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One of Karakalpakstan’s most distinctive medieval monuments no longer exists. The Shamunabi mausoleum, built in the 12th century and regarded by specialists as an exceptional example of multi-faith architectural symbolism, was demolished this summer and replaced with a newly constructed brick building. The work was carried out under official restoration permits issued by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Culture, according to reporting by Nuz.uz.
Oktyabr Dospanov, a candidate of historical sciences and professional guide based in Karakalpakstan, said the structure had been in sound condition before demolition began. “This was a remarkable mausoleum from the 12th century,” he said. “It had seven domes and seven windows set within them, all oriented toward Mecca.” Dospanov described the interior graves as resembling ossuaries and the entrance gate as similar to the door of a traditional yurt. He said the building synthesised elements from four cultures and four religions — Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism — making it, in his words, “a remarkable symbol of philosophy and tolerance passed down across centuries.”
The mausoleum was first identified by archaeologists in 1964 during excavation work at the Mizdakhan burial complex near Nukus. Its unusual form and the convergence of religious iconography it contained had made it a regular stop on heritage tourism itineraries in the region.
Dospanov said local residents attempted to resist the demolition once it became clear that genuine restoration was not being carried out, but were shown a set of official documents. Those permits, he said, had been granted by the Culture Ministry. Work on the site had begun a year before the structure was fully razed.
According to eyewitness accounts cited in the report, the mausoleum had been in good repair before the project started, with only some of the domes requiring attention. Because it was built from fired brick, residents believed it could have stood for another thousand years.
What stands in its place, Dospanov said, is an ordinary new building. “It has no history, no mystery, no legend,” he said. He added that some of his fellow guides have removed the site from their tour programmes entirely, while he himself continues to visit it in order to tell tourists what was there before and what happened to it. He said visitors react with astonishment.
Dospanov said the Shamunabi case is not isolated. Several other monuments in Karakalpakstan have been similarly “restored” — a term he used with evident scepticism — in recent years. He attributed part of the problem to a collapse in professional expertise: the Shamunabi mausoleum, he noted, was handled by a construction crew led by a recent architecture graduate with no specialist restoration background.
The episode points to a tension running through Uzbekistan’s current development strategy. The country has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure — new resorts, hotels and simplified visa rules — while simultaneously, Dospanov argued, allowing irreplaceable heritage to be erased under the cover of official renovation programmes. He raised the prospect of the same approach eventually reaching monuments of international renown. “What if this hand tomorrow reaches the Registan, the Ark, or Toprak-Kala?” he asked.
Karakalpakstan’s archaeological landscape includes ancient mosques, mausoleums, fortresses and citadels that have survived open-air exposure for centuries. The Mizdakhan complex near Nukus, where the Shamunabi mausoleum was located, is among the most significant medieval burial sites in Central Asia. No official response from the Culture Ministry or regional heritage authorities was included in the source reporting.