On the Genesis of Damage to the Early Islamic Monuments of the Bukhara Architecture: the Samanid Mausoleum and the Magoki-Attori Mosque

Archeological, archeoseismological, historical, and macroseismic studies were conducted in the Samanid Mausoleum and in the Magoki-Attori mosque identifying the presence of various seismic deformations in the walls of these ancient buildings. These include dips, bulging, collapses and rotations of structural elements around the vertical axis, as well as cracks of various origins. These seismic damage and collapses were caused by past large earthquakes: 1390 and those in the 19th century; there are other signs of damage whose ages and location are still to be determined. The aniceint sources of seismic oscillations lay south of Bukhara, the Gazli earthquakes occurred north of the town. The data we obtained indicate probable strong earthquakes occurring in the Bukhara region once per a few hundred years. Local seismic intensity caused by near earthquakes can reach values Il = 8‒9 intensity units. There is an effect that enhances the earthquake impact; this concerns settling processes developing in unconsolidated soils where Bukhara stands, as well as a high groundwater level. The source of these seismic events is the Gazli–Karatag fragment of the South Tien-Shan seismic zone, as e.g., faults of adyr folds growing near the town.