Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. Photo: cisc.uz
Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, president of Pakistan’s Center for Knowledge and Public Policy, published an article in the reputable Pakistan Observer on the strategic importance of the Center of Islamic Civilization (CIC) in Tashkent.
The author notes that Uzbekistan has long served as a crossroads for great minds and has been renowned for its rich culture. With the creation of the CIC, the country is once again becoming a key center in the region.
The Center was established by decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2017, with its official opening scheduled for November 2025. The architectural design features a three-story building with a 65-meter-high dome on a 7.5-hectare site. The museum’s exhibition will include five thematic sections covering the entire history of the region — from pre-Islamic civilizations to the era of “New Uzbekistan.” According to the expert, the presence of the Mushaf of Uthman, one of the world’s oldest Qur’an manuscripts, gives the Center special spiritual significance.
Dr. Khan writes that the CIC is expected to become a unique platform for intercultural dialogue, tolerance, and scholarship — standing alongside such world institutions as the Louvre and the Smithsonian — by combining the functions of a museum and a research complex.
The Center will play an important role in promoting humanistic values, countering extremism, and presenting Islam’s peaceful essence through cooperation with UNESCO and other international organizations, he notes.
According to Dr. Khan, international experts have praised the project, and President Mirziyoyev has described it as a historic initiative that presents Islam as a religion of goodness and enlightenment.
