11.2.3 Public access to museums. Provide public access to museums, exhibition spaces or galleries, or works of art and artefacts

The State Museum-Reserve "Samarkand" is an organization that exercises central management of the museums of the city of Samarkand and the Samarkand region, exercises control over the preservation and registration of monuments of history, culture and art, repair and conservation of monuments.

In 1982, it was established the Museum of the History of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan and its departments, as well as architectural monuments of the city of Samarkand and the Samarkand region.

The museum-reserve includes 11 museums - the State Museum of the History of Culture of Uzbekistan (the main museum), the Regional Museum of Local History, the History of the City of Samarkand - the Afrosiab Museum, the Mirzo Ulugbek Observatory Complex Museum, the Memorial House-Museum of Sadriddin Aini, the Kattakurgan City Historical Museum of Local Lore, Ishtikhan Regional Museum of Local History, Pakhtachi Regional Museum of History, Memorial Museum of Ergash Jumanbulbul, House Museum of Haji Abdulaziz Abdurasulov, House Museum of Mahmudkhoji Behbudi and 3 architectural monuments - Amir Temur Mausoleum, Bibikhanim Mosque, Nadir Devonbegi Madrasah. The Museum-Reserve carefully preserves unique antiquities and historical monuments from the treasury of museums located on the territory of the Samarkand region, scientifically studies them, enriches them with new finds, and organizes new expositions and exhibitions on their basis; also publishes books, catalogs, booklets, road signs about them, conducts museum work in historical monuments, manages construction and repair work carried out on the territory of the museum-reserve.

The film lecture halls and the folklore university conduct thematic (including the art of Uzbekistan, etc.) classes on the preservation of monuments of history, culture and art.

More than 235,000 exhibits are stored in the treasury of the museum-reserve, reflecting the development of culture and art of the Uzbek people in all eras. (2021). The administration of the museum-reserve is located in the building of the State Museum of the History of Culture of Uzbekistan (Samarkand, Mirzo Ulugbek St., 148).[1]

Samarkand Museum is one of the first museums established in Central Asia. The museum was created primarily for the administrators of the colonial Russian Empire of that time for in-depth study of the country and the development of its natural resources, but for the local intelligent people in Turkestan and part of the European population, it was considered as a means to ensure that ancient artifacts did not go abroad, but collect them together.

In a picturesque corner of Samarkand, in the old courtyard of the wealthy merchant Abram Kalantarov, built in the eclectic style of the early twentieth century, designed by architect E.O. Nelle, in 1981 the opening of the regional museum of local history took place. The museum building is considered an architectural monument and is protected by the state.

All rooms of the building are located in a row and form an enfilade. The exposition is located on the ground floor and describes the history of the development of our country from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century.

The Mesolithic-Neolithic-Eneolithic was the final stage of the primitive communal system, and the exposition includes the remains of stone tools and early clay vessels intended for various tasks. The Bronze and Stone Ages are illustrated with photographs of wall inscriptions. From the 8th century BC the period up to the 4th century is represented by clay objects - cups and coins of elegant shape. The exposition is brightly filled with the work of the artist V. Kaydalov "The Revolt of Spitamen".

The Kushanid period (IV-I centuries AD) is characterized by the rise of life support, the development of irrigation, various crafts, the flourishing of urban life, coins depicting Kushanid kings are also shown.

Exposition of the early Middle Ages - here are presented various household items and rituals made of clay, Sogdian coins and beautiful women's jewelry, as well as burial items, weapons (swords) were found from the burial mounds of Ak Zhartepa, Sozagon, Ogalixoy.

The exposition of the period dedicated to the conquest of Sogd by the Arabs presents copies of beautiful palace patterns belonging to the city of Afrosiab, a restored image of "Sogdian warriors", scabbards of Sogdian swords and spears.

In the exposition of the period of Islamic renaissance, you can see the remains of vessels made of red Greek glass, clay chandeliers from the city of Raya, Iran, Serob coins. The exposition also includes the sheath of Mongolian spears and a photo of the Samarkand fortress, turned into ruins by Genghis Khan.

Amir Temur and the Timurid period are shown based on fossil materials, that is, collections of metal bigums, bones, bottles and coins dating back to the 8th-16th centuries and the crafts of the period, caravan trade,trade and money relations of the Timurid period. Here you can also see unique exhibits - a fighting and exhibition drum, belonging to the high foundation of the 15th-16th centuries, as well as a unique book by De Sanctien "The History of Timur", published in Amsterdam in 1678.

In the exposition you will see the reconstructed observatory by the architect V.A. Nielsen and can find photographs and the remains of a huge quadrant of astronomical instruments (sextant).