New centre heralded as a 'cultural landmark'

One of the most important developments in the study and preservation of Islamic civilization and heritage has come under the spotlight.

This is the new cultural landmark of Tashkent which has a mission to preserve, study, and share the intellectual and artistic heritage of Islamic civilization.

More than 200 specialists  from multiple countries are participating in a debate about the new centre.

They include representatives of IRCICA, the World Islamic League, TURKSOY, national libraries and archives, the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Oxford University, Christie's auction house, and other leading organizations. The conference concludes on Saturday (27 September).

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared, "This Center for Islamic Civilization will serve our people for centuries, and each of its patterns will go down in history," he said.

The project is a cultural and spiritual initiative: "Through the Center for Islamic Civilization, we want to show that our sacred religion is a religion of goodness, humanism, and enlightenment,” he said.

Speaking earlier this week at the UN General Assembly in New York, the president said that by pursuing a policy of tolerance in society his country will actively continue its efforts to study the ideas of Islamic enlightenment and promote them worldwide. Unique in the region, the Center for Islamic Civilization (CIC), whose opening is planned soon, is both a declaration of identity and an invitation to the world to see how the crossroads of Central Asia contributed to the formation of world civilization.

Leading scientists, museum professionals, and experts from around the world, are meeting to discuss the ambitious project.

The CIC is located in the historic heart of Tashkent, next to the historic Hazrati Imam. In the building's centerpiece is the Uthman Quran – one of the world's oldest Qur'anic manuscripts, which is recognized by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Register, a global initiative to preserve and promote heritage and artifacts of global significance.

Displayed in an octagonal hall beneath the building's 65m high central dome, it will set the tone for the entire museum – as a place of faith, scholarship, and enlightenment.

Four thematic galleries will surround this sacred core:

Pre-Islamic Heritage - from Khwarezm and Bactria to Sogdiana and Chach (6th century BC), exploring urbanization, metallurgy, and Zoroastrian traditions.

The First Renaissance (8th–13th centuries) — This space captures the incredible golden age when outstanding and inspiring scholars such as al-Khwarizmi, al-Fergani, Ibn Sina, and al-Biruni transformed mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy, and whose discoveries helped future generations worldwide.

It also reflects the important role of hadith studies and Islamic theology in the development of the spiritual and intellectual life of the region. It was during this period that Imam al-Bukhari, Imam at-Tirmidhi, and other outstanding muhaddiths collected and systematized authentic hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, laying the foundation of Islamic legal and ethical thought. Theologians and thinkers such as al-Maturidi developed kalam — rational theology, harmoniously combining faith and reason. Their works contributed to the formation of a mature theological school that deeply influenced Islamic thought and remains relevant to this day.The Second Renaissance (15th century) - The subsequent Timurid era comes alive thanks to a gallery recreating Ulugh Beg's observatory and outstanding scholars and philosophers who made great discoveries in the history of civilizations. Digital projections will

The opening of the Center will mark the culmination of Uzbekistan's diverse repatriation program, which will be extensively presented at the Center. This summer, fragments of 9th-century Kufic Qurans, Timurid ceramics, and original manuscripts of Ibn Sina and al-Biruni were returned from private European collections. Indian daggers, jade handles, rare Sogdian fabrics—which now form the largest collection of their kind in the world—as well as the largest collection of Central Asian coins globally, were also returned. This includes 21 fragments of fabric in various sizes, four complete caftans, and exquisite silver vessels crafted by Sogdian masters.

For example, in May the Center managed to recover a lost collection of Seljuk jewellery that was up for auction at Christie's. It included 35 items — rings, earrings, bracelets, chains and clasps — created with the highest craftsmanship. They will be displayed alongside Rumi's "Masnavi" miniatures, as well as personal clothing and weapons of the Baburids. Among them is Babur's own mantle, adorned with calligraphic inscriptions of Quranic verses.

A centre spokesman said, in a statement, that it “deeply appreciates “the historic role of the President. It was he who, in 2017, from the United Nations podium, first voiced the idea of creating the Center for Islamic Civilization, and on September 24, again speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, announced its imminent opening.

"This step demonstrates the President's commitment to his words and promises, his consistent dedication to investing effort and attention in the development of education, science, and culture, creating new opportunities for international dialogue and cooperation," Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director-General of the Center said. "This is a priceless contribution to the preservation and study of Uzbekistan's cultural heritage, which will inspire our people for centuries."

The CIC will house a library, restoration laboratories and a digital archive of 25,000 storage units, where scholars will be able to conduct new research based on materials gathered together for the first time.

The children's museum — the first in the region — will bring history to life through interactive "living portraits" of great thinkers who will be able to answer visitors' questions.

Firdavs Abdukhalikov also said "The Center for Islamic Civilization places Uzbekistan alongside the world's greatest cultural institutions. Like the Louvre in Paris, it will become a national symbol of pride and identity. Like the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, it will combine a museum and a major research complex. And like the Arab World Institute in Paris, it will present Islamic civilization as a dynamic force of creativity and dialogue. But the CIC will be unique: it combines a museum, science, and innovative technologies, a library, and educational centers in a single space created in the heart of the Islamic world. It will inspire a new generation of researchers, scientists, and thinkers."

The $200m three-story building measures 145m by 115 meters, and its dome rises 65m.The main museum covers about 15,000 sqm and it will also house a research center, data digitization and restoration laboratory.

Share this article: