Center for Islamic Civilization
The Center for Islamic Civilization (uz O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Vazirlar Mahkamasi huzuridagi O‘zbekistonda islom sivilizatsiyasi markazi) is an education and research center in Uzbekistan specializing in the culture and history of Islam in Central Asia.[1] The Center is located in Tashkent adjacent to the historical complex of Hazrati Imam.[2] HistoryThe Center was an initiative of the president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the goal of presenting Islam as a religion of "goodness, peace and tolerance." Mirziyoyev envisaged the Center as a vehicle to scientifically substantiate the greatness of Islamic civilization. [3] Mirziyoyev formally announced the establishment of the Center for Islamic Culture in June 2017.[4] Later, he proposed renaming it the Center for Islamic Civilization.[5] On July 16, 2021, President Mirziyoyev described the Center as a scientific and educational center that would promote Uzbekistan's role in the cultural heritage of the region. Among its missions would be to establish libraries and train guides and translators.[6] The Center for Islamic Civilization will cooperate with UNESCO, ISESCO and other international organizations.[7]The ICESCO Manuscripts Center will be housed at the Center.[8] Design and architectureOn September 1, 2017, Mirziyoyev visited the Khazrati Imam complex, where he ordered the construction of the Center. A plot of land of about 10 hectares was allocated next to the complex. The customer of the project was the Tashkent city administration. Mirziyoyev personally laid the first stone in the foundation of the future Center on June 15, 2018.[9]The length of the three-story building of the Islamic Civilization Center is 145 meters, the width is 115 meters. The height of the central dome is 64 meters. At least $161.8 million was allocated for the construction of the building.[10] The construction was planned to be completed by the beginning of 2024, but was postponed to a later date.[11] The first floor will house a research center, a data digitization and restoration laboratory, a storage fund for museum exhibits and rare manuscripts. A museum with an exhibition hall of about 15,000 square meters is planned for the second floor. Various exhibits of the cultural heritage of the Islamic world will be displayed in thematic order. In the center of the museum, under a 50-meter dome, the Quran of Usman will be located. A library with 100,000 manuscripts and their digital copies will be located on the third floor.[12][13] MuseumA museum will be created in the Center for Islamic Civilization, which will consist of five halls dedicated to the Quran, pre-Islamic civilization, Islamic Golden Age,Timurid Renaissance and modern history of Uzbekistan.[14] Scientists are involved in the formation of the museum's exposition. Among them Francois Deroche, Irina Popova, Sandro Teti, representatives of the Al Furqan Foundation, IRCICA, ISESCO and others.[15][16][17] AdministrationOn July 25, 2017, diplomat Shoazim Minovarov was appointed the first director of the Center for Islamic Civilization.[18] On June 6, 2024, Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Chairman of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan, was appointed the new director of the Center.[19] References
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