The First International Forum of Islamic Civilization, held under the motto «Peace, Tolerance, and Enlightenment,» has concluded in Uzbekistan. The forum ran from July 7 to 11 in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez, the press service of the Center of Islamic Civilization (CIC) reported.
At the closing ceremony in Tashkent, participants adopted a declaration, approved a roadmap for international cooperation for 2027–2031, and issued an address to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The address notes that holding the forum in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez carries symbolic significance, as these cities were once major centers of science and culture.
Participants endorsed the establishment of the CIC in Uzbekistan and expressed hope that it would become an international platform bringing together scholars, universities, museums, archives, and research organizations. They also proposed creating a World Alliance for the Study, Preservation, and Promotion of Islamic Civilization — a body that would coordinate joint research, specialist training, academic exchanges, international publishing projects, and efforts to preserve and promote cultural heritage sites.
In their address, the participants thanked Mirziyoyev for hosting the event and for supporting projects devoted to the study of Islamic heritage, including the CIC, the renovated Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex, the research centers named after Imam al-Bukhari, Imam al-Maturidi, and Imam at-Tirmidhi, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, and the Tashkent Islamic Institute named after Imam al-Bukhari. They also expressed readiness to cooperate with the CIC and other academic institutions in the country through fundamental research, the publication of scholarly works, exchanges of archival materials and manuscripts, and joint exhibitions, conferences, and educational programs.
According to the organizers, more than 500 scholars, researchers, and government and public figures from 46 countries took part in the forum, including representatives of UNESCO, ISESCO, the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), the International Council of Museums, the Turkic Academy, the Muslim World League, and other organizations
Tashkent hosted 14 plenary and six breakout sessions; Samarkand held three international scientific conferences and 11 plenary sessions; and Termez hosted one conference and two breakout sessions. In total, participants delivered 129 papers. Five books were presented during the forum, six memoranda and cooperation agreements were signed, and the organizers unveiled several research and publishing projects dedicated to the history and heritage of Islamic civilization.
The Center of Islamic Civilization was built in the Uzbek capital next to the Khast Imam complex. Designed in the style of medieval architectural monuments, the building features four 34-meter portals and a 65-meter central dome. It houses a Quran hall, a 550-seat conference hall, and a museum whose exhibits span the entire history of Uzbekistan, from pre-Islamic times to the present day. The CIC is intended to serve as a platform for studying the heritage of past generations and reinterpreting it for the modern age, in cooperation with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and academic and research centers worldwide.
