A new institution in Tashkent opens as a monument to Central Asia’s role in the history of human knowledge.
For centuries, the Silk Road carried not only goods but also ideas, art forms, and knowledge along its routes – many of which originated in the cities of what is now Uzbekistan. Today, that tradition of exchange is finding a new home in the Islamic Civilization Center, a 10-hectare complex celebrating the region’s identity rooted in Islamic culture, architecture, and scholarship.
Reclaiming heritage
At the heart of the Islamic Civilization Center’s exhibition hall is one of the most significant objects in the Islamic world: the Uthman Qur’an, a 7th-century manuscript widely regarded as one of the oldest surviving copies of the holy text and listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Displayed alongside it, and deeply venerated, is a fragment of the Kiswah – the silk cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s most sacred site.
Both are exhibited together with more than 2,000 artifacts and manuscripts returned to Uzbekistan through a years-long repatriation initiative, led by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan. International auction houses including Sotheby’s and Christie’s, as well as museums, universities, and private collectors, were key players in their unification.
The museum exhibitions are organized in the concept of “Civilizations – Personalities – Discoveries”, starting from the pre-Islamic era, through the First and Second Renaissances of Central Asia, and concluding with a session titled “New Uzbekistan – the Foundation of the Third Renaissance”. One focal point is the Hall of Glory, where micro-mosaic compositions honor the scholars whose work shaped civilization far beyond the region’s borders, including Al-Khwarizmi, who laid the foundations of algebra; Ibn Sina, whose medical encyclopedia guided physicians for centuries; and Mirzo Ulugh Beg, whose star charts remained unsurpassed for over a century.
Built for dialogue
Designed in the Timurid architectural style exemplified by the madrasas of Registan Square in Samarkand, the Center is unmistakably rooted in its heritage. Its four monumental portals represent Uzbekistan’s regions, and its facades are covered in intricate tilework and calligraphic ornamentation.
Inside, the experience is modern, with immersive multimedia environments, AI-powered interactive installations, and three-dimensional reconstructions allowing visitors to move through historical periods. The complex also houses research facilities, restoration and digitization laboratories, archival storage, and a library, giving the Center the infrastructure to function as an active scholarly institution as well as a public museum.
More than 1,500 specialists from 40 countries worked on the project. Similar to the Mamun Academy in Khorezm or the Ulugh Beg Madrasah in Samarkand – institutions that, in their time, made Central Asia one of the greatest centers of learning in the world – the Islamic Center is set to restore this intellectual heritage for a new generation.
A global reach
Even before its doors opened, the Center was gaining prestigious rankings and asserting its place on the global museum stage. This recognition, along with the inclusion of the Center in the list of “The Most Beautiful Museums of the World 2026” by the International Committee of the Prix Versailles award, further solidifies its standing.
Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Islamic Civilization Center, noted “For many years, our esteemed President nurtured the idea of creating a true center of enlightenment – a space that would remind the world of our people’s great contribution to the development of global civilization.”
That dialogue extends to younger audiences as well, with educational programs that connect students to the material through projects linking classical scholarship to mathematics, technology, and natural science in ways that make medieval scholarship feel relevant today.
Opening in Tashkent in March 2026, the Islamic Civilization Center marks a significant cultural moment, connecting a new generation to the roots of global knowledge in Central Asia.
Learn more about the Islamic Civilization Center here.
