New Tashkent center aims to reshape understanding of Islamic civilization as one of knowledge, peace and cultural dialogue, backed by UNESCO and international scholars.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan — A landmark institution dedicated to the study and celebration of Islamic civilization has opened in Uzbekistan’s capital, conceived as a dynamic space for cultural dialogue and intellectual exchange.
The Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, located in the historic Hast-Imam district of Tashkent, was inaugurated following an initiative originally proposed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in an address to the United Nations. In his speech, Mirziyoyev emphasized the mission to “convey to the global community the true humanistic essence of Islam,” describing it as a faith calling for peace, knowledge, and creativity.
The center has already drawn international recognition. UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Anany, during a recent visit, praised the complex as “a light for the entire world” and a testament to cultural diversity, tolerance, and Uzbekistan’s historical role as a crossroads of civilizations.
Rather than a conventional museum, the center is designed as a living intellectual ecosystem. Its architectural centerpiece is a 65-meter dome flanked by four portals, symbolizing the unity of Uzbekistan’s regions. At its heart lies the Hall of the Holy Qur’an, safeguarding the renowned 7th-century Mushaf of Uthman, a manuscript included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.
Exhibitions are arranged chronologically, guiding visitors from the pre-Islamic era through the First and Second Islamic Renaissance periods to modern times and the contemporary era of New Uzbekistan. The institution also features a library of 200,000 volumes, a calligraphy school, craft workshops, a restoration laboratory, and the region’s first “1001 Inventions” interactive museum for children. The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts also operates within the complex.
A key function of the center is its role in “heritage diplomacy.” Through dedicated efforts, more than 1,000 artifacts and manuscripts have been repatriated to Uzbekistan from international auction houses, private collectors, and institutions. Additionally, the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan (WOSCU) donated around a thousand manuscripts and items linked to the country’s cultural history.
The center houses offices for several international bodies, including UNESCO, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), alongside a 460-seat conference hall designed to foster global dialogue.
In a statement, Dr. Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Center and Chairman of WOSCU, highlighted the institution’s broader mission: “It is our duty to advance this great project and turn it into a cultural and educational force… transforming the fruits of this great heritage into the powerful energy of an enlightened future.”
The center now stands as a cornerstone of Uzbekistan’s cultural policy, aiming to project a vision of Islamic civilization rooted in enlightenment, science, and intercultural harmony to the world.
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