33 historical monuments in Ichan-Kala are reported to be seriously damaged

Termites have seriously damaged 33 historical monuments in Ichan-Kala complex.  This was reported by the director of the Institute of Zoology Bakhtiyor Kholmatov at a briefing in the Information and Mass Communications Agency.

It is noted that termites are causing serious damage to wood carving exhibits and patterns in 33 historical monuments in the historical complex «Ichan-Kala» which is under protection of UNESCO.  In particular, the termites strongly damaged Jumma mosque-museum, the mausoleum of Pakhlavon Mahmud, Muhammad Inak complex and others.  Moreover, 100 percent of the monument Fajoztepa area, one of the Buddhist shrines of the I-III centuries in the Termez district has been damaged.

In addition, harmful termite activity has also been observed in the historical monuments of Al-Hakim Al-Termizi in Surkhandarya region, the Hazrati Imam mosque in Kashkadarya region, the Imam Hassan-Husan shrine in Navoi and the Mizdakhan Complex in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

For reference, termites are one of the biggest problems in the world, causing significant damage to buildings and structures.  According to recent data, the annual damage caused by termites is estimated at 40 billion dollars worldwide.

There are two types of termites in Uzbekistan: the Turkestan termite (Anacanthotermes turkestanicus Jacobs) 1904 and the large South Caucasus termite (Anacanthotermes ahngerianus Jacobs).  1904 species are found in almost all districts of the republic.  

According to the latest monitoring of the harmful termite activity in Uzbekistan:

- in residential areas – 18,958 cases;
- cultural and historical monuments – 46 cases;
- at objects with strategic importance – 15 cases;
- in social institutions – 98 cases;
- in fields and deserts, cemeteries and other open spaces – 1082 termite habitats.

The termites have most affected the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions of Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Navoi and Samarkand regions.

It was previously reported that the amount of damage to cultural heritage objects in Uzbekistan over the past 30 years has exceeded 4 trillion som.