Architectural Heritage Conservation Of Registan Square In Ancient City Of Samarkand,Uzbekistan

Samarkand is a city in modern-day Uzbekistan and is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Central Asia.There is evidence of human activity in the area of the city from the late Paleolithic era,though there is no direct evidence of when exactly Samarkand proper was founded;some theories are that it was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC.Prospering from its location on the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean,at times Samarkand was one of the greatest cities of Central Asia.The city is noted for being an Islamic Centre for scholarly study.In the 14 th century it became the capital of the empire of Timur(Tamerlane)and is the site of his mausoleum(the Gur-e Amir).The Bibi-Khanym Mosque(a modern replica)remains one of the city’s most notable landmarks.The Registan was the ancient center of the city.The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery,gold embroidery,silk weaving,engraving on copper,ceramics,carving and painting on wood.The major monuments include the Registan mosque and madrasahs,originally built in mud brick and covered with decorated ceramic tiles,the Bibi-Khanum Mosque and Mausoleum,the Shakhi-Zinda compound which contains a series of mosques,madrasahs and mausoleum,and the ensembles of Gur-Emir and Rukhabad,as well as the remains of Ulugh-Bek’s Observatory.The Registan Square is a real gem located in the very heart of the ancient city of Samarkand.It has gained its worldwide fame thanks to the great architectural ensemble that has become a monument of the oriental architecture.From three sides,the square is surrounded with grand madrassah,portals of which are facing the center of the space.All three erections have their own unique décor.It is by virtue of these buildings,preserved on the territory of the city,Samarkand was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.The aim of this research work is to assess and discuss the strategies employed or adopted in Architectural heritage conservation of buildings/structures of Registan Square in the ancient Samarkand,Uzbekistan;with a view of identifying,evaluating and ranking the conservation strategies affecting buildings/structures in the ancient Samarkand,Uzbekistan.The data used for this research work consist of Primary sources of data and Secondary sources of data.The Secondary sources of data such as journals,conference/seminar/workshop papers,text books,newspapers,magazines and the internet etc.was used to review literatures to help in identifying the preservation / conservation strategies of Registan Square.These formed the main body of the research questionnaire.The Primary source of data for this research was obtained by administering the questionnaire to seek the opinions,perceptions and perspectives of the various stakeholders within this Area.A physical observation and inspection of the buildings under study was employed in this work.All Structures of architectural heritage,by their very nature and history(material and assembly),present a number of challenges in diagnosis and restoration that limit the application of modern legal codes and building standards.The obligation to conserve the architectural heritage of our local communities is as important as our duty to conserve the significant built heritage and its values or traditions of previous eras.More than ever,architectural heritage everywhere is at risk from a lack of appreciation,experience and care.Some have already been lost and more are in danger.It is a living heritage and it is essential to understand define,interpret and manage it well for future generations.This research work identified,evaluated / assessed and ranked ten conservation strategies used in the conservation of Registan Square as a Heritage in Samarkand city of Uzbekistan.These strategies were Redesign,Remodeling,Restoration,Renovation,Rehabilitation Reconstruction,Re-creation,Refacing,Rejuvenation and Reinvigoration.The data obtained were from 200 number of questionnaires distributed,out of which 83 number(41.5%)were not returned;while 117 number(58.5%)were returned.This shows that the response was good.Conservation strategies such as Re-facing,Remodeling,Restoration,Renovation,and Redesign are the top five that have ease of implementation,most effective with very good performance in the conservation of Registan square.Reconstruction / Rebuild,Rejuvenation followed these as the next important conservation strategies.Reinvigoration,Recreate and Rehabilitation are the bottom three strategies with least ranking in terms of ease of implementation,effectiveness and performances in the conservation of Registan square.In the overall analysis,all the ten Conservation strategies have an above average ranking in terms of ease of implementation,effectives and good performances in the conservation of Registan square.The test of the research hypotheses rejected the null hypothesis and accepted the alternative hypothesis,which states,“Architectural heritage conservation strategies employed / adopted in Registan Square in Samarkand have significant impact on the buildings/structures in the ancient Samarkand,Uzbekistan”.These clearly indicates that these outlined ten conservation strategies adopted and employed in the conservation of Registan Square as Architectural heritage in the ancient Samarkand,Uzbekistan have significant impact in terms of ease of implementation,effectiveness and performances in the conservation of Registan square.