This center, created based on these high ideas and goals, will serve the in-depth study and wide dissemination of the more than three-thousand-year history of our people, its creative potential, its immense contribution to world civilization, as well as the cultural and educational heritage of our great ancestors.
The Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, in its grandeur, scale, and scope, is one of the world’s largest complexes dedicated to the study and promotion of history, culture, and Islamic civilization.
It has been built on the site of the renowned Hazrati Imam complex in Tashkent, covering 10 hectares. The Center consists of three floors. Its length is 161 meters, and its width is 118 meters. The height of its dome reaches 65 meters, and the total usable area exceeds 42,000 square meters. Such unique characteristics also serve as grounds for its inclusion in the Guinness World Records.
The Center’s building was designed based on the architectural ideas and proposals of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. During the construction process, the Head of State repeatedly visited the complex, providing valuable recommendations and guidance on improving both its content and architecture. In particular, during several visits to the Center in 2025 alone, the President gave important instructions on enhancing the exhibitions, infrastructure, and educational and scientific areas.
The Center, built based on ancient and national architectural traditions, can be entered from four sides – through four main portals. These portals and the building’s external arches are adorned with verses from the Quran and hadiths that express the ideals of enlightenment, generosity, humanism, and respect for parents.
On the underground level, there are a special platform for children, a restoration and digital copying laboratory, storage facilities for museum exhibits and rare manuscripts, a modern cafeteria, and museum vestibules.
On the ground floor, there is a museum with an exhibition hall covering approximately 8,350 square meters and a conference hall with 550 seats. On the second floor, there is a library with a collection of manuscripts and lithographic sources, printed and electronic literature, reading rooms, and facilities created for international organizations and research institutions.
Today, once again visiting this complex of great spiritual and educational significance, the President of the country became familiar with the conditions created, the rich exhibitions, and the new initiatives.
At the beginning, the Head of State entered the Hall of the Quran and examined the environment created there and its unique exhibitions. This hall is considered the spiritual heart of the Center.
A special mapping hologram has been created under the dome, where an image of outer space first appears, with stars shimmering in the sky. Notably, the star composition under the dome is based on a map of the stars visible in the night sky over Tashkent. A total of 90 Swarovski stones and more than 650 light fixtures are used as stars, giving the hall a special sense of grandeur.
Here, alongside the Uthman Mushaf, 114 rare manuscripts of the Quran belonging to the country are displayed, created during the reigns of various dynasties. Among them are rare copies dating back to the Samanid, Karakhanid, Ghaznavid, Timurid, Shaybanid, and other eras. These manuscripts possess not only religious significance, but also immense historical, scientific, and artistic value as outstanding examples of Eastern book art. In the modern display cases of the hall, a worthy place is given to original manuscripts that were carefully preserved among our people and transferred to the Center’s collection.
As noted, from the laying of the Center’s foundation until 2025, the number of ancient sources in its collection exceeded 2,000, while the number of rare Quran manuscripts surpassed 60. All of them were carefully preserved and either provided by compatriots or acquired through international auctions. The work carried out clearly demonstrates a commitment to the revival of our national and religious heritage, the return of invaluable sources scattered across the world to their homeland, their integration into scholarly circulation, and their preservation for future generations.
The President was informed about several particularly valuable manuscripts included in the exhibition. Among them is the “Bozuband” Quran manuscript, created by the calligrapher Sultan Muhammad in 1589 in the form of an octagon and also used as a talisman; an exquisite 17th-century copy reflecting the flourishing of calligraphy and book art during the Safavid period. Also presented is a rare manuscript created by the calligrapher Muhammad bin Abd al-Hadi in 1872 in the Maghribi script style. A unique specimen from the 12th-13th centuries of the Seljuk period, produced by the calligrapher Muhammad Sodiq bin Muhammad Shafi in the naskh style with an interlinear Persian translation, is also on display. It was noted that in some manuscripts, the traditions of the Samarkand, Herat, and Bukhara schools of calligraphy are clearly manifested.
The President then reviewed a presentation on the work underway to ensure a high level of visitor services at the museum.
It was emphasized that the Center has gained recognition from authoritative international organizations and publications in a short period. In particular, the Center has been awarded the French Avicenna Prize and was listed among the 10 most anticipated museum openings of 2026 by Smithsonian Magazine of the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. In addition, Condé Nast Traveler included it in the list of museums to visit in June 2026, while BBC Travel ranked it among the world’s most anticipated museums.
The Center has prepared handouts, brochures, and books for visitors in accordance with international service standards. For the first time in Uzbekistan’s museum practice, with the involvement of international experts, a modern chemical and physical laboratory has determined the chemical composition and dating of all museum exhibits, and technological passports have been prepared for them.
The exhibits have been digitized in accordance with international ISO standards and placed on a unified electronic platform. Based on the requirements of UNESCO and ICOM, as well as the experience of leading museums worldwide, standards and classifications for exhibit labeling have been developed across eight areas. Thanks to QR codes placed on each exhibit, visitors can use a mobile phone or tablet to access the exhibit’s video and audio content, initially available in three languages, with plans to expand to eight.
The presentation placed special emphasis on transforming the Center into a platform for social inclusion based on the concept of “A Museum Open to Everyone”. In the future, it is planned to install special electronic chips on all exhibits and introduce an automatic audio guide system for visually impaired visitors, allowing them to receive information about exhibits as they approach. It is also planned to enable independent navigation within the building using Bluetooth beacons.
The use of robot guides, tablets for video and audio familiarization, and audio, radio, and headset guides, as practiced at the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is also envisaged.
It was noted that, according to preliminary estimates, the Center will receive an average of about 5,000 visitors per day. For the full operation of the Center and the museum in line with international standards, more than 400 staff members are required. Currently, more than 100 specially trained controllers and over 30 guides are employed. Separate guide texts have been developed for tourists from 10 countries.
After that, the Head of State became familiar with the conditions established on the second floor of the Center building for the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan’s activities.
As part of the visit, the President inspected the Center’s library.
The total area of the library is 3,105 square meters. Its collection currently comprises more than 45,150 publications, of which 2,609 are rare editions. In addition, the library holds 350,000 electronic publications. It can accommodate up to 310 users at a time. Four separate rooms, equipped with all modern technology and the facilities necessary for research activities, have been created for scholars and professors.
One of the library’s sections is dedicated to the legacy of 22 Jadid enlighteners. It features their photographic portraits, and the bookshelves display unique literature they authored and devoted to their work.
In addition, several measures are underway to replenish the library’s collection with rare publications on the lives and works of outstanding Uzbek thinkers and scholars, as well as the scientific schools they founded. In particular, the collection includes first editions of manuscripts and lithographic works by great scholars, as well as rare studies and commentaries devoted to their scientific heritage. These efforts are ongoing, regularly acquiring copies at international auctions, from research institutions, private collections, and contributions from compatriots.
The library also features unique European publications, including works in Latin on Muslim dynasties, the history of Turkic peoples, encyclopedias on the peoples of the East, and travel notes on Khorasan and Mawarannahr, all published before the 20th century. In addition, the library’s collection has been enriched with rare sources acquired from private collections, such as “Qisas al-Anbiya” by Nasiruddin Rabguzi, divans of Alisher Navoi copied in Tashkent in the early 19th century, and Turkic translations of the works of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi.
Information was also presented on the creation of dedicated conditions for users with disabilities. In particular, special rooms have been organized for visually impaired and blind individuals, specialized software, printers, and devices have been installed, and more than a thousand Braille publications have been provided. It is in this library that soundproof booths have been introduced for the first time in Uzbekistan, allowing users to conduct online communication without disturbing others while ensuring the confidentiality of conversations and personal data. In addition, the modern “Sonic chair” device for working with audio resources has been introduced for the first time not only in the country but across all of Central Asia.
A green area for readers, a copying service, special rooms for individual study, and a separate area for children have been organized on the library premises.
The President then became familiar with the activities of the international scientific and educational platform established under the Center.
As noted, cooperation has been established with several authoritative international organizations within the framework of the platform. Office spaces have been organized in collaboration with ICESCO, IRCICA, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the Timurid Association in France, TURKSOY, and other international organizations. This creates a conducive environment for joint work between domestic scholars and representatives of foreign organizations, enabling collaborative research, project development, and the implementation of educational initiatives.
During the visit, the Head of State reviewed the exhibition of valuable artifacts donated to the Center and acquired abroad.
As noted, in accordance with the President’s instructions, consistent efforts are being made to return cultural valuables located abroad to Uzbekistan. Last year, more than 700 artifacts were acquired at auctions in the United Kingdom, such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, as well as from art dealers and private collectors. In addition, more than 1,000 items were donated by various institutions, organizations, and patrons. The majority of these exhibits are displayed on the first floor of the museum.
The exhibition features numerous rare artifacts dating back to the Samanid, Karakhanid, Ghaznavid, Timurid, and other eras. In particular, special attention is drawn to a silver barkash (tray) with gold plating bearing the name of the Samanid commander Abu Mansur Sabuktigin, produced at the end of the 10th century, as well as a silver bowl and a copper inkwell from the Samanid period; a women’s belt adorned with turquoise from the reign of Uzbek Khan of the Golden Horde; and gold-embroidered 19th-century textiles from the Ottoman period bearing the inscriptions “Allah” and “Muhammad”.
The President was presented with information about examples of ceramic art from the Timurid period, a 19th-century silk covering that once covered the tomb of the Prophet in Madinah, a historical sample of the hizam (the belt at the upper part of the kiswah) that was hung above the door of the Kaaba, as well as the large-scale “mother of all suzani”. In addition, fragments of a large Quran copied by Umar Aqta during the reign of Amir Temur, ceramic tile elements from Timurid-era architectural monuments, and weapons and armor from the Baburid period – helmets, shields, swords, and armor components – were displayed.
In addition, information was presented on findings related to the Oxus Treasure. In 1877, some of the unique items from this treasure, discovered in the territory of the Bukhara Emirate and now housed in the British Museum, were returned to Uzbekistan through London trading houses. Among them are a gold pectoral depicting a Sogdian horseman from the 8th-9th centuries and unique snake-shaped bracelets weighing 666 grams, dating back to the Bactrian period.
An important place in the exhibition is also given to artifacts donated to the Center. In particular, it was reported that orientalist Alexander Naimark, residing in the United States, donated a manuscript of Pahlavon Mahmud to the Center. This manuscript was copied from the personal signature of the Khiva Khan Muhammad Rahimkhan Feruz, and during its study, more than 70 new rubai were identified. In addition, the exhibition features coins, jewelry, medallions, and other historical items from various eras, including those from a hoard discovered in the settlement of Maysky.
Overall, during the visit, the immense potential of this Center was once again clearly demonstrated: it enables a deep understanding of our country’s history and cultural heritage, reveals the true humanistic and educational essence of Islam, and presents to the international community our ancestors’ great scientific and spiritual legacy.
“Today, we have witnessed a major event on the path to understanding our own identity. Praise be to the Almighty that over these nine years, through good intentions, hard work, and perseverance, we have created a complex that truthfully reflects who we are, who our people are, and what our history is. Everyone who comes here, especially our youth, must know and understand the legacy of the great ancestors from whom we descend”.
“This large-scale project is not just a blueprint. It was created by the heart, shaped by love, dreams, and profound aspirations. And the sacred hall where the Quran will be kept did not come into being on its own. It was born from the heart, from the desire to reflect the dreams of our people, their greatness, and their spiritual strength. This project is the result of noble aspirations aimed at embodying the true image of our great nation”, the President said.
Following the visit, the Head of State signed the guest book of the Islamic Civilization Center.
