Aljazeera: “An International Expert Forum Was Held Ahead of the Opening of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan”
The portal of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan reflects the style of medieval architectural monuments in its design.
Tashkent – The capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, hosted the International Expert Forum entitled “The Heritage of the Great Past – the Foundation of an Enlightened Future” over the course of two days. The event took place in the conference hall of the Center for Islamic Civilization and was attended by members of the International Expert Council under the Center, as reported by Al Jazeera Net.
The forum gave more than 100 researchers and experts from nearly 20 countries the opportunity to become acquainted with the exhibitions and sections of the Center before its official opening at the end of this year.
A Meeting of Civilizations
The construction of the Center began in 2017 following the speech of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan at the United Nations. In that address, he announced the initiative to establish the Center for Islamic Civilization with the aim of “conveying the true humanistic essence of Islam to the international community”.
In his speech, the Director of the Center, Firdavs Abdukhalikov, drew special attention to Uzbekistan’s efforts to preserve its rich cultural and scientific heritage and to turn it into a foundation for global enlightenment. He emphasized that Uzbekistan’s historical role as a crossroads of civilizations, stretching from “Movarounnahr” to Bactria, continues to inspire international cooperation in the fields of science, culture, and education.
He also noted that the Center is working in partnership with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and international research institutes. A school of Arabic calligraphy and a national commission for the selection of ancient artifacts have been established under the Center. In addition, a special committee has been formed to identify, study, and repatriate “masterpieces” of Uzbekistan-related cultural heritage located abroad.
Arab Participation
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Shaker Aladwani, Director-General of the Conferences Department of the Muslim World League, highly praised the initiative to establish the Center. He recognized it as a significant Islamic cultural institution, particularly emphasizing the importance of its location in the Republic of Uzbekistan, where a great Islamic civilization once flourished and where scholars and hadith experts such as Imam al-Bukhari and al-Khwarizmi emerged. He expressed hope that the Center would become a cultural hub and a platform for global dialogue that attracts worldwide attention.
In turn, Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaset, a manuscript specialist at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stated that he was amazed by the cultural diversity and the heritage from various periods represented in the Center.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, he emphasized that the Center for Islamic Civilization is a gift from the Uzbek people not only to the Islamic world but to all nations of the world, as it embodies the legacies of many civilizations. “In particular, Uzbekistan has been the cradle of many sciences and has produced scholars who enriched humanity with their scientific achievements”, he said.
Regarding the Center’s cooperation with specialists in Arab countries, Oktam Usmonov, Head of the Public Relations Department, told Al Jazeera Net that experts from the Center had visited several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Egypt. They signed cooperation agreements, which resulted in the acquisition of a number of unique exhibits for the museum. Notably, the original Kiswah of the Holy Kaaba was presented as a gift from Saudi Arabia.
International Cooperation
Speaking about Uzbekistan’s openness to foreign expertise and the possibility of completing all sections of the Center in accordance with the concept set by the country’s leadership, Usmonov said that although construction had begun eight years ago, specialists from both local and international fields had been involved.
According to him, the presence of such a large number of participants at the Expert Forum is clear evidence of the Center’s leadership being open to their opinions and recommendations, as well as of their determination to prepare the Center for its official opening in the near future.
The Center is built on a 10-hectare site and consists of three floors. Its architectural design reflects the style of medieval monuments. It features four gates, each 34 meters high, and a central dome rising to 65 meters. The Center houses exhibitions dedicated to pre-Islamic civilizations, the First and Second Eastern Renaissances, as well as Uzbekistan’s modern path toward a Third Renaissance. Through the Qur’an Hall, the innovative library, and international cooperation, the Center aims to showcase Uzbekistan’s contribution to world civilization and to engage future generations.
The Center has been designed as a platform for studying and reinterpreting the heritage of past generations in cooperation with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and educational and research institutions around the world.
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