A CRATerre-ENSAG publiCATioN

MiNiSTRy of CulTuRE - boARd of MoNuMENTS - uNESCo / JApAN fiT

fAyAz tEpASuRkhAN dARyA REGioN

uzbEkiSTAN

MiNiSTRy of CulTuRE - boARd of MoNuMENTS - uNESCo / JApAN fiT

A CRATerre-ENSAG publiCATioN

NovEMbER 2006

fAyAz tEpASuRkhAN dARyA REGioN

uzbEkiSTAN

Located at the crossroads of the ancient Steppe Routeand Silk Road, Central Asia possesses a rich culturalheritage, offering a living testimony to thousands of

yearsofhistoryandtotheuniquecontributionsofanastoundingvarietyofpeoplesandcultures.Theregion’spresentpopulationisamosaicofthesediverseinfluences,anditsdeep-rootedandmultifariousculturalidentityhasbeenforged,ingreatmeasure,bythisdiversity.

Inrecentyears,UNESCOhasundertakenseveralchallengingprojectsforthepreservationofCentralAsia’spreciousculturalheritage, as part of its overriding goal of safeguarding theworld’sculturaldiversity.Ourstrategyinthisdomainhasbeentohelpre-establishlinksbetweenpresent-daypopulationsandtheirtraditionsandculturalhistory,withaviewtobuildingasenseofsharedresponsibilityfortheircommonheritage.

AnotableexampleofUNESCO’swork in thisareahasbeentheconservationoftheruinsofthe2,000-year-oldFayaz-TepacomplexatTermez,insouthernUzbekistan.Situatednearthebanks of the River Amu Darya, close to the Afghan border,this Kushan-period monastery played a determinant role inthe transmission of Buddhism from India to China, and isconsideredoneoftheprincipalBuddhistsitesinCentralAsia.Archaeologicalexcavationscarriedoutheremorethanthirtyyears ago revealed many outstanding examples of Graeco-Buddhist sculpture and painting of the Gandhara school.However, over the course of the last three decades, the site’svulnerable earthen structures have gradually deterioratedowingtoexposuretotheelements.

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Foreword

GenerouslyfundedbytheJapaneseGovernment,theFayaz-Tepaprojectaims,firstandforemost,toconservetheancientearthenstructuresforthepurposeofsafeguardinganddisplayingthem.Relatedactivitiescarriedoutintheframeworkoftheprojectincludetraining,documentationandresearch,thecreationofa site museum, and the elaboration of a master plan for themanagement of the cultural resources of the Termez region.From2000to2006,aninterdisciplinaryteamofinternationalexperts, working hand-in-hand with their Uzbek colleagues,have introduced state-of-the-art conservation methods,involving applied research, materials testing and painstakingdocumentationwork.Thishasresulted in the transfer to thehostcountryofscientificknowledgeandmodern,up-to-dateconservationtechniquesandpractices,whichcanbeemployedinfuturerestorationprojectsinUzbekistanandtheregion.

UNESCOwillcontinuetoworkcloselywithMemberStatesinCentralAsiatoensurethatthebestinternationalconservationstandards are employed for the preservation of the region’sculturaltreasures,sothatfuturegenerationsmaybenefitfromthisuniquecomponentofthesharedheritageofhumanity.

Koïchiro MatsuuraDirector-GeneralofUNESCO

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FayazTepaisoneofthemostimportantarchaeologicalsitesofCentralAsiaandmorespecificallytheTermezarea. It bears witness to a key period of the region’s

history,duringwhichtheencounterofBuddhistandGreekculturestookplace.Thesitewasdiscoveredin1968,andwasfirstexcavatedintheseventies.Atthattime,someeffortsweremade to preserve it, but afterwards the site was practicallydeserteduntil2000,whenitwasreconsidered,ontheoccasionofthepreparationofthecelebrationofthecity’s2500yearsanniversary.At that time, thesite,whichwas inabadstateofconservation,wasconsideredforapotentialprojectundertheUNESCO/JapanFunds-in-Trust.Thisbrochurepresentstheeffortsmadetopreservethisveryimportantsite,andthemethodsandtechniquesthatwereusedforitsconservation,

but also gives an idea of thenumerous interesting culturalsites present in the Surkhandaryaprovince. The publication ofthis booklet contributes to thesustainable conservation ofFayaz Tepa, while assisting theGovernmentofUzbekistanandtheTermezMuseuminaddressingtheneeds in termsofmonitoringandmaintenanceofthesite.

fIntroductIon

Aral

Sea

SariqamishKuli

Surk

hond

aryo

TASHKENT

DUSHANBE

Termez

Navoi

Karshi

Bukhara

Khiva

Urgench

Nukus

Samarkand

Jizzakh

Guliston

Namangan

Andijon

Fafghona

Boysun Denow

Dzharkurgan

Shakhrisabz

MÜynoq

Qunghirot

DashhowuzUchquduq

Osh

ChirchiqAngren

Kokand

Jalal-Abad

BISHKEK

KABUL

ASHGABAT

KAZAKHSTAN

UZBEKISTAN

TURKMENISTAN

IRANAFGHANISTAN

TAJIKISTAN

KYRGYZSTAN

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Located in a very strategic location in the alluvialplain at the confluence of the Surkhan Darya andAmuDaryarivers,theinitialsettlementofTermezis

thoughttohavestartedinthemiddleofthefirstmillenniumCE., probably after the Achaemenid conquest of the areaunderCyrus theGreat,when itbecamepartof theancientBactrian kingdom, and probably the centre of one of theterritorialandpoliticalunitsaswell.The actual foundation of Termez, while difficult to date, isusually considered to have taken placeunder Alexander the Great or one ofhis successors; some historians identifyTermez as a possible site of one of theAlexandrias.A small fortress or garrison duringthe Graeco-Bactrian period (c.250-140BCE), the settlement graduallydevelopedintoafortifiedcityorcitadel,separated from a number of smallersettlementsbyanartificialmoat,whichalso served as a large canal providingirrigation to the whole area. The cityflourished over time and was probablythecentreofoneofthefiveYezhiyagbuswhichruledtheareaafterthefalloftheGraeco-Bactriankingdom.In the 6th-4th cc. BC, the city was partof the ancient Bactrian kingdom,and probably the centre of one of theterritorialandpoliticalunitsaswell.Onthesecondhalfof the4thc.BC,themajorsettlementsweredestroyedruinedduring Alexander’s conquest, but wererevivedwithinwhatbecametheGraeco-Bactriankingdom,duringwhichTermez

lAncIent termez

WatercolourbyAl’baumarchaeologicalteam

‘Triad’ group of the buddha

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flourished.Inthatregard,thenameTermezmaycomefromtheGreekThermo,whichmeanshot,anadjectivethatsuitsthecityquitewell.Later,duringtheKushanEmpire,fromonthesecondhalfofthefirsttofourthcenturiesCE1stc.A.D.anduntilthemiddleofthe3rdc.,thecitybecamepartoftheKushanEmpire.Thetown rapidly became a great political, economic, religiousandintellectualcentre,andoneofthemostimportantcitiesinCentralAsia.

Itsimportanceisclearlyshownbythevastfortificationsandbuildings of the period, which stretch over 500 kilometers,includingmanyimportantBuddhistshrinesandmonasteriesincluding Zurmala, Kara Tepa and became larger andtransformed into a major trading and religious center. Bythat time, Termez was surrounded by numerous Buddhistmonasteriesandstupas,oneofthembeingFayazTepa,whichis the one located at the northwestern end of the territory(oasis)ofTermez.

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In 1968, a fragment of a statue was discovered by ashepherd,about3kmnorthofthecitadelofTermez,ataplaceoverlookingtheAmuDaryaRiver.Thetell

wasidentifiedasthesiteofanoldsettlement,butexcavationworksonlystartedin1977,carriedoutbytheSurkhanDaryaSectionoftheArchaeologicalExpeditionoftheAcademyofSciencesofUzbekistan,underthedirectionofL.I.Al’baum.The ruins they discovered comprised a large rectangularmonasteryfacedbyastupa,locatedonthenorth-easternpartof thesite.Thecomplexhas threemainunits: thesouthernunit (A) containing accommodation for pilgrims includingdiningroomsandkitchens;themainmonastery(B)situatedin thecentre; and thenorthernunit (C),probablyused forlecturesandceremonies.Thecentralpart(B)isbuiltaroundacourtyard(30x20m),surroundedbyacolonnadeandaseriesofrooms.UnitsAandCalsofeaturedanumberofinternalcourtyardsandcolonnades.Theoverallbuildingwaslaidonagravellayer,avoidinghumidityinthePaksha(hand-shapedmud) walls, which were about 1.4m thick and up to 4.5mhigh. Roofs featured barrel vaults made of sun-dried mudbricks(adobe)over theenclosedspaces,andflatroofssup-portedbywoodenbeamsoverthecolonnades.

Site axonometrydrawnin2006byRakhmatillaSalikov,architect,BoardofMonumentsaftertheconservationworks

iFAyAz tepA generAl presentAtIon

The discovery of the ‘Triad’ group of the buddha

sculpture by Al’baum archaeological team

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Itwasalsodeterminedthatthecomplexevolvedalotthroughtime,withpossiblemajorchanges in theuseof thevariousspaces.Apeculiarwitnessofthisevolutionisthemainstupa,which had been transformed from a small, decorated one(3mdiameterand2,5mhigh)toaverylargeone(7mdiam-eterand5mhigh).UnitC is thought tobe theoldestpart,andunitAthemostrecent.Duringtheconservationproject,archaeologicalcleaningrevealedacompoundwallsurroundingthelargestupa,andanadditionalcourtyardatthenorth-westernendofthecomplex.Thepositionofthemaingatewasdiscoveredonthesouth-easternside.FayazTepawasbuiltduringthereignoftheKushanKings(1stto3rdcenturiesCE).Oneofthecharacteristicsofthissiteisthequalityandthegoodstateofconservationoftheremainsunearthed,thevarietyandrichnessoftheartifactsandwallpaintings discovered, which represent an exceptional testi-monyofKushanperiodart,withclearinfluencesfrombothBuddhistandGreekcultures.

Site plan, 2003

Restitutions of fragments of Wall paintings(aboveandopposite)

unitB

unitA

unitC

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The most important discovery at Fayaz Tepa tookplaceintheshrinelocatedinthemiddleofthesouth-westernpartofthecentralunit(B).Twoexceptional

sculptureswereunearthedbyA’baum’steaminthisroom:astanding statue of Buddha with an aureole at the entrance,andthefamous‘Triad’groupoftheBuddhaflankedbytwodisciples,anundisputedmasterpieceofKushanperiodartinthe Gandahara tradition. The left-hand wall was decoratedwithamonumentalpaintingoftheKushankingflankedbytributebearers.Many fragments of gypsum and clay sculptures were scat-teredonthefloor,aswellascoins, imitatingthecoinageofGeliokla,VimaKadfiza,anamelessking,andKanishki,Khu-vishkaandVasudev.

The complex was supplied with water from the Amu Dariariverby2.5kmlongwaterpipes(theaqueductembankmentis usually defined as the northern wall of the Kushan city),andwaterpipeswerefoundinoneofthebuildings.

TfAyAz TEpA ART fouNd AT ThE SiTE

Standing statue of

buddha with an aureole

unearthed at the

entrance of the room b8

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Floorsinsidethebuildingswerecoveredwithathicklayerofganch(amixtureoflimeandgypsum)withadditionsofash,sand and small-sized pebbles (the durability characteristicsofthismixtureareclosetothatofconcrete).

In the kitchens, ovens for cooking were well preserved. Anumber of pottery fragments bearing inscriptions in Kha-roshtki,Brakhmi,Baktrianandother“unknowncharacters”werealsofoundinthisarea.

InthecentreofroomC3,aroundfirealtarwasdiscovered,surrounded by four free-standing columns. Suggestive of aconnection with Zoroastrianism, it could possibly be evi-dence of a synchretism between Buddhist and ZoroastrianreligiouspracticesduringtheKushanperiod.

Sculptures, terracotta,

ceramics, wall paintings

found at the site

The stone lion basin

discovered on site

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InSeptember1999,a JapaneseGovernmentmissionvisited Uzbekistan with a view to support theGovernment in its efforts to preserve the country’s

cultural heritage. By the end of this mission, it wasproposed toundertakeafieldprojectatFayazTepa,withinthe framework of the UNESCO/Japanese-Trust-Fund forthe preservation of World Heritage. The purpose was notonly to undertake conservation work, but also to explorethe possibility to develop tourism in the region and so tocontribute to a sustainable socio-economic development ofthelocalcommunityintheTermezregion.

Theobjectivesoftheprojectalsoincluded:theestablishmentof partnerships and long-term collaboration at the local,national,regionalandinternationallevels;thereinforcementof local skills and capacities for the conservation andmanagement of cultural heritage; and an increase of theawareness and understanding of the archaeological andhistoricalsignificanceofthesite.

Theprojectwasstartedin2002,byUNESCOTashkentOffice,withexpertsfromtheBoardofMonumentsofUzbekistanaswellaswithinternationalexpertsfromJapanandCRATerre(Centre de Recherche sur l’Architecture de Terre) France.Besidestheconservation,restorationandpresentationofthearchaeological site, the project comprised the constructionof a visitor’s centre and the preparation of a master planfor both the conservation of heritage and cultural tourismdevelopmentintheTermezregion.

ithe restorAtIon project

The state of the Stuppa

before conservation (top)

Conservation works

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Monitoring dampSectionofwall

peripheral drainage

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If restoration experts in Uzbekistan have quite anextensiveexperienceconcerningtheconservationofbaked brick monuments dating from the medieval

torecentperiods,veryfewattemptshavebeenmadeinthepast topreserve themostancient sitesmadeofmudbricksandearthenmaterialswhen, in fact, theyappear tobeverynumerousinUzbekistanandofveryparamountsignificance.In these conditions it was more than necessary to adopt amethodological approach. So, in addition to conservation/restoration practices, focus was given to the proper under-standing of the site, its environment, and the decay proc-esses, inordertoachieveahighlevelofunderstandingandthus, propose a methodology of intervention with adaptedandefficienttechniquesoftreatment.Itwasalsoessentialtocompletethedocumentationoftheruins,inordertoensurethat the remaining archaeological potential would be wellexploited,andtoenrichthehistoricalandtechnicalknowl-edgeofthesite.

Therefore,theprojectstartedwithaquitelongperiodofdocu-mentation,observationandexperimentationofpossiblesolu-tions.Thesetting-upofagoodscientificandtechnicaldatabasewouldmakeitpossibletodefineandselectappropriatemeth-odsandadaptedsolutionsfortheproposedrestoration-pres-ervationproject.Therewasalsoaneedtoadapttotheexisting

iconservAtIon projectreseArch And experImentAtIon

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know-how available in the area. So, inaddition to a monitoring programme(climatic, hydrological, geological) thataimedatverifyingthehypotheses,vari-

ousconservationtechniquesandmethodsweretested,andleftexposedoverasignificantperiodoftime(from2003to2005)asameanstoidentifythemostefficientones.

Toundertakethat, itwasdecidedtoexperimentonasmallscalefirst,withouttouchingtheoriginalfabricofthesite.Testwallsandstupawerebuiltnearthesite,toexperimentlocalmaterials and conservation techniques (surface protection,plasters,capping,protectivestupa,drainagesystems...).

Someissueswerequitedifficulttodealwith:• Gettingrestorersandarchaeologiststoworktogether,and

attimessimultaneously;• Thewilltokeeptheruinlookinglikearuin,meaningthat

some of the protective assets that the original buildingprobablyhadcouldnotbereproduced;

• Theneedtomaintainintactthevisualrelationshipoftheruinstotheirlandscapesurroundings,whichexcludedtheideaofcoveringtheruinswitharoof;

• Thechoicetouseonlynaturalbuildingmaterials,liketheonesthatwereavailableatthetimeoftheconstructionofthesite.

Raw materials used for the conservation worksGeotextile,lime,straw,gravel,sand,soil

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Fayaz Tepa project has extensively been used fortraining. While training was first and foremostintended for the local craftsmen who had very

little experience in conservation, the site was also used onoccasionstotrainUzbekexpertsoperatinginotherregions.

AspecificityatFayazTepawasthatthetrainingwasorganisedinsuchawaythateveryonecouldcontributetothetraining.That means that room was left for everyone with a certainlevel of expertise to express themselves and contribute tothe general reflection, making the project benefit fromeveryone’sexperience.Forexample,thiswaspeculiarlyusefulwhenaddressingtheissueofcobconstructionwhichisstillmastered todayby the localmasons.Plasteringwasalsoanareainwhichlotofdiscussionswereheld,andvariousplacesvisited,soastoactuallybenefitfromearlierexperiences.Thepractice of archaeology was also a subject that raised a lotofpositivediscussionsanddebates,whichledtointerestingapplications.

Some areas required a more formal training, even thoughmostoftheactivitieswereorganiseddirectlyonthesite.Thiswasthecasefortheconstructionofvaultsandcupolaswithmud bricks and without centering, which had been chosenfortheconstructionofthevisitors’centreandfurtherre-usedfortheconstructionofthelargeprotectivestupa,whichwasbuiltbythetrainedmasons,withoutdifficulties.

fproject ImplementAtIontrAInIng

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Inaccordancewithinternationalconservationprinci-ples,itwasdecidedthatthemethodstobeusedwouldasmuchaspossiblebenon-intrusive,reversibleandmake

useoftheoriginalmaterials.Anothermajorchoice,whichwasagreeduponrightfromthebeginningoftheproject,isthatthesiteshouldkeepitsruinedaspect.However,toensureapropervisibilityof the site, itwasagreed that somewalls shouldbeslightly re-elevated. That concerned the pilgrims’/refectoryarea(unitA)andthecompoundwallonthenortheastside.

Earth is a quite fragile material and soft interventions arerequiredtoavoidseriousdisturbances.Inreturn,thisweaknessofthematerialallowstheevaluationoftheefficiencyofconser-

iproject ImplementAtIonthe monAstery

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vationtechniqueswithinashort timeframe(a fewyears). Itwasdecidedthatrepairsshouldbeminimal,andfocusedonthereductionofthespeedofdecayina“passive”way.Thecon-cepttobefollowedwastoundertakeworksthatwouldensurethatdegradationrisksanddegradationspeedwouldbemini-mized,withoutaffectingtheoriginalstructures.

Thiswasconcretelyachievedmainlythroughtheadditionofa rounded protective “chapka” (hat) on the top of the walls,andtheimplementationofproperdrainagesystemssurround-ing thewallbases.Aside fromthat, themudbricksused forthe restoration works were slightly stabilised with lime. Thisimprovementwill avoid risksofdegradationeven ifmainte-nancecannotbedoneonaveryregularbasis.

Finally, it was also agreed that the environment of the siteshouldbemaintainedinits“wild”state,thuscontributingtothe overall quality of the visitors’ experience. To implementthat,theneedtofencethesitetoavoidanimalvagrancyandaccesstomotorvehicleswasachievedthroughthediggingofasurroundingmoat.Thefarmingareastothenorth,eastandwestwerereducedandanoverallbufferzonewasdefined.Onthesouthernside,themilitaryzonewasdisplaced.

Toimprovethevisitors’experience,awalkwaywasproposedwith in situ copies of important archaeological installations,andtheoriginalfindingsandlayerswereproperlybackfilled.The column bases marking the positions of the colonnadessurroundingthecentralcourtyardarereplicasbasedonlime-stone fragmentsuncoveredon the siteduringarchaeologicalcleaning.

Theentrance to the sitewasmarkedwithanentrancepavil-ion.Itsaimistosuggesttheendofthe“profane”zoneandthebeginningofthe“sacred”one,whileinthemeantimeprovid-ingacomfortableshadedplacewherevisitorscanrest.

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unit C unit b

courtyard

iwan and

column bases

fireplaces The stupa unit A

North-South section

unit d

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generAl vIew

entry pavilon visitors centreperipheral drainage

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Conservation options for the stupa were subject tonumerous discussions. The stupa is one of the fewimmovableelementsofthesiteidentifiedasvaluable

by the team of archaeologists (Al’Baum, in the 1970s). Themainissuewasthefactthatthestupahadbeenprotectedbyalargerstupa,builtatalaterstagearoundit(removedduringexcavations),thankstowhichithadkeptitsoriginaldecora-tivefabricandpatterns.Therefore,aftertheexcavations,itwasdecidedtoprotectitwithametallicroof;however,themetal-lic roof provided insufficient protection from the elements,asdrivingrainsandwind-bornesandwerestillaffectingthestupaonitssouthwestside,effectingsignificantdamage.

Takingalltheseissuesintoconsideration,andexploringpos-sibilitiesthatcouldbeachievedwithlocalmaterialsandcapa-bilities,itwasdecidedthatthebestsolutionwouldbetocovertheremainsoftheancientstupawithaprotectivestructureintheformoftheoriginalouterstupaasfoundandremovedbyAl’baum.Builtasaprotectivedomewithanaccessiblewindow,thissolutionenablesonenotonlytoseetheoriginalstupa,butalsotogoarounditandmonitorthestateofconservationofthisveryvaluableassetofthesite.Anotherfactaboutthestupa

Cproject ImplementAtIonthe stupA

isthat itsplatformwasoftenusedasaninterestingpointforgettingageneraloverviewofthesite.Ifreconstructed,largergroups would then be able to reach it. For all these reasons,it was agreed that a consistent project for the stupa shouldincludeboththerestorationoftheplatformandtheconstruc-tionofacupolaabovethestupa.

The stupa base as well as the protective cupola have beendesignedaccordingtothefindingsoftheexcavationworks,keepingthedimensionsofthelargestupa,asdiscovered(andthenremoved)duringthearchaeologicalexcavationscarriedoutbyAl’baum.Itnowgivesagoodimpressionofhowthestupawas,duringthelaterperiodsofoccupationofthesite.

West-East Section

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Tproject ImplementAtIonthe vIsItors centre To make the visit of the site more enjoyable, and to

improvetheunderstandingofthesite,avisitors’centrewas built close to the archaeological site. It features

a smallmuseum,adocumentationcentreandapermanentguard/guide.

To reinforce its educational purpose, the new building wasdesignedand inspiredby thearchitectureof the ruins. It isalsobasedonwhatiscurrentlyknownaboutthetechniquesand building methods used for the construction of FayazTepamonasteryandothersitesoftheKushanperiodintheTermezarea.

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Aside from some of the baked bricks, whichwerespeciallyfabricatedinShakrisabz,andthemodern equipments (electricity, plumbing),thenewbuildingwasentirelymadewithlocallyavailablematerials.AsinFayazTepa,thewallsof this new building are made of Paksha andmudbricksandtheroofsareacombinationofcupolasandvaults.Thecourtyard,featuringa“sacredpool”(basin)anda“sacredtree”,issur-roundedbyacolonnadeandcoveredwithaflatterraceovertheIwan.

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Aproject ImplementAtIonthe vIsItors centre Almost all aspects of construction of the visitors’

centre are based on observations and on artefactsfound on the archaeological site and at similar sites

of theperiod.Thedesignof thecentraldomewith itspen-dentives and the niches is based on the remains of KushanperiodconstructionsatKaraTepa.Thefragmentsofcolumnbasesfoundonsitewereusedasmodelsforthosepositionedaroundthecourtyard.

Afteritsconstruction,thebuildingwasequippedwithrepro-ductions of the stone lion basin found on site and of theearthen fireplaces uncovered in the refectory area. There arealsoanumberofcopiesofthemostimportantsculpturesandwallpaintings,whicharedisplayedinplacessimilartothosewheretheywerefoundatthesiteitself.

Thevisitors’centrethereforegivesaprettygoodideaofhowbuildings of Ancient Termez would have looked during theKushanperiod.

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5

5

2

7

89

43

6 1

plan of the centre1 entrance2 bar3 iwan4 courtyard5 exhibitionrooms6 guardroom7 stuffroom8 laboratory9 lavatory

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boysun craft centre

Surkhandaryaislocatedinaratherpicturesqueenvi-ronmentandithasnumerousmonumentsandruinsofancientsettlements,witnessingitslonghistory.

The oldest sites discovered in the region date back to themiddle of the Paleolithic era (100-40 millennia BCE),but evidence of intense human activity appears to startonly during the Bronze Age, by the beginning of the 2ndmillenniumB.C.

BenefitingfromthenaturalroutesthatareboththeAmoudariaand the Surkhandaria rivers, the region became, probablyratherquickly,amajortradingcentre.However, itseemstohavebeenasaconsequenceofthemasteryofirrigationthatthe settlements developed and became large fortified cities.That occurred during the Achaemenid period (6th-4th cc.BCE)andfurtherduringtheGraeco-Bactrianperiod(c.250-140 BCE), with probably major developments during theKushanperiodfromthefirsttofourthcenturiesCE.

other sIte oF Interest surkhAndAryA regIon

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cityevolvedintowhatcanstillbeseentoday,eventhoughanumber of recent achievements can be seen as signs of theemergenceofanewera,visiblyinfluencedbyglobalization.

Apart from these elements, the region also possessesinteresting and varied traditional architectures andculturallandscapesthatresultfromtherichhistoryoftheareaandthecapabilityofitsinhabitantstocreatespecificresponsestotheirneeds,makingthebestuseofwhattheirmountainous environment and its two important rivershadtooffer.

Overall,avisittoSurkandaryacanbeaveryinformativeandrich experience, thanks to the numerous local specificitiesthatdonotexistinotherregionsofUzbekistan,andisagoodcomplement to the usual visits which are often limited toSamarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, and that do not suffice toprovideagoodoverallunderstandingofthecountryanditslonghistory.

During the early medieval period (fifth to eighth centuriesCE) the region was part of the large historical region ofTokharistan. Since that time, the city of Termez has beenoftenmentionedinvarioussources.Thesettlementsdiffered,featuringamorepreciseplanningand largersizes,ofupto5-6hectares.

The Arab conquest of Tukharistan by the general QutaibaibnMuslimin710CElaidthefoundationofanewera.Newconstructiontechnologiesemerged,suchastheuseofbakedbricksandglazedceramics.Theirusestartedtobegeneralizedinconstruction,mixedwithpakshaandadobebricks.Islaminfluenced the introduction of new urban planning andarchitecturalstylesintheregion.

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries weremarkedbyagrowing influenceofRussianarchitectureandtown planning. Modern Termez city was conceived at thattime.ButitisduringtheSovietperiod(1917-1991)thatthe

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Amou daria kempir Tepa kara Tepa

Surk

anD

arya

Rive

r

TERMEZ

Kyrk Kyz

Kokildora

Russian Fort

Zurmala Stupa

Fayaz Tepa

Kara Tepa

Ancient Termez

Sultan Saodat

Katta Kum Desser t

Afghan Deser t

Amu

DaryaR

iver

iold termez

It isduring theAchaemenidandGreekperiods thatwritings,whichhavepassedthetestoftime,describethearea,itspeopleandmoreoverthenameofthecity:

Termez.ThecitywasconqueredbyAlexandertheGreatanditisalmostacertainfactthatAlexander’swife,Roxanne,camefromtheSurkhandaryaprovince.Accordingtosomeexperts,Termez is probably the site of the Alexandereia Oxeiane,the capital city of the Greco-Bactrian Empire, which, mostinterestingly,keptitsGreekcharacterdespitethefactthatitbecame totally separated from the Mediterranean world bytheParthianempire.Afterwards,thecityofTermezseemstohavebeenoccupiedbytheYuezhiandtheSakaswhowererathernomadicpeople.So, the major sites of Ancient Termez, which can be seentoday,mostlydatebackfromlaterperiods: theKushanandthe Kushano-Sassanian periods. It is during those periodsthatthecityacquireditshighimportance.Thecitystretchedoutoverhundredsofhectaresandanimpressingseriesofvast

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zurmala Stupa

kara Tepa (generalviewofthesite)

Buddhistmonasterieswerebuilt.Alongwiththedevelopmentofthecity,anumberofnewcanalswerebuiltthroughouttheprovinceandtowns,fortressesandothersitesdevelopedovertheirrigableplains.AlthoughTermezwasneverthecapitaloftheKushanempire,itssizemakesitoneofthemajorcentresoftheregion,anditslocation,onthenorthernedgeoftheEmpire,meantthatitpresumablyplayedan importantrole inrelationwith theneighbouringregions,aswellasinthedevelopmentoflong-distancetradealongtheSilkRoad.AsidefromFayazTepa,themostimpressivemonumentssofardiscoveredintheregionarewithoutadoubtthegreatBuddhistmonasteries,KaraTepaandthestupaofZurmala,allwitness-ingthehugeexpansionofBuddhismduringthisperiod.Themonumentsandobjectsuncoveredoverthepast80yearsprovideastunningimageofthecityduringthisperiod.Theyincludesculptures,wallpaintings,well-preservedbuildings,textsinvariouslanguagesandmuchmore.

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kokildora kokildora zul Qefil

Sultan SaodaT Complex

Situated near the entrance of the ancient citadel, themausoleum of the sufi sheikh al-Hakim al-Termezi,oneofthegreatestoftheCentralAsianhadithscholars,

isamajorpilgimagesite.FoundedaccordingtosomeexpertsintheninthcenturyunderthedynastyoftheSamanids,andgradually enlarged over a period of time until the fifteenthcentury,thebuildingiscomposedofthemausoleumitself-asmalldomedbuilding–withathree-domedmosque,asquarecourtyardandalarge,domedkhanaka.ItcontainscarvedbrickinscriptionsdatingfromtheKarakhanidperiod(eleventhcen-tury)andaTimuridperiodsenotaph.

Illustrating the period when the Karakhanid-Seljuk dynastyruledwhatwascalledtheNorthernTokharistanistheSultan-Saodat complex, an important ensemble of mausoleums oftheTermezseyids,whoclaimedtheirdescendancefromtheprophetMuhammad.Thecentralelementofthecompositionisapairofdomedmausoleumsunitedbyadeepvaultedandtiled Iwan added in fourteenth to fifteenth century whichservedasaMosque.

Tmonuments oF the medIevAl perIod

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kirk kiz

Al hakim Al Termizi kirk kiz kirk kiz

Jarkurgan Minaret

AparticularlyfineexampleofKarakhanidsculpturedbrickarchitectureisthesplendidearlytwelfthcenturyDjarkurganminaret,situatedclosetothemainroadfromTermeztowardsDenauandDushanbe.

Oneofthemostimpressivemedievalmonumentsfromthepost-MongolperiodisKirk-Kiz.LocatedoutsidethewallsofmedievalTermez,itwasprobablythefortifiedresidenceofanoblefamily.Itsdesignisarchaic,withitssquareplan,largecentral courtyard, round towers in the corners and almostblind external facades. Although it was thought for a longtimetodatefromthereignoftheSamanids(ninthandtenthcenturiesCE),ofwhichitsharesmanyofthecharacteristicarchitectural features, more recent archaeological researchhas demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that the siteshouldbedatedtothefourteenthtofifteenthcentury.

TheKokildorakhanakawasconstructedinthesixteenthcen-turyduringtherulingoftheSheibaniddynasty.Theplanisquiteoriginalwithavarietyofdecorativevaultanddomesystems.

Compared to other monuments of the same period inBukhara,SamarkandorBalkh,themonumentsfoundintheSurkhandaryaregionfeaturelessornoglazedtiledecoration,but carved brickwork instead. Therefore, the style is moredefinedbythesignificanceofformsandproportionsandtheoriginalityandclarityofthestructuraldesign.

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The Alexander Nevsky Church

Colonial ArchitectureTermez fort

ThecolonialPeriodinTermezstartedin1894withthecessionofthesiteofPattaHissartotheRussianarmy,fortheconstructionofthefort,whichisstillstanding

todayinthecentreofthecity.Itisahugestructurebuiltwithpakhsaandbakedbricks.Thecolonialperiodisimportantfromaculturalandhistori-calperspectivebecauseitisbythattimethatagreatportionthemodernTermezwasborn.Anumberofbuildingsfromtheperiodare still standing, suchas theAlexanderNevskyChurch,datingfrom1896.BecausetheregionofTermezwasinhabitedlargelybyseminomadicgroupsupuntilthefoundationofthefortofTermezbytheRussianarmy,thereislittletraditionalCentralAsianarchitecture in or around the city. The farm-like housesbuiltalongtheroadsidesshowaninterestingmixofancientlocaltraditionsandnewideasbroughtbytheRussians.Theurbanplan,thesizesofthehouses,andtheirspecificlayoutcomprising individual gardens and front metallic verandascoveredwithgrapesinthesummer,provideaverypeacefulimpressionandalsoasenseofrespectandequity.

recent monumentscolonIAl perIod T

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Termez Archaeological Museum

Shakhrisabz boysun, landscape, architecture and traditional culture

Termez

Samarkand

Boysun

Sherabad

Dekhkanabad

Guzar

Yakkabag

Shakhrisabz Kitab

Denow

Dzharkurgan

Karshi

MakeyourvisittoUzbekistancompletewithajour-neytoTermez.WhileitispossibletoreachTermezbyplane,oneofthebestwaystocomedownthereis

bycar,fromSamarkand.

On the way you will first pass though a mountainous zoneandarriveatShahrisabz,thegreencity,hometownofAmirTimur,whereyouwillbeabletoclimbontopoftheruinsofAkSarai,hissummer(white)palace,oneofthemostimpres-sivehistoricbuildings inUzbekistan.Therearealso severalotherveryinterestingmonumentsoftheTimuridperiod.Youshouldalsovisit thehistoriccoreofthecitywithitssimplehouses,featuringdelicatelydecoratedinteriors.

FromShahrisabztoTermez,theroadwilldriveyouthroughscenic landscapes and you will be able to visit several veryinterestingplacesonebeingthedinosaurfootprintsat…???.,theotherbeingBoysun,whichstands in thecentreof“TheCulturalSpaceofBoysunDistrict”asiteclassified,in2001,as

MA tour In southern uzbekIstAn !

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?? ?? Al hAkiM Al TERMizi

Shakhi zinda, SamarkandaMasterpieceoftheOralandIntangibleHeritageofHuman-ity. If you do not have the chance to be present during theannualfestival,youshouldstillstopthereandpayavisittotheCraftCentre.Builtwithtechnicalandfinancialassistanceof UNESCO, with the purpose of reviving the endangeredtraditionalcraftsknowhow.Thebuildingisamasterpieceoftraditionalarchitecture,entirelybuiltbylocalmasons,usingtraditional techniquesandmaterials.Theproductionof theCentre,includingauthentichand-wovennaturaldyedjandaand bekasam textiles, okenli gilim, gadjari and Terme rugsandsuzaniembroiderieshasalreadywontheUNESCOSEALofExcellenceforqualitycrafts.Inaddition,theCentrehousestheMuseumofBoysunAppliedArtsandCrafts.

AuthorsThis booklet was prepared by:Thierry Joffroy and Mahmoud Bendakir, CRATerre-ENSAG

Scientific committeeMichael Barry Lane, UNESCOTashkentAbdousafi Rakhmonov, BoardofMonuments,TashkentSebastian Stride, MAFOuzofBactriane

ContributionsIgor Chantefort, Sanjarbek Allayarov,UNESCOTashkentToktache Annaev,HeadoftheArchaeologicaldept.ofSurkhanDaryaWilfredo Carazas Aedo,CRATerre-ENSAGS.R. Pidaev,AcademyofSciencesofRepublicofUzbekistanProf. Kazuyuki Yano,PlanningInstitutefortheconservationofculturalproperties,JapanMr. Shourat Khaminbaev,HeadoftherestorationworkshopofSurkhanDarya

designArnaud Misse,CRATerre-ENSAG

illustrations BoardofMonumentsofUzbekistanCRATerre-ENSAGUNESCOTashkent

partners to the Conservation projectUNESCOTashkentJapanFundinTrustforthePreservationofWorldheritageBoardofMonuments,MinistryofCulture&SportofUzbekistanCRATerre-ENSAGin close collaboration withRegionalInspectionforMonuments,TermezRestorationWorkshopofSurkhanDaryaand the participation ofPlanningInstitutefortheConservationofCulturalProperties,JapanUniversityofTermez,SamarkandInstituteofArchaeologyHokimatofSurkhandariaregionTermezMuseumofArchaeologyMAFOuzdeBactriane

ISBN:2-906901-48-2Dépôtlégal:décembre2006©2006CRATerre-ENSAG/UNESCO/BoardofMonumentsofUzbekistan

TheviewsexpressedinthisbookletarethoseoftheauthorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheofficialviewsofUNESCO.

PrintedinFrancebyBastianelli

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ISBN : 2-906901-48-2