Four times the size of the Hollywood sign and nearly seven times the size of the White House, Uzbekistan’s newest cultural center is a monument of epic proportions.
Part museum, part academic research facility, the $150 million, three-story Center for Islamic Civilization (CISC) in Tashkent is scheduled to open to the public in March 2026 and aims to commemorate and revive Uzbekistan’s historical role as a center of Islamic learning.
“This region is home to many ancestors who influenced world civilization,” said CISC Director Firdavs Abdukhalikov. “The big question was how to present their influence to the world and to younger generations in an appealing and contemporary way.”
During the building’s construction over the past eight years, CISC brought in 1,500 experts from more than 40 countries to help develop the center’s scientific, architectural and cultural elements.
Through an “interactive education zone” that utilizes virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence technologies for exhibits such as conversations with “living portraits” of historians and thinkers, the center hopes to inspire children to explore astronomy, medicine, literature and art.
The second floor will be dedicated to research, giving international scholars access to the library’s more than 200,000 books.
“This is not just a museum, but a cultural and educational platform. Here we are not only involved in artifacts, but also in the lives and thoughts of influential figures,” Abdukharkov added.
Although Uzbekistan is a secular country, Islam is an important part of its history and cultural identity.
The Arab conquests brought Islam to Central Asia in the 7th century, replacing previous Zoroastrian and Buddhist traditions, and the region experienced a golden age of science, literature, and architecture between the 9th and 12th centuries.
Historian Farhan Ahmad Nizami, founding director of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, said medieval Uzbekistan, and the wider Central Asian region, “was a globalized world before globalization.” He is not affiliated with CISC.
Uzbek cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand were important stops on the Silk Road, a transcontinental trade route that stretched for 1,500 years (130 BC to 1453 AD) from Venice to Xi’an, and served as a confluence of Eastern and Western cultures and ideas.
“(Uzbekistan’s) contribution in science and art is obvious and although it did not receive enough attention, people are now rediscovering it,” Nizami added.
Then, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Timurid Empire experienced a second renaissance in art, science, and diplomacy, centered around Samarkand. CISC’s architecture draws inspiration from this period, with its grand mosaic-covered archways, blue tile-covered domes, and intricate decorations.
In the 19th century, Russian expansion incorporated many regions of Central Asia into the Russian Empire, and later the Soviet Union imposed secular rule and suppressed Islamic practices.
“A significant part of our cultural heritage was left abroad during the Soviet era,” Abdukharkov said.
It was not until 1991 that Uzbekistan regained its independence and began to revive its Islamic traditions and cultural identity. To achieve this objective, CISC was given instructions to recover the historical items.
“We have participated in auctions such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s and brought back pieces of cultural heritage. We have recovered 2,000 items and continue this work,” Abdukharkov said.
The center’s exhibits explore Uzbekistan’s history through these objects, including Uthman’s 7th-century Koran, one of the oldest in the world, and a collection of 114 Koranic manuscripts created by prominent rulers and calligraphers from different eras.
Nizami said the center had “tremendous potential” but cautioned that “the building is a platform. What happens on the platform is completely different,” stressing that its success will depend on long-term research, education and cultural engagement.
The center has faced criticism related to its costs, funding sources, and restrictions on religious freedom in the country.
CISC declined to comment on construction costs and funding sources.
A construction fire in September delayed the center’s initial launch, but major construction work has been completed.
About 60% of Uzbekistan’s population is under the age of 35, and Abdukharkov said the museum is for the next generation.
“We must inspire them and tell them about our great history through innovation and creativity,” he added.
