Firdavs Abdukhalikov (right) and Coşkun Yılmaz. Photo: CIC Press Service
The Center for Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan (CIC) and the Directorate of Manuscripts under the Office of the President of Türkiye have agreed to study manuscripts related to Uzbekistan that are preserved in Turkish libraries, the CIC press service reports.
CIC Director Firdavs Abdukhalikov and Coşkun Yılmaz, head of the Directorate of Manuscripts, discussed the progress of the CIC projects “100 Rare Qur’an Manuscripts” and “100 Rare Manuscripts Related to Uzbekistan.” They noted that among the more than 800,000 manuscripts held in the Suleymaniye Library, a significant number are connected to Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage. The parties agreed to jointly study these materials, prepare facsimile editions, and conduct scholarly research.
It was emphasized that relations between Uzbekistan and Türkiye continue to deepen, with agreements between the leaders of both countries playing a major role in this process.
“The Uzbek and Turkish peoples share a common history and cultural heritage. Many of the texts preserved by the Directorate of Manuscripts are part of the shared wealth of both nations. We therefore need to combine our efforts to study this heritage and conduct joint scholarly research,” Yılmaz stated.
At the end of the meeting, Yılmaz presented the CIC with a facsimile copy of Mahmud al-Kashgari’s Dīwān lughāt at-Turk, the only original 11th-century manuscript of which is held in the National Library of Türkiye.
The Center for Islamic Civilization is located next to the Hast-Imam Complex. The building is designed in the style of medieval architectural monuments, with four portals measuring 34 meters and a central dome rising 65 meters. It houses a Qur’an gallery, a 460-seat conference hall, and a museum whose exhibitions will cover the full history of Uzbekistan—from pre-Islamic times to the present. The CIC aims to become a platform for studying and reinterpreting the heritage of Uzbekistan’s ancestors, working in cooperation with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and scholarly and educational institutions worldwide.
