Library of the Center for Islamic Civilization. Photo: cisc.uz
The library of the Center for Islamic Civilization (CIC) in Uzbekistan holds about 35,000 books, including volumes gifted by international partners, according to the Center’s press service.
Mavluda Karimova, senior specialist at the Library and Archival Documents department, said that hundreds of unique books and facsimile editions have been received from abroad, including from the United Kingdom, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and other countries.
“A large collection of books was delivered to us from the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation. We also have sources brought from Jerusalem, as well as from the libraries and archives of Egypt. The collection includes the 45-volume Catalogue of Iranian Manuscripts, which interestingly features works related to Uzbekistan. In addition, there are facsimiles gifted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey,” said Karimova.
Work on developing the library continues, with new rare editions being cataloged and security measures introduced — including the installation of RFID-based chips to protect the books.
The Center for Islamic Civilization is located in Tashkent next to the Hast-Imam complex. Designed in the style of medieval architectural monuments, the building features four 34-meter portals and a central dome 65 meters high. It includes a Hall of the Quran, a 460-seat conference hall, and a museum whose exhibitions will cover the history of Uzbekistan from pre-Islamic times to the present day. The CIC aims to become a hub for studying and reinterpreting the country’s intellectual heritage in collaboration with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and educational and research institutions worldwide.
