Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan Awarded Prestigious International Prix Avicenne 2025 award

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Uzbekistan's new Islamic Civilization Center, which officially opens to the public in March 2026, has welcomed the award of the prestigious international prize, the Prix Avicenne 2025.

Amid the splendor of the National Academy of Medicine of France, the award was presented by the French scientific community before leading scientists, historians of medicine, orientalists, specialists in Islamic heritage and representatives of cultural institutions of Europe. Organizers emphasized that the activities of the Center – established at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to highlight the country's contribution to world culture – has become an excellent example of a modern approach to the study of the heritage of Ibn Sina, one of the greatest scientists in the history of mankind.

The Director of the Islamic Civilization Center, Firdavs Abdukhalikov, said: "This award is further vivid evidence of international recognition of the large-scale activities of our President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who initiated and inspired the creation of Islamic Civilization Center – a unique author's scientific and cultural megaproject designed to return to the world the true intellectual heritage of the great thinkers of the East.

"The Prix Avicenne is a high honor and a well-deserved appreciation of the work of hundreds of national and foreign scientists, researchers, translators and experts who form the scientific and educational content of the Center. This award also symbolizes the deep respect of the world community for the historical role of Central Asia in the development of global scientific thought. We will continue to expand international research, strengthen scientific ties and continue work dedicated to the legacy of Avicenna and all outstanding thinkers of our land."

The decision of the Academy emphasized that Uzbekistan today not only preserves its own cultural and scientific past, but also makes a significant contribution to world humanities, forming and initiating new large-scale projects, standards for research, restoration, cataloguing and popularization of the Islamic intellectual heritage.

The Islamic Civilization Center has returned some of the rarest manuscript copies of Avicenna's works. The Center is also developing the directions of reconstruction of medical treatises, while also organizing international conferences dedicated to the contribution of the great thinkers of Central Asia to world science. According to French scientists, the newly created exhibition at the Islamic Civilization Center brings the study and research of Avicenna's heritage to a new level and makes Uzbekistan a leading platform in this area.

The Prix Avicenne, established by leading scientific organizations in France, is awarded for outstanding achievements in the humanities and natural sciences, as well as for contribution to the preservation and promotion of historical and scientific heritage.

Information for editors

Islamic Civilization Center is located in an historical area of Tashkent, next to the spiritual heart of the capital of Uzbekistan, the Hazrati Imam Mosque. The three-story building measures 145 by 115 meters, and its central dome rises 65 meters. In the center of the building is the Quran of Uthman, one of the oldest Qur'anic manuscripts in the world, which is included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, an international initiative to preserve and promote cultural heritage and artefacts of global importance.

The main square of the museum covers about 15,000m², while other areas house a research center, digitization and restoration laboratories, a library with more than 200,000 unique publications, and offices for international organizations. Visitors will be able to see rare artifacts from different eras, acquired at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan from international auctions and private collections. The center also presents collections from museums worldwide and from the World Society for the Preservation, Study and Promotion of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan (WOSCU). Interactive exhibitions will show breakthroughs in algebra, astronomy and medicine - some of the most important discoveries of the Golden Age of Islam.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2838631/Center_for_Islamic_Civilization_Uzbekistan.jpg