THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE LOST MAUSOLEUM OF NUR AL-DIN BASIR IN SAMARKAND: HISTORY OF ITS CONSTRUCTION AND DESTRUCTION, DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MONUMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i41.2009Keywords:
heritage conservation, architectural reconstruction, Samarkand, Temurid architecture, cultural tourism, urban planningAbstract
The architectural and electronic reconstruction of the mausoleum of Sheikh Nur al-Din Basir (d.1249) destroyed in the late nineteenth century in Samarkand and an important Temurid monument is included in this essay. The study is interdisciplinary following the integration of the archival research, architectural drawing, cartography, and up-to-date geodetic research as the scientific basis of a 3D reconstruction of the mausoleum and its historical landscape. In addition to the reconstruction of the architectural image of the monument, the study showcases how it would fit in the urban fabric of Temurid Samarkand and how it would be incorporated in the fortified citadel of Amir Temur. The reconstruction has also shown the relevance of digital technologies in conservation of heritage, history of urban planning and marketing cultural tourism. Connecting the studies of architectural heritage to the modern techniques of planning and built environment, this paper will give a new understanding of how digital reconstructions may be used as the means of both academic study and sustainable management of cultural heritage.
Downloads
References
Abbasova-Yusupova, M. A. (2020). Typology of Sufi memorial architecture of Central Asia of Amir Temur’s epoch. History and Archaeology of Turan, (5), 410–425.
Anarbaev, A. A., & Lebedeva, T. I. (1996). Monuments of Temur’s citadel. Scientific Reports, (1), Fergana.
Buryakova, E. Yu. (1989). On the planning and fortification of the Samarkand citadel (14th–19th centuries). Urban Planning and Architecture, xx(xx), xx–xx. Tashkent.
Buryakova, E. Yu., & Lebedeva, T. I. (1988). The defensive system of Temur’s citadel. In Proceedings of IMKU.
Campana, S., Ferdani, D., Graf, H., Guidi, G., Hegarty, Z., Pescarin, S., & Remondino, F. (2025). Modern Digitization and 3D Visualization Technologies for Virtual Access to Hard-to-reach or Perished Historical Sites. https://diglib.eg.org/bitstreams/4ed1818d-bea1-4133-b341-a4b9bd733d2a/download
Golombek, L., & Koch, E. (2017). The Mughals, Uzbeks, and the Temurid Legacy. In A Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture (pp. 811–845). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119069218.ch32
Khorloo, O., Ulambayar, E., & Altantsetseg, E. (2022). Virtual reconstruction of the ancient city of Karakorum. Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, 33(3–4), e2087. https://doi.org/10.1002/cav.2087
Kök, E. (2022). Ressam Vasili Vasilyeviç Vereşçagin’in (1842-1904) Çizgileriyle Temurlu Anıtları: Asya Kültürel Mirasının Belgelenmesi. Art-Sanat, (18), Article 18. https://doi.org/10.26650/artsanat.2022.18.1036321
Kong, B. (2025). Digital Documentation of the Nisa Archaeological site (Turkmenistan): Enhancing the Integration of Laser Scanning Methods for 3D Printing and Video Mapping [Laurea, Politecnico di Torino]. https://webthesis.biblio.polito.it/38913/
Kuhn, A. L. (1871). Turkestan Album. Architectural Part 4.
Lebedeva, T. I. (2001). The late medieval Ark of Samarkand. In T. S. Shirinov (Ed.), History of material culture of Uzbekistan (Vol. 32, pp. 202–217).
Man’kovskaya, L. Y. (1980). “Honako, takiya, zavya”. In Typological bases of Central Asian architecture (IX-beginning of the XX century) (pp. 125–134). Tashkent.
Masson, M. E. (1956). The architectural and planning appearance of Samarkand in the time of Navoi. In Proceedings of SAGU.
McChesney, R. D. (2021). Four Central Asian Shrines. Brill. https://brill.com/display/title/59906
Milosz, M., Kęsik, J., & Abdullaev, U. (2024). 3D scanning and modeling of highly detailed and geometrically complex historical architectural objects: The example of the Juma Mosque in Khiva (Uzbekistan). Heritage Science, 12(1), 99. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01207-3
Milosz, M., Kęsik, J., & Montusiewicz, J. (2021). 3D Scanning and Visualization of Large Monuments of Temurid Architecture in Central Asia—A Methodical Approach. J. Comput. Cult. Herit., 14(1), 8:1–8:31. https://doi.org/10.1145/3425796
Nazarov, K. (2006). His Lordship Sheikh Zainiddin Kuyi Orifon. In O. Mansur (Ed.), Shaykh Zainiddin Kuyi Orifon Toshkandiy.
Pugachenkova, G. A., & Rempel, L. I. (1965). History of Arts of Uzbekistan.
Romanova, I. A., & Poluboyarova, N. M. (2021). The Virtual Reconstruction of Historical and Cultural Heritage Monuments of the Vodyansky Settlement. Scientific Visualization, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.26583/sv.13.3.02
Salikuddin, R. K. (2018). Sufis, Saints, and Shrine: Piety in the Temurid Period, 1370-1507. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:41129127
Samarqandi, A. T. (1898). Samariyya: Description of antiquities and Muslim shrines of Samarqand (Vyatkin, Trans.). In Reference book of Samarkand region (Vol. 6).
Spano, A., Patrucco, G., Covino, R., Merlo, P., Bonfanti, C., Kong, B., & Karnitckii, I. (2025). STRATEGIE DI DISSEMINAZIONE DEL PATRIMONIO ARCHEOLOGICO: DIGITALIZZAZIONE E VIDEO MAPPING DEL SITO DI NISA VECCHIA. In Antiche civiltà del Turkmenistan (pp. 157–169). Gangemi. https://iris.polito.it/handle/11583/3006191
Tokarski, P., Milosz, M., & Kesik, J. (2025). Modern Digitization and 3D Visualization Technologies for Virtual Access to Hard-to-reach or Perished Historical Sites. https://diglib.eg.org/items/c2bd6ac3-5d61-4c44-850b-ca121977e72f
Tokoeva, G. S., Kozhonazarova, Y. M., & Anarbaeva, G. A. (2025). Applying 3D Modeling to Study Historical and Cultural Monuments. In E. G. Popkova (Ed.), Management of Digital Technologies in the Innovative Economy (pp. 9–12). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83331-1_2
Toubekis, G., Jansen, M., & Jarke, M. (2017). Long-term preservation of the physical remains of the destroyed Buddha figures in Bamiyan (Afghanistan) using virtual reality technologies for preparation and evaluation of restoration measures. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, IV-2/W2, 271–278. ICOMOS/ISPRS International Scientific Committee on Heritage Documentation (CIPA) 26th International CIPA Symposium – Digital Workflows for Heritage Conservation (Volume IV-2/W2) - 28 August–1 September 2017, Ottawa, Canada. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-2-W2-271-2017
Trimingham, J. S. (1971). The Sufi Orders in Islam. Clarendon Press.
Vyatkin, V. L. (1899). Reference Book of the Samarkand Region (Issue VI). Samarkand.
Yusupova, M. (2023). Ḥaẓīra Memorial Complexes in Mawarannahr: Evolution and Architectural Features (pp. 222–241). https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004540996_012
Zarcone, T. (2020). Sufism, tombs and convents. In Routledge Handbook on Sufism. Routledge.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
