Photo: cisc.uz
The museum of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent will showcase an enlarged copy of a unique miniature from the Timurid era, depicting several rulers of the dynasty. The announcement was made by the Center’s press service.
The miniature was created in the mid-16th century by Mir Sayyid Ali Termizi, a court painter of the Mughal emperor Humayun, during a period of flourishing of the imperial workshop (kitabkhana) in India. At that time, artists not only illustrated literary works but also produced dynastic portraits, combining ancestors and descendants in a single composition.
The miniature portrays several Timurid rulers and their Mughal heirs: Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, along with princes Sultan Parviz and Khusrau. Earlier figures of the lineage are also present—Babur, Umar Sheikh Mirza, Sultan Abu Sa’id Mirza, Sultan Muhammad Mirza, and Miranshah.
The artist depicted a festive scene against a golden sky, among greenery and birds, surrounded by courtiers and servants. The work is of particular value because the figures are labeled with their names directly on the image, lending the composition a documentary quality and enabling precise identification of the historical figures.
Part of the original composition is preserved abroad, notably at the British Museum, but the Tashkent exhibition presents a complete reconstruction, enlarged roughly one hundred times to several square meters. Under the direction of art historian Behzod Khozhmetov, a group of about forty artists recreated the work, including lost elements. Models were produced based on depictions of Bayonghur Mirza and Shahrukh Mirza.
ℹ️ The Center for Islamic Civilization is a project initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as part of his vision of promoting enlightened Islam as a religion of kindness, peace, and tolerance. The building houses a museum.
