14 billion soums worth of damage is caused to the “Qanqa shahristoni”  Monument

Damage worth 14 billion soums has been inflicted upon the “Qanqa Shahristoni” Monument. The unauthorized use of land within the “Qanqa” archaeological monument in the Tashkent region, including the construction of houses, establishment of gardens, and planting areas, has sparked widespread criticism on social media, leading to extensive discussions. The Anti-Corruption Agency has responded to this situation.

Upon investigating, it was found that some citizens caused severe damage to the monument's territory. "Qanqa City" holds the 320th position in the national list of real estate objects of tangible cultural heritage, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. It's registered as a material cultural heritage object dating back to the 3rd century BC - 12th century AD.

Historical records identify this monument as the oldest capital city of Tashkent, holding significant historical value in Central Asia. The medieval caravanserai within the monument, situated in the city center of the region, stands as the only one of its kind. UNESCO and Wikipedia's official page state the monument's territory as 160 hectares.

The third city's territory, within the defensive wall and unveiled through excavations in 1977, was later allocated to the "kolkhoz" during the Soviet era and remains unclaimed. Other parts of the monument suffered severe damage due to field irrigation, resulting in the destruction of the cultural layer, ancient architectural structures, wall paintings, and rare artifacts.

Furthermore, local farmers occupied the inner and upper parts of the defensive wall in the southwestern section of the third town, while some citizens constructed houses there. One hectare within the defensive wall's southern part was occupied, and a residential building was erected. Additionally, the southeastern side of the monument's defensive wall has been converted into cropland and a waste area by local residents and organizations.

"Unfortunately, due to the indifference of the responsible authorities, the entrance to the monument's western and southern sides, intended for tourists, is being used as a dumping ground," the statement highlights.

As per the cadastral document, the monument's total land area is 104.99 hectares.

Presently, citizen A.B. owns 0.50 hectares, and citizen T.B. owns 0.79 hectares, where they are planting corn and illegally using the land.

Contrary to legal requirements, according to the decision of the Okkurgan district governor No. 566 dated June 8, 2016, citizen A.P. inherited residential buildings, structures, and land plots from the monument area, with a 0.56-hectare allocation for lifetime ownership. This area has seen the construction of three residential houses, two entrance rooms, an unfinished building, a shed, and a partial garden.

During the investigation, employees of the Regional Cultural Heritage Department assessed the material damage inflicted on this cultural heritage object by A.B., T.B., and A.P.

Preliminary estimates suggest A.P. caused damage amounting to 10 billion 367 million 448.3 thousand soums, A.B. caused damage of 2 billion 423 million 520.0 thousand soums, and T.B. caused damage of 1 billion 093 million 950.0 thousand soums.

Currently, the regional prosecutor's office has initiated a criminal case against the responsible individuals under Article 132 of the Criminal Code, and investigative efforts are ongoing.