World Media Gather at the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan to Tell the Story of Islam's Legacy in a New Way

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Up to 300 media representatives from 50 countries gather in Tashkent and Samarkand today for the start of the International Media Forum "Islamic Civilization: New Look - New Discoveries," organized by the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

The Forum brings together global media, cinema, publishing, science and digital technology to present Islamic civilization's contribution to human progress to international audiences in new and compelling ways - through the works of great scientists and thinkers, ancient manuscripts, unique artifacts, documentary films, publishing projects and artificial intelligence. Its aim is to make this heritage understood and valued by audiences worldwide.

The initiative builds on a proposal by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the UN General Assembly in 2017, to present Islam as a religion of peace, knowledge and tolerance. At a time when global media increasingly shape how societies understand one another, that idea carries particular international weight. The Forum sets out to show that the achievements of Islamic civilization - from Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Fergani and Ibn Sina to the intellectual and cultural legacy of the Timurid and Baburid eras - belong not to one region or religion alone, but to the shared heritage of humanity.

Participants include heads and representatives of 26 television and radio companies, 24 international publications, 14 newspapers, and five international media associations. CNN and Euronews are the Forum's general media partners.

The programme combines plenary sessions and professional discussions, documentary screenings, presentations of international media and publishing projects, and meetings between journalists, directors, producers and publishers, alongside the signing of cooperation agreements. A central question running through the sessions is how to tell the story of historical and spiritual heritage in today's language - through documentary filmmaking, television, publishing, museum technology, artificial intelligence, digital avatars and immersive formats.

Delegates will view the Center's manuscript and artifact collections firsthand, record interviews, and identify subjects for future documentaries, books and digital projects. The programme also includes a visit to Samarkand - among other sites, the Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex and UNESCO World Heritage landmarks - timed alongside events marking the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence.

Beyond showcasing existing work, the Forum is designed as a launchpad for new international partnerships - joint films, television programmes, books and digital media projects.

"The International Media Forum continues the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, voiced at the UN General Assembly in 2017, to reveal to the world the true humanistic essence of Islam - grounded in knowledge, enlightenment, peace and tolerance," said Dr. Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director General of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. "At the initiative of the head of state, extensive work is under way to study and preserve the legacy of great scientists and thinkers. Today, it is essential to tell that story in a modern language - through world media, cinema, books, digital technology and artificial intelligence. This is how the President's vision translates into concrete international media projects reaching millions of people worldwide."

The Forum marks a new stage in the Center's long-term strategy: from informing the world about Uzbekistan to co-creating international content that reveals the country's historical, scientific and cultural heritage through contemporary media.

A growing global network

The Center's materials and projects have reached media in 65 countries, including 246 news items and sponsored features, seven full-length co-produced documentaries, 27 video projects, 23 television stories and more than 60 books.

The Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan initiates and sponsors a number of international media partnership projects aimed at promoting Uzbekistan's cultural, historical and intellectual heritage on the global stage. With the Center's sponsorship, Euronews and CNN have produced more than 25 television and digital features on its history, architecture and collections, and on the return of cultural treasures to Uzbekistan - reaching a combined television audience of over 400 million viewers. Further documentary and special projects have been produced with TRT World and TRT Avaz, while sponsored coverage of Uzbekistan's cultural heritage has appeared on the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and National Geographic. Cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Network is currently under discussion.

Among the Center's flagship projects is the documentary series Echo of Enlightenment, featuring Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley, which traces the legacy of Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Fergani, Ibn Sina and other Central Asian scientists alongside the cultural achievements of the Timurid and Baburid eras. Broadcast on the BBC, CNN and Euronews, the series has reached a combined audience of more than 418 million viewers, and one instalment, Whispers of Wisdom, has won international recognition including the official SILKFEST 26 award in Belgrade and the Terres Travel Festival in Tortosa, Catalonia.

The Tashkent and Samarkand Forum builds directly on this record - moving from individual media projects toward systematic cooperation with the world's leading newsrooms, broadcasters, directors, producers and publishers, and the joint creation of new global media content on Islamic civilization.

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About the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan

Opened in March 2026, the Center for Islamic Civilization is located on the historical site of Shash, in the heart of Tashkent, next to the spiritual center of the capital, the Hazrati Imam complex. The three-story building measures 145 by 115 meters, and its central dome rises 65 meters.

The Center's exposition is based on the Uthman Quran, one of the oldest surviving handwritten copies of the Quran in the world. The manuscript is included in the UNESCO Memory of the World program, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of documentary heritage of world importance.

The area of the main museum exposition is about 15,000 square meters; In addition, the complex includes a research center, digitization laboratories, as well as conservation and restoration workshops. Visitors will be able to see rare artifacts of different historical periods, returned from abroad, including those purchased at international auctions and from private collectors at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan. The exposition also presents collections of museums from around the world and the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan (WOSCU). Interactive exhibitions tell about the outstanding achievements of the Islamic Golden Age in the fields of algebra, astronomy and medicine.

Even before the official opening, the Center received wide international recognition. In 2026, it was named one of the most beautiful museums in the world by the Prix Versailles, included by Smithsonian Magazine and BBC Travel in the list of the most anticipated new museums of the year, and also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest museum dedicated to Islamic civilization.

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