On restoration of the historical and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan
and revival of cultural and spiritual values of
the Uzbek people during the years of independence
Uzbekistan is a country of an ancient civilization and profound culture.
None of other Central Asian republics has such a large quantity of monuments of
history and ancient culture as does Uzbekistan. The land of our republic is a
peculiar precious achieve, preserving unique historical and archaeological
monuments of various epochs from evolution of the human sapiens to formation
of large ancient states. It is no mere chance that large archeological explorations in
Uzbekistan have made archeology a separate field of historical science,
development of which is also marked with a series of remarkable discoveries of
international significance.
With obtaining the state sovereignty of Uzbekistan, revival of spirituality
and culture, restoration of true history and singularity have become one of the
priorities of the state policy of the republic. “Rehabilitation of spiritual values we
consider as an organic and natural growth of national identity, return to spiritual
origins of the nation, to its roots”, says Islam Karimov.
Having rightly realized all importance of spiritual and cultural values as a
basis of development and powerful impetus to national identity, the government of
Uzbekistan led by President began widely advocating customs, traditions and
national values of the Uzbek people. All national and religious holidays – Navruz,
Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha – have been reinstated. Holy religion of our ancestors –
Islam has been resurrected. Embodying highly moral and humane principles,
Islam has always played a uniting role and synthesized millennial experience of
spiritual development of our people. Old mosques have been reconstructed with
new ones been built. A number of religious institutions, including Tashkent
Islamic University, have been established. Numerous monuments of culture and
history, masterpieces and pride of the Uzbek nation, were restored with
construction of new memorial complexes such as the Memorial of Remembrance
and Tribute, Imam al-Bukhari, Al-Ferghani, Amir Temur and Temurids Museum
and many others, which encompass traditions of Oriental architecture and modern
developments of architecture and at the same time, distinguish by their fineness
and grandeur.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
made a decision to nominate Tashkent a Capital of Islamic culture and civilization
in 2007, which was an acknowledgment by the international community of the
great contribution of Uzbekistan to both Muslim and world civilizations.
Creation of the independent state today helps revive the cultural and
spiritual values of Uzbek people and the wealth of historical and archaeological
heritage, which reveals a multifaceted history of the people plays a decisive role in
this.
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We can define several major directions of history, in the development of
which archaeological materials and discoveries became the priority and sometimes
the only source. One of these directions was the discoveries in the field of human
origins and primitive culture. Half a century ago there were discovered the first
traces of ancient people who lived in the territory of our Republic. But only in
recent decades there were made discoveries of world importance, which became a
real breakthrough in historical science. The discovery and study of the Stone Age
monuments in Southern Fergana and Tashkent oasis, ages of which are determined
from half a million to 400-50 thousand years old, included Uzbekistan to the world
regions where the anthropogenesis process took place. The most important
openings are the discoveries of the prehistoric man’s remains in the Obirahmat
cave (in the Tashkent oasis), the study of which changes the idea of the formation
of the becoming of the modern human. Despite the obsolete concept of stages of
human evolution, modern science approved the idea of the coexistence of different
types of fossil man and their possible crossing. Obirahmat cave dweller, who lived
about 70-50 thousand years ago represents such a crossbreeding form of
anthropogenesis process. These findings join the latest achievements of foreign
scientists who trace this process on the materials of Africa, Portugal, France,
Middle East.
Another important area, which today has advanced the researches of Uzbek
archaeologists is the achievements in the study of ancient civilizations and the
origin of cities in the territory of the Republic. They allowed defining zones of
development of ancient civilizations: the South - farming, and the North - with
integrated pastoral farming, which is slightly behind in time. Agricultural
civilization of the first cities of the ancient oriental type opened in the twentieth
century in the south of Uzbekistan has significantly expanded its limits with the
work of Uzbek scholars. As it is now established, it occupied a vast territory from
the north of the Amu Darya (Bactria) to Zarafshan (Central Sogdiana). This
civilization of the second half of III - mid II century BC, called the BactrianMargiana differs with highly developed skills of architecture and construction in
the building of forts, palaces and major ideological centres - the temples,
fortresses, with the rituals associated with the future religion of Zoroastrianism.
Nowadays, the beginning of statehood in Middle Asia is associated with
Bactria, mentioned even in Assyrian annals (VIII century BC), and its prosperity –
Kushan State (I-IV centuries AD), which was characterized by synthesis of local
cultural traditions with the Greek and Indian influence. This kingdom was one of
the largest empires of the East. Peculiar school of architecture, sculpture and
painting was formed in it. The art of Khalchayan, Dalverzintepa (Surkhandarya
province) are examples, both secular and religious. Buddhist painting and sculpture
Karatepe, Fayaztepa in Old Termez are unique. Here, such artistic masterpieces as
the famous sculptural frieze of Airtam or image of Buddha with two monks
(known as “triad” II-III century BC) were created.
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Nowadays, the gallery of Buddhist sculpture characters are enriched by
discoveries of Uzbek-French and Uzbek-Japanese expeditions in Termez. This art
was further developed in the early Middle Ages, as the temple on the site of Kuva
in Ferghana with a lot of sculptures, which carefully preserved in museums, could
be evidence of that. An invaluable heritage of ancient sculptors is an integral part
of the artistic treasures of our nation.
Important discoveries were made in recent times on the site of Kampirtepa
in Surkhandarya. This is a port city on the Amu Darya with fortress of II century
BC, which almost completely excavated by archaeologists. The monument is saved
as an important historic and tourist site. Its walls and towers were reconstructed
using ancient methods of construction.
Civilization of ancient Khorezm, which was discovered earlier by
archaeologists, has been enriched in recent decades not only by new monuments,
but also modern interpretations of its origin. The beginning of the ancient culture
of Khorezm in the delta of Amu Darya rises early I millennium BC, and the
formation of civilization itself and ancient cities began about 2700 years ago, with
strong influence from the south of Bactria and Margiana. From the middle of I
millennium BC, there is a reason to talk about abdication of Khorezm state.
Currently, a large ancient settlement Kazatly-yatgan was discovered on the
right bank of Khorezm, which was recognized as the ancient capital of early
Khorezm Kingdom. Palace-temple complexes with oldest among known in Central
Asia wall paintings (“gallery of kings”), sculptures and examples of ancient
Khorezm writing were discovered.
Civilization of Central Asia as a part of the East was deeply urbanized.
Medieval Arab geographers noted that no area of the East had so many flourishing
cities, as Maverannahr – Middle Asian Mesopotamia, and numbered here more
than 200 cities. Many of them have an ancient foundation going back to the
beginning of formation of the state.
Currently, comprehensive studies of major historical cities, which were
originated from ancient times and are living a full life today, are being continued.
These are – Samarkand, Bukhara, Karshi, Shahrisabz, Termez and Tashkent,
Khiva, centers of Ferghana Valley and Tashkent oasis. The excavations of these
cities reveal the ways of development of statehood, the relationship between urban
and rural settlements, the country's economy in general and its role in the
integrative processes of the nations of Central Asia.
The above archaeological achievements of Uzbekistan are only a few
milestones in the creation of archaeological science itself. At present stage the
archaeology of Uzbekistan has enriched its traditional methods of research and is
applying allied science methods, such as GIS system and JPS adopted in the
geography, which allow to record the stages of the composition of settlement sites
and their entire systems. Chronological development of historical geography,
previously performed by a complex system of maps, is currently being addressed
on electronic computer basis.
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In the area of improving the absolute chronology, the application of data of
natural sciences, continuous perfection radio-carboxylic, potassium-argon,
dendrochronological dating methods are widely entered into use in archaeological
science of Central Asia.
Rich archaeological heritage study is only one scientific side of the problem.
Another, no less important, is the preservation of invaluable monuments of the
Uzbek people and the conservation of the most prominent of them using modern
methods in order to make them objects of international tourism.
An important constituent of the restoration of historical and cultural heritage
is the continuation of an effective activity on identification and protection of
monuments of material culture. It is held on the basis of the Law «On protection
and use of objects of archaeological heritage» adopted by the Legislative Chamber
of Uzbekistan on 16 June 2009. Thanks to this the law efforts have recently been
intensified to take over the protection of previously unknown cultural monuments.
Today there are about 4000 archaeological sites taken under protect, but in the
future their number will be growing rapidly.
Work has been continued to draft a code of monuments in the regions of
Uzbekistan, conducted according to international standards of UNESCO bodies to
protect heritage, as well as their preparation them for inclusion to a protective
inventory. This work is carried out by archaeologists with the authorities for
protection and use of objects of historical heritage of the Ministry of Culture and
Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In independence years, along with restoration of architectural ensembles, the
conservation of unique archaeological monuments of different eras - Buddhist
temples in Surkhandarya region, fortifications of Bukhara and Samarkand, the
palace complex of ancient Khorezm, ancient city centre of Tashkent - Mingurik
town, is being carried out using modern methods.
palace complexes of ancient Khorezm, ancient urban hub of Tashkent – Mingurik
settlement.
In total over a 1,000 ancient monuments of architecture and archeology
have been restored. All this contributes to both preservation of cultural heritage of
the country and studying the ancient monuments, though problems in this sphere
still persist.
One of the most important directions of spiritual revival of Uzbekistan is the
rebirth of true history, especially of the epoch of Amir Temur, end of XIX –
beginning of XX century, Jadids’ movement, national liberation movements,
period of the Soviet totalitarian system, which has allowed objectively report on
historical events and processes, reveal the classified pages of history of
Uzbekistan. The great ancestors of the Uzbek people whose names had been
unfairly forgotten during the years of colonial regime, such as Imam al-Bukhari,
Imam at-Termizi, Bakhauddin Nakshband, Khoja Akhmad Yassavi, Amir Temur,
Boborakhim Mashrab, Burkhoniddin Marghiloni and others have been restored.
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These and other great ancestors had enormously contributed not only in Uzbek
national culture, but to the entire human civilization.
Rich historical heritage of Uzbekistan, its spiritual and moral traditions,
invaluable contribution into the world culture have become a basis and a visiting
card of Uzbekistan’s becoming the subject of international relations, broad foreign
political and economic activity.
Speaking of integration of the country into the world community, President
Islam Karimov notes: “We stand, above all, for integration in spiritual sphere,
science, culture, education and information”1 what, undoubtedly contributes to
broad demonstration of historical and cultural heritage of the Uzbek people on
international level and guarantees the success of social-economic and political
reforms in the country, success of scientific and technical progress.
In the course of the country’s integration in the world spiritual community,
Uzbekistan’s October, 1993 joining the UNESCO – an universal international
body which unites the national systems of science, culture and education and
meanwhile enriches them with integrated experience of world intellectual
development, introduces the people to the enormously rich spiritual heritage of
humankind.
In the process of revival and growth of national self-consciousness the
historical memory, restoration of unprejudiced and true history of the Uzbek
people secures an important place.
The Government of the country adopted numerous resolutions aimed at
studying the history of Uzbekistan and its statehood. In this regard the activity of
Uzbekistan’s scholars and public organizations has been quite productive. Among
them the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of
Uzbekistan has been the most active. The Institute has prepared and published
scientific and popular science research papers on different periods of history of the
Uzbek nation which previously were not covered.
Commemoration of anniversaries of Uzbekistan’s ancient cities and great
ancestors secures plays a special role in revival of spiritual heritage of Uzbekistan
and its international recognition. Upon the resolution of the Government of
Uzbekistan the country widely celebrated 600 years anniversary of the great
scholar and ruler Mirzo Ulugbek (1994), 660 years anniversary of the great
statesman, military commander Amir Temur (1996), 1225 years anniversary of the
great thinker, soltan of hadith Al-Bukhari and 1200 years anniversary of a famous
scientist Al-Ferghani (1998), 2700 years anniversary of “Avesta” (2001), 1000
years anniversary of heroic epos of “Alpomish”, 800 years anniversary of the great
son of Uzbek nation J.Manguberdi (1999), 1300 years anniversary of Imam
Moturidiy and 910 years anniversary of Al-Margiloni (2000), anniversary of the
Academy of Mamun (2006). Those festivities were included in the list of
UNESCO calendar events and widely celebrated on international level.
1
Karimov I.A. Po puti sozidaniya. T. 4. Tashken: Uzbekiston, 1996. P. 332 .
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Besides, a number of cities whose age was determined based on archeological
research, upon UNESCO’s decision also celebrated their anniversaries: Samarkand
celebrated its 2750 years anniversary (2007), Karshi – 2700 years anniversary
(2006), Bukhara (1997), Khiva (1997) and Termez – 2500 years anniversary
(2002), Tashkent – 2200 years anniversary (2009), and Marghilan – 2000 years
anniversary (2007).
What was reason for these anniversaries to be commemorated so widely? As a
matter of fact, in research papers of some foreign scholars the activity of our great
ancestors covered ambiguously, sometimes biased. Holding of these international
conferences has allowed fully, comprehensively and objectively cover the activity
and creation of those persons and define new priorities of our country which
undoubtedly is a big success of the Uzbek diplomacy and scholars of our country.
Among international jubilee events we can mention the 1994 Mirzo Ulugbek
week at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The function started with international
symposium on “Mirzo Ulugbek and the epoch of the Great Temurids”1. In
continuation of the festivities the “Ulugbek and traditional art” was held. It was
dedicated to the life and activity of Mirzo Ulugbek, his time, dynasty
“The Week of Ulughbek” held by UNESCO has let the people and guests of
Paris to get acquainted with Uzbekistan, as well as its rich cultural and spiritual
heritage and essential developments, taken place during the short span of time after
Independence.
As a result of ongoing studies on Mirza Ulughbek’s works by scholars, the
International Conference entitled “Mirza Ulughbek and his contribution to world
science” was held in 2009 to mark “The Year of Astronomy” announced by
UNESCO.
A scientific conference and an exhibition “The Progress of Science, Culture
and Education during the epoch of Temurids’ Dynasty” dedicated to the
anniversary of Amir Temur were held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in
April 1996.
At its inaugural ceremony, the President Islam Karimov has rightly pointed
out that one of the historical missions of Amir Temur was that, due to his
endeavors, for the first time in history the nations of Asia and Europe were joined
in one geopolitical domain.
The guests of the exhibition including President of France Jacque Chirac and
the UNESCO Director General Federico Mayor have familiarized themselves with
the displays, exploring scientific and cultural heritage of the epoch of Amir Temur
and his dynasty (manuscripts, coins, clothes and other items), as well as with
paintings and artworks of modern Uzbek artists devoted to the Temur’s Dynasty.
In June 1997 a week-long activities have been held in Paris to mark 2500 th
anniversary of ancient cities of Bukhara and Khiva. The activities included an
exhibition dedicated to Bukhara and Khiva, a theatric show “The Great Silk Road”
and a performance by Uzbek dancers.
1
Narodnoye slovo. - 1994. - 24 October .
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In his speech, the UNESCO Director General has stressed that thousands
years back Bukhara and Khiva were the spiritual centers which greatly enriched
the cultural heritage of humanity1.
2200th anniversary of Tashkent has been celebrated with cultural and
scientific programs at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in April 2009. A
number of academic conferences have also been held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for
the same cause.
Hence, the anniversary celebrations have focused the attention of
international cultural and academic community on Uzbekistan, and not only
promoted the studies on great ancestors and cities and their contribution to world
civilization, but also encouraged world community’s awareness about the
achievements in the sphere of revival of the national cultural and historical values.
It is also pertinent to mention that with collaboration of foreign and local
scholars a number of fundamental works have been published, dedicated to the
personalities of Amir Temur, Al Bukhari, Al Farghani, and the cities of Khiva,
Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent2. In these works, for the first time the great
heritage of our ancestors and cities has been studied in the light of socio-economic
developments and cultural processes of those ancient epochs.
The concrete outcome of the project “The Silk Road - the Road of Dialogue”
has become the foundation of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies
(IICA) in Samarkand in 1996 with the participation of 12 countries of the world.
The mission of the Institute is to study the Central Asian history, to give its
objective assessment to processes going on in Central Asian countries on their
modern path of development. In the framework of these fundamental researches
the essential works of Y.F.Buryakov and A.A.Gritsina named “Mavaraunnakhr on
the Great Silk Road” (2003) has been published and the International Academic
Conference entitled “The Strabo Route as a Part of the Great Silk Road” has been
organized in 2008.
An important outcome of the studies on the history of Central Asia, jointly
carried out by the different scholars around the world has been the publishing of
“The history of civilizations of Central Asia” in six volumes, which gives overall
picture of historical and cultural processes in Central Asian region, stretched from
Mediterranean Sea to China.
With the efforts of this International Organization well-known cities of
Bukhara, Khiva and Shahrisabz, the collection of oriental manuscripts at the
Institute of Oriental Studies of Uzbekistan’s Academy of Sciences, and unique
Usman’s Koran were included to the “World Heritage List”, which comprises of
more than 690 monuments and historical locations of the world, among them are
Newspaper “Pravda Vostoka”. June 24, 1997.
Amir Temur in the World History, Paris, 1996, p.290; Light from the depth of centuries, Tashkent, 1998, p.152; Al
Farghani, Tashkent, 1999, p. 260; Khiva – a city of thousand domes, Tashkent, 1997, p. 224; Bukhara – pearl of the
East, Tashkent, p. 224.
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Versailles of France, Italian cities of Venice and Florence, the Egyptian Pyramids
and Taj Mahal of India1.
The inclusion of our historical and cultural monuments into the “World
Heritage List” serves as the recognition of their importance and belonging to the
whole humanity and responsibility of the world community for their preservation.
Thus, the revival of spiritual, historical and cultural values of the Uzbek
Nation is the foundation for the self-determination, formation and development of
National statehood as well as the spiritual and moral impetus for wide-scale
developments and the aspirations of the country for the future.
Wide international interest to the developments in Uzbekistan is not only the
recognition of the Government’s policy on this direction, but also promotion of
Uzbekistan’s contribution to world culture and the unity of universal and national
values, which is no doubt, an important factor for the peaceful relationship among
the nations.
1
World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee as of 1998. Paris, UNESCO publishing, 1999.