35,000 books, a gift from the President of Turkey, and ancient manuscripts: What treasures can be found in the library of the Center for Islamic Civilization?

The library of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan houses nearly 35,000 books, including works gifted from abroad and facsimile editions of rare manuscripts.

Mavluda Karimova, Chief Specialist of the Center’s Department of Library and Archival Documents, provided details about the ongoing efforts to preserve this invaluable heritage and make it accessible to researchers as an open scholarly resource:

“A large collection of books has been delivered to us from the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation. These volumes contain essential information about manuscripts. Additionally, the collection includes sources brought from libraries and archives in Jerusalem and Egypt.

 

Furthermore, a 45-volume ‘Catalogue of Iranian Manuscripts’, compiled over a century and listing more than 300 manuscripts, has been added to our library collection. Interestingly, among these are works connected to the lands of Uzbekistan, authored by our own scholars.

 

The library also contains facsimile editions of ancient and rare works brought from abroad — including some personally gifted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey.

 

Work at the library is still ongoing. Soon, it will accommodate the collections of Eastern and Western works, along with ancient and unique manuscripts that have been presented as gifts.

 

Measures are also being taken to ensure the security and preservation of the books. In particular, RFID-based tagging is being implemented at a rapid pace. The remaining shelves will soon be filled with rare European collection books.”

 

The Library of the Center for Islamic Civilization stands as a treasury of knowledge and thought, embodying the finest examples of both Eastern and Western culture. It not only preserves the scholarly heritage of the Uzbek people but also serves as a bridge connecting civilizations through science, culture, and history.