Islamic Civilization Center In Uzbekistan

Throughout world history, certain projects have transcended the boundaries of their time, connected the past with the future, and become symbols of civilisational progress. The Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan is just such a project—a major institution dedicated to studying, preserving, and promoting the heritage of the Uzbek people and the entire Islamic civilisation. The idea put forward by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev from the rostrum of the United Nations in 2017 has thus found an architectural, scholarly, and cultural embodiment.

During his visit to the Center while it was still under construction, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres highly praised Uzbekistan’s policies:

“President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is a great and highly respected leader who consistently promotes the principles of dialogue, enlightenment, and mutual respect from the high rostrum of the United Nations.”

On 17 March 2026, the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan officially opened its doors to the public. The complex covers an area of more than ten hectares. Its façades are clad in white travertine, while Islamic calligraphy, geometric ornamentation, and elements of Timurid architecture are harmoniously combined with advanced engineering, digital, and multimedia technologies.

“This centre is a beacon for the entire world and a symbol of Uzbekistan’s historic role as a crossroads of civilisations,” said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany.

The spiritual and architectural heart of the Center is the Hall of the Holy Qur’an, situated beneath a magnificent 65-metre-high dome. It houses the Uthman Mushaf, one of the greatest sacred treasures of the Islamic world, inscribed on UNESCO’s International Memory of the World Register. Alongside it is a unique collection of 114 manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an, commissioned or produced by rulers, scholars, and distinguished calligraphers from different historical periods associated with the territory of present-day Uzbekistan.

After viewing the Center’s exhibition, UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais remarked:“Congratulations on creating such a remarkable presentation of history. I do not think I have ever seen anything like it before.”

The Center has received six international awards and distinctions. The scale and uniqueness of the complex were officially recognised by Guinness World Records, which named it the world’s largest museum of Islamic civilisation. At the Halal in Travel Global Summit 2026 in Singapore, it received the award for “Best Islamic Heritage Attraction of the Year.” The Center was also included among the world’s most beautiful museums by the international architectural award Prix Versailles and named by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the year’s most anticipated museums.

During his visit to the Center in November 2025, President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb praised its contemporary approach to presenting centuries of history:

“The Center leaves an unforgettable impression. Presenting three thousand years of history in such a modern format is an art of the highest order.”

The exhibition concept presents the history of the region in chronological order, from ancient times to the present day. It introduces visitors to pre-Islamic civilisations, the eras of the First and Second Renaissances, and the achievements of New Uzbekistan.

The Center was conceived not merely as a museum, but as a permanent research and educational complex. Its exhibitions feature more than two thousand unique artefacts, many of which were returned to Uzbekistan on the direct instructions of the head of state. The OSCE, the Art Loss Register, the Metropolitan Police Service in London, and international experts joined these efforts. Through their combined work, the provenance of ten exceptionally rare artefacts of global significance, which had previously been illegally removed from the country, was established, and the objects were returned to Uzbekistan.

Speaking at the artefact handover ceremony, Kerry Wood, Head of the Economic Crime Unit, stated:

“I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan, particularly His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for their unwavering support for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. Today’s handover is the result of extensive joint efforts undertaken in cooperation with partners both in the United Kingdom and around the world.”

The Center’s library holdings comprise more than 2,500 manuscripts and lithographic editions, approximately 40,000 printed publications, and over 350,000 digital resources. The Center also houses an archive, restoration laboratories, a printing house, a school of calligraphy, and next-generation educational facilities.

Assessing the scale of the project, Louis Ng, Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, emphasised:

“The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is an outstanding leader. To have invested so much effort over nine years—in terms of both the time and the resources devoted to this project—represents an investment of truly global significance.”

Thanks to its extensive infrastructure, the Center has already become a major venue for prominent international academic and cultural events. A particularly important place among them was occupied by the First International Forum “Islamic Civilization: The Path of Peace, Tolerance and Enlightenment,” held from 7 to 15 July 2026.

The Forum brought together approximately 500 representatives from 50 countries, including leaders of international organisations, ministers, grand muftis, directors of major museums and libraries, prominent scholars, and heads of research institutions.

President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a message to the participants, which was read out during the event:

“This meaningful and constructive initiative is of immense historical significance not only for Uzbekistan, but also for the entire Islamic world and the common future of humanity. Under the wise leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan is becoming a leader and standard-bearer of this historic mission.”

At the First International Forum on Islamic Civilization, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa described Uzbekistan as “one of the brightest chapters in the history of Islamic civilisation.”

The Declaration of the First International Forum on Islamic Civilization was unanimously adopted at the conclusion of the event.

“We, the participants of the First International Forum on Islamic Civilization, express our profound gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for the historic initiative through which Uzbekistan has become one of the world’s leading centres for the study and promotion of the heritage of Islamic civilisation, as well as an important international platform for peace, enlightenment, and intercultural dialogue,” the participants of the First International Forum on Islamic Civilization declared.