Conserving sites on the Central Asian Silk Roads: the case of Otrar Tobe, Kazakhstan

The conservation activities carried out during the four years of the UNESCO project for the Preservation and Restoration of the Ancient City of Otrar, an archaeological site located in a loess clay area in southwest Kazakhstan at the confluence of Syr Darya and Arys rivers, are described. The paper focuses on certain conservation activities carried out at the site,including documentation of observed deterioration phenomena, authentication of surviving mudbrick and fired brick structures, and the repair of structures using an earth-based repair mortar especially developed for the site. A summary assessment of the main achievements of the project in terms of conservation, documentation, training, promotional activities and master plan preparation is provided.