Islamic Civilization Center in Tashkent: A Major Project for the Islamic World

Designed to showcase centuries of scientific, artistic, and spiritual exchange, the center is poised to emerge as one of the most important cultural hubs of the Islamic world.

According to Taghrib News Agency (TNA), Located in the heart of Tashkent, the center symbolizes Uzbekistan’s “spiritual and cultural awakening.” First proposed at the UN General Assembly in 2017, the project has now reached its final stage.

Built on a 10‑hectare site, the complex combines revived architectural traditions with modern engineering. Its 65‑meter dome and four monumental gates represent national and regional unity, while decorative elements inspired by the Timurid era recall the grandeur of Samarkand and Bukhara as historic centers of knowledge and creativity.

The galleries are designed around the themes of “civilization, personalities, and discoveries,” narrating history from the pre‑Islamic era through the first and second renaissances to “New Uzbekistan.” Among its treasures, the 7th‑century Uthman Qur’an—registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage list—stands out as the centerpiece.

The center also offers unique scientific and educational facilities: a library with 200,000 volumes, a digital archive, restoration laboratories, a children’s museum, and interactive spaces equipped with virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence technologies for teaching science and art. A calligraphy school and traditional printing house provide tangible experiences of the region’s written heritage.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has repeatedly stressed that “national identity is built on historical memory.” In line with this vision, Uzbekistan has actively pursued the return of dispersed historical artifacts. Expert teams of historians, orientalists, and art specialists conducted field research in the UK and other countries, identifying and documenting manuscripts, historical objects, and artworks linked to Central Asia.

As a result, more than 1,000 rare items have been repatriated, including around 600 examples of ceramics, metalwork, calligraphy, and miniature painting, as well as Qur’anic manuscripts from the 9th century and Timurid‑era works. Additionally, 300 manuscripts from the Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute are being prepared for public display for the first time.

New agreements have also paved the way for long‑term cooperation with international institutions such as the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, involving joint research, academic exchanges, and exhibitions. UNESCO Director‑General Khaled El‑Anany, after visiting the center last November, described it as “a light for the world and a symbol of cultural diversity, tolerance, and Uzbekistan’s historic role as a crossroads of civilizations.”

So far, more than 1,500 experts from 40 countries have contributed to research, architectural design, and artifact preservation, with at least 800 scientific and museum projects implemented under the initiative.

As the opening date approaches, the Islamic Civilization Center is set to become Uzbekistan’s new cultural gateway—preserving the past while fostering fresh research, broad scientific exchanges, and renewed intellectual curiosity across the region and beyond.