Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva. Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage draws visitors from around the world, but the troubled modern history of another ancient site, Shakhrisabz, is a reminder that development and mass tourism sometimes overshadow preservation.
Shakhrisabz, or Green City, is less known than some other tourist destinations in Uzbekistan that were part of the Silk Road network linking cultures across Asia, Europe, and Africa many centuries ago. Yet the old urban core is more than 2,000 years old and contains spectacular monuments and other structures, some dating from the heyday of the city during the rule of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, also known as Tamerlane, and the Timurids in medieval times.
Timur Statue; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
UNESCO declared it a world heritage site in 2000. But the historical center of Shakhrisabz, previously called Kesh, was placed on the U.N. cultural agency´s list of world heritage sites in danger in 2016 after large sections were razed to make way for a park and tourist facilities. It has stayed on the danger list ever since as officials in Uzbekistan, assisted by international advisers, try to figure out a way to prevent it from losing its United Nations status altogether. A total of 53 locations around the world are on UNESCO’s danger list.
The Fayzullah Ravnakhi Museum B&B, one of many buildings demolished to make way for tourist facilities; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
A solution in Uzbekistan’s case appears to be in the works. At a meeting in Paris this month, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee tentatively approved an Uzbek proposal that would restore Shakhrisabz in southern Uzbekistan to the regular heritage list but in reduced form – only four key Timurid monuments would be included, while the rest of the historical center would be labeled as a buffer zone.
“The main focus is expected to shift from the concept of a ´complete historic city´ to the conservation of the ensemble of monuments, including the Ak-Saray Palace, while preserving their urban context,” reported Gazeta.uz, a media organization in Uzbekistan.
Ak-Saray Palace; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
Uzbekistan must conduct archaeological studies, prepare a restoration plan, and take other measures in order for the proposal to succeed, according to Gazeta.uz. Uzbekistan must update UNESCO on its progress in February 2026, and the process could still take several years.
Construction of the Ak-Saray Palace began in 1380 after a military victory by Timur, who was born in the city, according to UNESCO. The agency said that not one of the many Timurid monuments in Samarkand, north of Shakhrisabz, can rival the Ak-Saray Palace.
“The foundations of its immense gate have been preserved: this architectural masterpiece is outstanding in its dimensions and bold design,” UNESCO said.
While Shakhrisabz has less tourist infrastructure than nearby Samarkand, there are efforts to raise its profile. Last year, the Economic Cooperation Organization, whose ten members include Central Asian countries, declared it the tourism capital for 2024.
Uzbekistan’s other cultural sites have also faced development pressures as tourism booms in the country, alarming conservationists who warn that some of the most striking remnants of Central Asia’s ancient heritage are at risk.
