# Center of Islamic Civilization under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The Center of Islamic Civilization under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan (uz. O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Vazirlar Mahkamasi huzuridagi O‘zbekistonda islom sivilizatsiyasi markazi) is a cultural, scientific and educational center, an association representing the culture and history of Islam in Central Asia. The building of the Center is being erected in Tashkent next to the historical complex of Hazrati Imam.

## History

The Center was created on the initiative of the president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the context of the idea of enlightened Islam as a religion of "goodness, peace and tolerance", voiced by the president of the republic at international venues, including the UN General Assemblies. According to the president of Uzbekistan, the Center should scientifically "substantiate and promote the idea of the greatness of the people and convey the national idea".
On June 23, 2017, Mirziyoyev issued a decree on the establishment of the Center for Islamic Culture. Later, the president proposed renaming the Center for Islamic Culture to the Center for Islamic Civilization. On July 16, 2021, a decree of president Mirziyoyev was published on the transformation of the Center into a scientific and educational center engaged in the promotion of the idea of the "Third Renaissance - New Uzbekistan", studying and communicating to the public the achievements of a new stage of development in the history of the country, and promoting cultural heritage. The Center's tasks also include the formation of libraries and the training of guides and translators. Another task of the Center for Islamic Civilization is the development of cooperation with UNESCO, ISESCO and other international organizations, scientific centers.

## Construction of the Center

On 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.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. The construction was planned to be completed by the beginning of 2024, but was postponed to a later date.
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.

## Museum

A 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. 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.

## Management

On July 25, 2017, diplomat Shoazim Minovarov was appointed the first director of the Center for Islamic Civilization. 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.