Uzbekistan's Lost Treasures Displayed in London Ahead of Historic Return

Displays hosted feature rare Qur'anic manuscripts and artefacts

LONDON  , July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A mission to track down Uzbekistan's lost cultural and religious antiquities and treasures is culminating in a landmark display in London.

Researchers and art historians from Uzbekistan have scoured the globe to acquire long-lost manuscripts and treasures dating back over the past 1,300 years.

This week a unique collection of these rediscovered rarities are being brought together for two private exhibitions in London for leading academics, art experts, collectors and Central Asia specialists

The treasures – including fragments of 9^th Century Qur'anic manuscripts – date from when Uzbekistan was a global center of science, culture, and education.

They have been identified as part of a programme led by the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan (CIC), an initiative launched by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to highlight the country's contribution to world culture

Speaking at the United Nations in 2017, President Mirziyoyev emphasized Islam's humanist values and the importance of reconnecting with spiritual and cultural heritage. The following year, he personally laid the foundation stone of the Centre in Tashkent, and last year instructed officials to track down the lost artefacts.

The CIC experts have been searching for the long-lost items in museums, private collections, universities, and institutions.

The items in London include artifacts from the First and Second Renaissance in Uzbekistan, and from the reign of Tamerlane. They were bought at Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses in London earlier this year and are a fraction of the treasures sourced for the Center.

Speaking in London, Firdavs Abdukhalikov, General Director of the CIC, said:  

"I want to emphasize the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan not only initiated and funded the construction of the Centre but also personally commissioned the return of these cultural assets. This is a deeply personal and conscious mission — one we carry out with a strong sense of responsibility."

"Our project to restore these unique artefacts from Uzbekistan's rich past is one of the most important cultural initiatives in our country's modern history. It makes us proud that so many treasures, which were lost from Uzbekistan for so long, are now being repatriated to form a living, breathing and visionary center that will protect and enhance our heritage for generations to come.

"Their recovery is of huge significance to our country." 

HE Ravshan Usmanov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan in the UK said: "Uzbekistan is home to a rich and ancient civilization, where the Silk Road served as a vital artery for cultural and intellectual exchange between East and West."

"Today, Uzbekistan is investing deeply in reviving and preserving this legacy — through initiatives like the establishment of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent. This reflects our commitment to embracing and sharing our historical identity with the world."

Benedict Carter, Head of Sotheby's Islamic & Indian Art Department, said: "Sotheby's is delighted to have been able to support the Center of Islamic Civilization's mission via the sourcing of items of Central Asian cultural and historical importance. We look forward to future endeavours in partnership with this important new institution in Tashkent, and to helping make a lasting contribution to conserving the arts of Central Asia."

Envisioned as a 'symbol of national identity, knowledge, education, and culture', the CIC occupies a newly-built 10-hectare complex. It features over 8,000sqm of exhibition space, covering pre-Islamic heritage, the First and Second Renaissances, and the modern era of the 'New Uzbekistan'. A dedicated Qur'an Hall will house the legendary Othman Qur'an — one of the oldest surviving Qur'anic manuscripts in the world.

The Center is a step towards strengthening national identity, affirming cultural independence and recognizing Uzbekistan in the international arena as a country that is the custodian of Islamic heritage, open to peace and dialogue.

About the Center

The Center for Islamic Civilization is due to open later in 2025. The $200m three-story building measures 145m by 115 meters, and its dome rises 64m.

The main museum covers about 15,000 sqm. The Center will also house a research center, data digitization and restoration laboratory.