Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz
Factors affecting the property in 2003*
- Earthquake
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
- Legal framework
- Management systems/ management plan
- Relative humidity
- Water (rain/water table)
- Other Threats:
Extensive cracks and leaning walls
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2003
Total amount approved : 15,000 USD
| 1999 | Training Workshop in the Preparation of World Heritage ... (Approved) | 15,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2003**
2002: UNESCO expert mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2003
WHC:
In December 2001, the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO alerted the World Heritage Centre to the immediate potential structural threats facing the Ak Sarai Palace and other main monuments at Shakhrisyabz World Heritage site. Upon receiving this news, which included information on extensive cracks, leaning walls and humidity inside the Ak-Sarai Palace, the World Heritage Centre urgently organized an international expert mission in 2002 to assist the national authorities in elaborating a conservation plan to stabilize the Ak Sarai Palace.
During this mission, the international expert noted that structural threats, as well as human activities, the rise in ground water and weathering (rain and frost), were persistent issues threatening the structures, in addition to the major cracks which resulted from large scale earthquakes in the past. All these combined issues were aggravating the structural stability of the Ak Sarai Palace, causing decomposition of the historic building materials. Furthermore, while the emerging commercial and tourism developments represent a rich yet unexploited economic potential for Shakhrisyabz city, such activities are uncontrolled and pose significant development pressure on the site. The UNESCO mission recommended as a priority that preventive measures to stabilize the Ak-Sarai Palace as well as systematic monitoring and management of the site be ensured. Subsequently, an emergency assistance request for the stablilisation of the Ak-Sarai building was elaborated and submitted by the Government of Uzbekistan, in close collaboration with the UNESCO expert and the World Heritage Centre. This request is contained in the working document for international assistance requests to be examined by the World Heritage Committee during its 27th session.
Other UNESCO Sector or Field Office:
The Government of Uzbekistan, the UNESCO Culture Sector, and the UNESCO Tashkent Office are preparing a series of activities for the "Celebration of the 2700 anniversary of Shakhrisyabz".
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2003
27 COM 7B.56
Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Uzbekistan)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Noting with concern the findings and recommendations of the UNESCO expert following the urgent request of the State Party to assess the state of conservation of the Ak Sarai Palace and other main buildings within Shakhrisyabz,;
2. Recalling that at the time of the inscription on the World Heritage List, the State Party had assured the World Heritage Committee on plans to elaborate a comprehensive conservation and management plan to strengthen the conservation process at this property,
3. Recalling further that no international assistance has been made available for this property to date,;
4. Requests the State Party, in close co-operation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to accelerate its efforts towards the elaboration of a long-term comprehensive conservation and management plan for the historic centre of Shakhrisyabz and its main buildings, especially for the conservation of the Ak Sarai Palace;
5. Requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2004 on the progress made in elaborating and implementing a long-term comprehensive conservation and management plan for the property in order that the World Heritage Committee can examine the state of conservation of the property at its 28th session in 2004.
Draft Decision: 27 COM 7 (b) 56
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Noting with concern the findings and recommendations of the UNESCO international expert following the urgent request of the State Party to assess the state of conservation of the Ak Sarai Palace and other main buildings within Shakkhrisyabz,
2. Recalling that at the time of the inscription on the World Heritage List, the State Party had assured the World Heritage Committee on plans to elaborate a comprehensive conservation and management plan to strengthen the conservation process at this property,
3. Recalling further that no international assistance has been made available for this site to date,
4. Requests the State Party, in close co-operation with the Secretariat, to accelerate its efforts towards the elaboration of a long-term comprehensive conservation and management plan for the historic centre of Shakhrisyabz and its main buildings, especially for the conservation of the Ak Sarai Palace, and to submit a request for International Assistance to that end, if necessary,
5. Requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Committee on the progress made in elaborating and implementing a long-term comprehensive conservation and management plan for the property.
Uzbekistan
Exports
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
