VR technologies as an extension to the museum exhibition: A case study of the Silk Road museums in Samarkand

The geographical dispersion of the Silk Road generates a number of problems with the availability of its heritage for visitors. ICT can at least partially address these problems. This article discusses the concept of extending the Silk Road museums’ offer with virtual reality (VR) technologies, which has been tested based on a virtual exhibition, developed through a long-term cooperation between Lublin University of Technology and museums in Samarkand in the field of 3D digitization and dissemination of their exhibitions. A survey of a group of spectators was conducted and its results are discussed. It revealed that VR is a promising technology, widely accepted among spectators and well suited for the specificity of the Silk Road museums, and it could be used primarily to complement traditional exhibitions.