A profound respect for one’s national history and culture, along with the intellectual and spiritual potential that constitutes humanity’s priceless heritage, is crucial for the material and spiritual development of society. The careful preservation and enrichment of this heritage, and the education of younger generations in the spirit of national and universal values, play an indisputable role in societal advancement.

The international scientific community has duly recognized the invaluable contributions of great scholars and thinkers who lived in the territory of modern Uzbekistan during the era known in world history as the Eastern Renaissance or the Muslim Renaissance. These contributions have significantly advanced global science and culture, and defended the true enlightened and tolerant essence of Islam. Notably, scholars such as the renowned Al-Biruni and Avicenna, who worked effectively in the 9th to 12th centuries at the Khwarazm Academy of Mamun and the Baghdad Academy, famously known as the "House of Wisdom" (Bayt al-Hikma) led by Al-Khwarizmi and Al-Farghani, created unique works in the fields of exact sciences, medicine, and philosophy. Additionally, Ulugh Beg and his associates, Ali Qushji and Al-Rumi, at the scientific school established in Samarkand by Mirzo Ulugh Beg in the 15th century, made significant scholarly contributions.

The theologians Al-Bukhari and Al-Tirmidhi immortalized the glory of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Termez through the preservation of the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and through their deep exploration and promotion of the essence and significance of Islam, the world’s youngest major religion.

Scientific ideas and inventions created by great minds in the early Middle Ages across various exact sciences such as mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geodesy, pharmacology, medicine, as well as in the fields of history, geography, philosophy, culture and arts, and architecture, marked a significant turning point in the development of world science and civilization.

Despite the hardships and severe trials of their times, these scholars and thinkers, always remaining committed to their duty in the name of scientific advancement, humanism, and enlightenment, demonstrated true examples of spiritual courage. Their immense contributions to the people and humanity, especially during the years of Uzbekistan’s independence, have earned them well-deserved respect and recognition.

The scientific heritage created by the great ancestors of the Uzbek people, which continues to astonish the enlightened world today, is a spiritual asset not only for one nation and people but for all of humanity. This invaluable wealth undoubtedly serves as a treasury of knowledge and wisdom for new generations and, most importantly, as a solid foundation for new discoveries.

It should be noted that not all facets of this unique scientific heritage have been fully explored and await their researchers. In order to comprehensively and deeply study the unique heritage created by the creative genius of the people, to form a unified understanding of the life and scientific-creative activities of the great scholars and thinkers of ancient Sogdiana and Bactria, to widely acquaint the people of Uzbekistan and the international community with them, to establish interfaith and intercivilizational dialogue on an international scale, to reveal the true humanitarian essence of Islam in these challenging times, and to combat ignorance through enlightenment and the upbringing of the younger generation in the spirit of humanism, national pride, and dignity, on June 23, 2017, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, decided to establish the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

Today, anyone who passes along the historic Karasaray Street in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, cannot help but notice the majestic building of the Center for Islamic Civilization, reflecting the spirit of medieval Samarkand-Herat architecture. The building is situated on an area of more than 7 hectares. The three-story structure is 145 meters long and 115 meters wide, with the height of the central dome reaching 64 meters.

Special emphasis and role in the building of the Center are given to the Museum of the History of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

Basement floor:

The basement floor will house the research center, data digitization laboratories, restoration workshops, storage facilities for museum exhibits and rare manuscripts, a modern cafeteria with 200 seats, lobbies, and ticket offices.

First floor:

The first floor will feature a museum with an exhibition hall covering approximately 15,000 square meters. Exhibits and artifacts, arranged thematically, will be displayed here, reflecting the creative talents of great ancestors across different epochs of Central Asian history. The latest technologies and state-of-the-art digital equipment will be used for their demonstration. At the center of the museum, under the 64-meter dome, the Quran of Uthman, the third righteous caliph of Islam, will be displayed. The Quran of Uthman is a priceless and monumental manuscript of the Islamic world. Additionally, on this floor, there will be a luxurious hall for international conferences with 550 seats, accessible through a separate grand entrance.

Second floor:

The second floor is reserved for a library containing a collection of 100,000 manuscripts and lithographs, along with a million-volume book collection. This floor will also host the scientific departments of the Center for Islamic Civilization, the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan, and the International Islamic Academy.

The Center for Islamic Civilization includes:

- Scientific research departments

- A department for maintaining the national registry of rare manuscripts

- A manuscripts fund

- A library and archives

- An international department

- Departments of pilgrimage tourism, source studies, and publishing activities

The building of the Center will also be equipped with restoration laboratories, workshops, isolation rooms for artifacts and manuscripts, and departments for translations and codification of manuscripts and valuable publications.

Principles underlying the exhibition:

- Based on concrete and extensive scientific evidence (sources and materials), demonstrate that Uzbekistan is one of the centers of world civilization and reflect the contributions of our ancestors to the development of religious and secular sciences.

- Highlight the policies and practical results of our independent country's efforts to restore the national and religious values of the people of Uzbekistan.

- Present the development of Islamic civilization in the territory of Uzbekistan in a phased, objective, and systematic manner, relying on historical facts.

- Showcase the development of science, culture, and new modern technologies in Uzbekistan in the context of global progress in the 21st century.

Special emphasis and role in the building of the Center are given to the Museum of the History of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

Basement floor:

The basement floor will house the research center, data digitization laboratories, restoration workshops, storage facilities for museum exhibits and rare manuscripts, a modern cafeteria with 200 seats, lobbies, and ticket offices.

First floor:

The first floor will feature a museum with an exhibition hall covering approximately 15,000 square meters. Exhibits and artifacts, arranged thematically, will be displayed here, reflecting the creative talents of great ancestors across different epochs of Central Asian history. The latest technologies and state-of-the-art digital equipment will be used for their demonstration. At the center of the museum, under the 64-meter dome, the Quran of Uthman, the third righteous caliph of Islam, will be displayed. The Quran of Uthman is a priceless and monumental manuscript of the Islamic world. Additionally, on this floor, there will be a luxurious hall for international conferences with 550 seats, accessible through a separate grand entrance.

Second floor:

The second floor is reserved for a library containing a collection of 100,000 manuscripts and lithographs, along with a million-volume book collection. This floor will also host the scientific departments of the Center for Islamic Civilization, the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan, and the International Islamic Academy.

The Center for Islamic Civilization includes:

- Scientific research departments

- A department for maintaining the national registry of rare manuscripts

- A manuscripts fund

- A library and archives

- An international department

- Departments of pilgrimage tourism, source studies, and publishing activities

The building of the Center will also be equipped with restoration laboratories, workshops, isolation rooms for artifacts and manuscripts, and departments for translations and codification of manuscripts and valuable publications.

Principles underlying the exhibition:

- Based on concrete and extensive scientific evidence (sources and materials), demonstrate that Uzbekistan is one of the centers of world civilization and reflect the contributions of our ancestors to the development of religious and secular sciences.

- Highlight the policies and practical results of our independent country's efforts to restore the national and religious values of the people of Uzbekistan.

- Present the development of Islamic civilization in the territory of Uzbekistan in a phased, objective, and systematic manner, relying on historical facts.

- Showcase the development of science, culture, and new modern technologies in Uzbekistan in the context of global progress in the 21st century.

- Demonstrate the positive role and significance of Islam in the spiritual and cognitive life of the Uzbek people, in their daily life, as an example of encouraging the study of sciences, comprehensive development of youth, ensuring interethnic and interreligious peace and cooperation in the republic.

- Provide an explanation, using the examples of internal and external policies pursued by the current leadership of Uzbekistan, that the politicization of Islam and the use of its slogans for malicious purposes pose a great danger to every country and the global community, highlighting the necessity and possibility of combating secular and spiritual ignorance through enlightenment.

  The Center aims to contribute to the spiritual revival of society by spreading and promoting the ideas of enlightened Islam, fostering a sense of pride in the great past marked by the invaluable creations of ancestors and a desire to be worthy successors of the bright minds of the Middle Ages. It seeks to convey to the masses the genuinely humanistic, peaceful, and tolerant essence of Islam. This is the main task facing the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

The Center is intended to contribute to the establishment of interfaith and intercultural dialogue with the assistance of influential international organizations such as UNESCO, ISESCO, IRCICA, and others.

To manage and coordinate the activities of the Center for Islamic Civilization, a Board of Trustees has been established, headed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, A. Aripov. The Board of Trustees includes state officials, leading scientists, renowned philanthropists, artists, historians, and others. Currently, the Center for Islamic Civilization is actively engaged in multi-vector activities: revising and improving the museum's exhibition, forming the library fund, exploring the possibilities of applying modern technologies, including artificial intelligence and creating immersive exhibition halls. Manuscripts and book collections are being codified and digitized, and an archive and media center are being formed.

In the successful implementation of its tasks and goals, the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan conducts extensive international cooperation with renowned scientific and cultural institutions, scholars, and researchers.

The Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization is Dr. Firdavs Abdukhalikov