The official opening ceremony of the Islamic Civilization Center and an iftar were held in Uzbekistan with the participation of the country’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Uzbekistan National News Agency (UzA) reported.
“Highly qualified specialists from France, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Türkiye, Germany, Spain, Italy, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, India, Central Asia, and several other countries also took an active part in the design and construction of the Center, and its equipment with modern information technologies,” the President of Uzbekistan said.
“Starting the construction of the Islamic Civilization Center, I set myself the goal of finding and bringing to our country any manuscript or exhibit related to our history, wherever in the world it might be located. New international scientific expeditions will be organized to identify and study rare manuscripts held in various countries worldwide. Domestic and foreign scholars, as well as leading research centers worldwide, will be involved in this work. To expand the scope of the Center’s activities, offices of organizations such as ICESCO, IRCICA, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the Timurid Art and History Association in France, and TURKSOY have been established through international cooperation. It is planned to create all necessary conditions to strengthen cooperation with them,” he noted.
Touching upon the scale and capabilities of the Center, the President noted that this unique complex is located on a site of nearly 10 hectares, and the total usable area of the building is 50,000 square meters. It features such exhibition halls as “The Pre-Islamic Period on the Territory of Uzbekistan”, “The First and Second Renaissance”, and “New Uzbekistan – the Foundation of the Third Renaissance”.
Significant work has been carried out to form and enrich the museum’s exhibitions. In the past year alone, they were supplemented with more than 1,500 exhibits, including around 800 ancient manuscripts, archaeological finds, and historical maps. It was emphasized that cooperation has been established with foreign auction houses, major collectors, and art dealers, and 743 original exhibits have been brought into the country.
In conclusion, the Uzbek President expressed confidence that the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan will forever remain a platform for peace, kindness, knowledge, and enlightenment, offering opportunities to the people and the international community alike.
