It has been revealed who is funding the restoration of the Sher-Dor in Samarkand.

The United States of America will allocate $500,000 for the project aimed at preserving the historical appearance of the Sher-Dor madrasah, located in the Registan Square in Samarkand. The funding will be provided by the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation and will focus on the conservation of the facade of this architectural monument.

This decision is the result of collaboration between the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan, the Agency for Cultural Heritage, and the Fund for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan. The application submitted by the Agency for Cultural Heritage won in an international competition that saw participation from 71 countries presenting 149 different projects in 2024. The grant received by Uzbekistan is the largest in the history of the country's involvement in this program.

The implementation of the conservation project for the Sher-Dor madrasah will take place with the technical assistance of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS). The Agency for Cultural Heritage, relying on the support of IICAS, plans to engage skilled local craftsmen for the work. Additionally, to ensure high-quality restoration, international experts will be involved as consultants for the project.

The U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Jonathan Henick, emphasized the importance of preserving this outstanding architectural monument for future generations and for the world. He expressed satisfaction with the participation of the U.S. in the efforts to restore the Sher-Dor madrasah, which is one of the symbols of the historic Registan Square.

This grant marks the fourteenth project in Uzbekistan supported by the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The total funding allocated by the Fund for projects in Uzbekistan to date amounts to nearly $1.35 million. This project is being implemented in accordance with a bilateral agreement on cultural heritage protection signed between Uzbekistan and the U.S. in 2023.

In October of this year, work was completed on strengthening the structure of the Khalifa Erezhep mausoleum in Khojeyli, made possible by a grant of $80,000 provided by the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan.

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) was established by the U.S. Congress in 2001 and is administered by the U.S. Department of State. The Fund provides direct grant support for projects that preserve cultural sites, monuments, collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression in developing countries around the world.