International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities Research · Vol. 2 No. January Issue (2026)
DIGITAL PASSPORTIZATION OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MONUMENTS IN SAMARKAND, BUKHARA, AND KHIVA: TECHNOLOGIES, METHODOLOGIES, AND PROSPECTS FOR PRESERVATION
Keywords
digital passport heritage documentation HBIM 3D laser scanning photogrammetry Samarkand Bukhara Khiva UNESCO World Heritage Islamic architectureAbstract
This article investigates the development and implementation of digital
passportization systems for architectural heritage monuments in Samarkand, Bukhara,
and Khiva three UNESCO World Heritage cities in Uzbekistan. A digital passport is a
comprehensive, technology-mediated documentation package that integrates historical,
architectural, structural, and conservation data for a heritage monument into a unified
digital record. Drawing upon Uzbek, Russian, Arabic, and Western scholarship on heritage
documentation, as well as contemporary research in Heritage Building Information
Modeling (HBIM), 3D laser scanning, and photogrammetry, the study analyzes the specific
documentation challenges posed by Central Asian Islamic architectural heritage. The
research identifies the principal monument categories requiring digital passportization
in each city, evaluates the applicability of current digital documentation technologies
to the distinctive material and structural characteristics of Timurid, Shaybanid, and
Khivan architectural traditions, and proposes a standardized framework for digital
passport creation adapted to the Uzbekistan context. The findings indicate that while
significant progress has been made in individual scanning and documentation projects,
a systematic, city-wide digital passportization program remains an urgent desideratum,
requiring coordinated investment in technology, training, and institutional infrastructure.
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