Abstract:

The transformation of Bukhara’s historic urban fabric due to a recent surge in tourism spurred by state initiatives and international interests is as disruptive in its destruction of the traditional culture of Bukhara as the Soviet interventions that cleared away a large number of historic religious buildings. By replicating a set of archival images of Bukhara’s monuments from the late Soviet period in today's context, this paper compares the late Soviet and contemporary approaches to Bukhara’s preservation. After inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, the Historic Center of Bukhara’s image has been outlined by a specific time period from the 10th-17th centuries, reflecting national preferences and backed by international support. The neighborhood Lyab-i Hauz in the historic center has transformed to cater for rising tourism within the last eight years, restructuring public spaces and private residences for primarily tourist use. Concurrently, cultural heritage from Uzbekistan’s pre-Soviet past has also become a sense of pride for local inhabitants who are eager to share their histories and who have taken advantage of the economic opportunities that come with increasing tourism. I argue that by constructing a specific image of Bukhara’s past, Uzbekistan is actively shaping multiple scales of identities that severs itself from its Soviet past, underscoring the complex interplay between historical interpretation, cultural heritage, and contemporary nation-building efforts.