THE END OF THE OLD TOWN OF KASHGAR

Too often, cultural heritage is one of the main victims of conflicts between populations. The destruction of heritage places has long been one of the privileged methods to damage, if not cancel, a culture considered to be an enemy.

The old town of Kashgar has long been the scene of ethnic and cultural clashes between the Chinese government and the Uighurs. Since its annexation in 1949, the Turkmen people of Muslim faith have long and unsuccessfully fought for independence from China.

Following the riots of 2009, the city of Kashgar was the subject of a redevelopment plan that cancelled a large part of the historic centre forever. Below you can find a detailed map showing the evolution of the destruction in the old city of Kashgar and a selection of open-access scientific research on the destruction of the old town of Kashgar.