Lecture Series on the History and Culture of Central Asia (Summer Semester 2023)Epigraphic Monuments on the Territory of Uzbekistan: Problems of Historical ResearchA lecture by Bobur Aminov, Associate Professor of Archeology at the National University of Uzbekistan

13 June 2023

Photo: ©IBISRC

We kindly invite you to the third lecture of  the Lecture Series "Material Culture of the Zerafshan Valley '' which takes place this semester. The lecture will be held by Prof. Dr. Bobur Aminov, Associate Professor at the National University of Uzbekistan after Mirzo Ulugbek, Faculty of History, Department of Archeology and discusses the topic of “Epigraphic Monuments on the Territory of Uzbekistan: Problems of Historical Research”.  It will take place on June 13^th, 2023, at 1 pm CET via Zoom.

Abstract: Among the monuments of the Islamic period on the territory of Uzbekistan, a special place is occupied by architectural structures and inscriptions on stones. Such monuments contain historical information and they are among the most valuable and prolific historical sources. Therefore, it is important to study their history. Inscriptions cover the surface of historical buildings, they are on pediments, as well as on the surfaces of internal and external walls, domes, doors, arches. Inscriptions can also be found in the exhibits of various museums in Uzbekistan. Among them, a special place is occupied by such materials as glazed ceramics, metal vessels, wood, tiles, marble, limestone, brick, terracotta.

Historical inscriptions on buildings contain information about the date of construction, the architect, artist and calligrapher, and also information about his patron, or which king or ruler commissioned the construction. Unfortunately, many valuable information has vanished. In some cases, evidence about architectural structures is also determined through information from literary sources. Sometimes, during excavations in the environment of buildings, some architectural fragments are found, and if inscriptions are found, then they constitute historical evidence on the basis of paleography, material and text. 

Tombstone inscriptions are better preserved and more reliable than inscriptions in architectural structures. But they were carved for an individual and can at first only provide historical information about that deаd person. Due to the durability of stone, the inscription is often well preserved for a long time. But even they can sometimes be destroyed by precipitation, especially saline and groundwater. During a survey of various tombs in Bukhara and in the Karshi valley, we witnessed that the inscriptions on the stone were eroded under the influence of underground waters and salts.
It should be noted that building inscriptions and tombstone inscriptions also serve as examples of the art of calligraphy. We can find such types of Arabic writing as Kufic, Sulsi, Naskhi, Nastalih and Tauke. They testify about the skills of calligraphers and sculptors of their time.
In epigraphic monuments, in addition to religious texts, examples of ḥadīths, epic tales, especially include samples of poetry. One can observe within the society and reflected in inscriptions the high level of interest in poetic literature and their cultural environment. The study of poetic examples in inscriptions sometimes allows us to restore the original poetry.
Historical buildings, tombs and cemeteries in various historical cities of Uzbekistan are in a different state of preservation, sometimes they lie in ruins, and the information in them is on the verge of loss. The preservation of tombstones in museums and complexes in the regions where they located is considered one of the most urgent tasks.

Bio of the Lecturer:
Dr. Aminov Bobur is an associate professor of the Department of Archeology at the Faculty of History of the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. He has received various international scholarships and grants and is the author of numerous books, articles and brochures in various languages. He earned his doctoral degree at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2012.

In 2012, he was appointed senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He worked as Head of the Department of the Coordinating-Methodological Center of the Newest History of Uzbekistan under the supervision of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2015. From 2020 on, he teaches as Associate Professor of the Department of Archeology at the Faculty of History of the National University of Uzbekistan.

In order to attend, please yúse the following Zoom Data:
Zoom: ID 525 843 6902 – Password: 12345
The link for the Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5258436902?pwd=bGJEODVUWTRJVnpIUG9Jeit1UHhpZz09&fbclid=IwAR0B1XxoCt64Oa6kzNVS9mct4uGcwGPZ9G4qf8I0s7ho4zHGJlkjx5ahXtk#success