Presidents near the Center for Islamic Civilization. Photo: Press Service of the President of Uzbekistan
During the VII Consultative Meeting of the heads of states in the region held in Tashkent, the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan visited the Center for Islamic Civilization (CIC).
The leaders explored the exhibitions of the museum’s five halls: Pre-Islamic Civilizations, First Renaissance Era, Second Renaissance Era, New Uzbekistan — New Renaissance, and the Quran Hall, which now houses one of the oldest relics of the Islamic world — the Quran of Uthman.
After the tour, the presidents took part in official ceremonies to sign the Central Asia Declaration and to award the recipients of a new international prize established by Uzbekistan — Kelajak Merosi (“Heritage of the Future”).
The event with the participation of the heads of states marked the culmination of the International Congress “Central Asia and Azerbaijan: Shared Spiritual and Educational Heritage — Shared Future,” held from November 13 to 15 at the CIC with more than 350 scholars from the region in attendance.
It should be noted that Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdymukhammedov arrived in Tashkent on November 16. His visit to the Center for Islamic Civilization is also scheduled.
The Quran of Uthman, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, is the oldest surviving manuscript of the Quran, believed to have been stained with the blood of the third caliph, Uthman. It was written in the 7th century. In 1997, UNESCO included the manuscript in the Memory of the World register.
The Center for Islamic Civilization (CIC) was built in Tashkent next to the Hast-Imam complex. Designed in the style of medieval architectural monuments, the building features four portals, each 34 meters high, and a central dome rising to 65 meters. It houses a Quran Hall, a 460-seat conference hall, and a museum whose exhibitions cover the entire history of Uzbekistan—from pre-Islamic times to the present. The CIC is intended to serve as a platform for studying the heritage of the past and for its contemporary interpretation, in cooperation with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and scholarly and educational institutions worldwide.
