Participants in the discussion included the Minister of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy Mirbek Mambetaliev, representatives of the Osh city administration, employees of the Ministry of Culture, as well as the leadership of the Agency for the Development of Public and Investment (ARIS) and local institutions.
The agenda focused on the Sulaiman-Too reconstruction project. ARIS representatives reported that the technical and economic justification (TEO) and the sketch project have already received approval from the Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, and the World Bank. "Work on the project is ongoing, and it will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, we will create the TEO and project estimates for the infrastructure, and in the second, we will develop the design for the museum exhibition and interior," noted the agency representative.
The project includes 12 sections, divided into three phases.
The first phase plans to construct and repair paths for golf carts, restore the Burkiya mausoleum, reconstruct the Water Gate arch and monuments from the late Bronze Age, as well as repair the road to the Uykur museum. Construction work will begin after the tender, which will take place on April 30.
The second phase includes the restoration of the mountain gate, fire gate, mountain road, as well as the administrative building and ethnographic museum. The tender for this work is scheduled for June 1.
Minister of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy Mirbek Mambetaliev suggested combining the phases of work and conducting them simultaneously. He inquired about the possibility of temporarily closing Sulaiman-Too to complete all work at once, rather than dividing it into phases.
In response, UNESCO representatives noted that only those areas where construction work would be conducted could be closed, not the entire territory at once. "If we close everything, no one will be able to enter," explained the UNESCO representative.
The minister emphasized the importance of safety and proposed temporarily closing the area to complete all work. "Funding for the project has already been allocated — 12 million dollars. The working documentation is ready, and I ask the Ministry of Construction to expedite the process of formalization," he added.
The mayor of Osh, Janar Akayev, suggested changing the tourist route so that the path for golf carts completely bypasses Sulaiman-Too. "We have been discussing this project for seven years. If we do not take decisive measures, the process will drag on," noted the mayor, emphasizing the need to utilize existing opportunities to complete the work.
The Minister of Culture agreed with the proposal, adding that the project has significant potential and that active efforts are needed to complete it.
As a result of the meeting, a decision was made to continue working on the project, taking into account the suggestions and comments of all participants. It is expected that the reconstruction of Sulaiman-Too will begin in the coming months, and all necessary measures will be taken to complete the work as soon as possible.
