Experts from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), who arrived in Turkmenistan to preserve the 12th-century Hudaynazar-ovliya mausoleum near the city of Bayramali, carried out work to accurately measure, sketch and photograph this historical monument.

Representatives of UTSA, and this is Dr. Angela Lombardi, Professor William Dupont, and researcher Ms. Sarah Rodriguez-Gimeno, as well as their colleagues from the National Directorate of Turkmenistan for the Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments, believe that joint efforts can lead to a full-scale conservation of the mausoleum, including the restoration of its main facade.

The parties also held preliminary discussions on the development of a tourism plan for the mausoleum.

UTSA is looking forward to developing a common vision between the park and tourism companies that will show the mausoleum as a cultural destination.

In addition to visiting the mausoleum, the UTSA delegation used their stay in the country to make presentations and exchange experiences with their Turkmen counterparts (experts and students). The presentation titled "From Local to Global - Innovations in the Preservation and Management of Heritage" was held at the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan and the Institute of Culture of Turkmenistan.

UTSA and the National Department are planning to conduct additional missions to work on the mausoleum in the near future. The work will include site preparation, conservation (collection/storage of historic bricks), creation of educational materials to teach the use of traditional building and conservation techniques), and marketing to tourism companies.

By incorporating the restored site into existing tour itineraries, the Hudaynazar mausoleum will raise public awareness on various topics related to the cultural heritage and resources of Turkmenistan, such as the key role of Seljuk architecture in ancient civilizations.

The mission was made possible by the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) program, an annual grant competition established and administered by the US Department of State.

Earlier, we reported that a meeting was held at the Turkmen State Institute of Culture with participants in the project to restore the Hudaynazar-ovliya mausoleum.