside.

The museum is housed in a large facility building that also features a bomb shelter- a common feature of many scientific research facilities of the USSR.

Views from the Solar Furnace Observation Deck

We then headed outside to see the Solar Furnace in action, walking around the massive parabolic concentrator.

Following, we then went inside the concentrator to take an elevator up to the observation deck for sweeping views of the Chatkal Range as well as the tiered hillside full of gleaming heliostats.

Finally, we toured around the heliostat field where we could see faculty at work on one of the heliostats and others tinkering with a miniature concentrator as they experimented with melting various materials.

Continuing north from Parkent? Learn more about the Uzbek Fergana Valley and plan your visit

Solar Furnace Uzbekistan: Entrance Fee, Hours and Contact

The entrance fee for the Solar Furnace is 50,000 UZS per person, plus a 150,000 UZS fee for the tour itself (entire group). The facility is open from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday-Friday.

You can call ahead to arrange a visit at +998 707225300 and to find out more info about the Heliocomplex. You can also visit the website for the Institute of the Sun for more information.

Have any questions about visiting the Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan?

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