A comprehensive exhibition titled “Echoes of Silk Road Merchants: Samarkand Monuments and Eurasian Connections” has opened at the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan. Organized by the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Arts, the display features over 200 exhibits, primarily archaeological finds from the Kafir-kala site in the Samarkand region. This marks the first exhibition organized by the Uzbek government at this museum, highlighting the results of collaborative scientific efforts between Uzbek and Japanese researchers.
The exhibition’s main initiator is Professor Teramura Hirofumi of the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, who has been actively involved in excavations at Kafir-kala for several years. Museum Director Yuji Saki emphasized that the exhibition presents Central Asia’s history from ancient to modern times as a unified narrative, underscoring the role of the Great Silk Road not only in trade but also in religious, artistic, and cultural exchange. Saki stated, “Through the perspective of merchants, visitors can sense the richness of the region’s culture and the power of its interconnections.”
Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Japan, Muhsinhoja Abdurakhmanov, highlighted the significance of the exhibition, noting that it reveals the spiritual and material world of the ancient Sogdian civilization through artifacts discovered with the participation of Japanese archaeologists at Kafir-kala. The ambassador said, “This is not only a vivid example of scientific cooperation but also an opportunity to deepen the understanding of Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage among Japanese and international audiences.”
Providing details on the Kafir-kala site, leading researcher at the Samarkand Archaeological Institute Amiriddin Berdimurodov explained that it is an important archaeological monument from the 5th to 8th centuries, initially inhabited by people practicing Zoroastrianism, with the population converting to Islam after the Arab conquest. He noted, “The name ‘Kafir-kala’ emerged in popular speech, but there are no precise sources on this.” Berdimurodov reported that over 13 years of joint excavations by Japanese and Uzbek archaeologists, unique discoveries have been made, including more than 600 seals, over 100 silver coins, Zoroastrian bone boxes, and carved wooden doors depicting the goddess Nana.
A key exhibit is a charred wooden panel from Kafir-kala, restored by Louvre specialists and stabilized. This panel is a unique masterpiece of Sogdian art, featuring a carved composition of 46 human figures and an image of the goddess Nana. It was previously displayed at an exhibition in the Louvre in 2022 and is considered a rare museum piece of global significance. The exhibition is spread across two floors: the first floor showcases finds from Kafir-kala, while the second floor presents Uzbekistan’s national musical instruments, craft items, and video materials on modern trade processes. The event will run until June 2.
Source: www.gazeta.uz