Archaeologists excavating the Shahristan archaeological site in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, have discovered fragments of an ornate ganch panel bearing Kufic inscriptions dating to the Samanid era.
The discovery was made during investigations by an Uzbek-American international archaeological expedition, with researchers identifying the fragments as architectural decoration associated with a congregational mosque from the Samanid period.
Ganch is a traditional gypsum-based plaster widely used in Central Asian architecture for elaborate carved decoration. The newly discovered fragments combine this decorative tradition with Kufic script, an early angular form of Arabic calligraphy frequently employed in Islamic architecture and monumental inscriptions.
The archaeological expedition includes specialists from Uzbekistan and the United States, as well as archaeologists from Russia and Iran. Artists, draughtsmen and representatives of the Bukhara State Museum-Reserve are also participating in the research and documentation of the site.
According to expedition leader Jamoliddin Mirzakhmedov, the ganch panels have survived only in fragments and are in a poor state of preservation. Conservation specialists are therefore working to stabilise, restore and protect the material before further study.
The discovery is expected to contribute to researchers’ understanding of architecture in Bukhara during the Samanid period, particularly the development of carved plasterwork and epigraphic decoration.
The Samanids ruled large parts of Central Asia and Iran during the ninth and tenth centuries, with Bukhara emerging as one of the dynasty’s most important political and cultural centres. Architecture and decorative arts flourished during this period, combining established Central Asian traditions with the developing artistic vocabulary of the Islamic world.
Research at Shahristan remains ongoing. Archaeologists are continuing excavations while specialists conserve and document the architectural and decorative ganch elements already identified.
Further scientific analysis of the fragments may provide additional evidence about the appearance and decoration of Bukhara’s religious architecture during the Samanid era.
Sources: Cultural Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan
