I Bear Resentment…

Of course, the title of this article might seem to impart a gloomy spirit to the content as a whole. However, we intend absolutely no reproach. We are not condemning the past or holding grudges against the deceased. Furthermore, there is no need to seek examples from dark periods of history to reflect on the value of our achievements today.

A natural question arises at this point: If everything is as it should be, then why the resentment?
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‘Myths don’t live on their own. They wait for us to breathe life into them. If even just one person in the world answers their call, they are ready to nourish us with an endless stream of life. Our task is to ensure that we never forget them. We must ensure that no myth falls into the sleep of death’, writes Albert Camus.
Although not the same, the reason for resentment is akin to the thought expressed by the French writer. For many years, we too have forgotten our legendary history and culture, and who our ancestors were and where we fit in the world. We have grown accustomed to being seen as the edge of the world, as a third-world country and people. Most painfully of all, our cultural and historical place in the modern world has ‘vanished’ like water absorbed into sand. The words ‘Uzbek’ and ‘Uzbekistan’ have strayed from their true meaning and have been reduced to a mere geographical location on a map. The noun-forming suffix ‘-stan’ in the name of our country has become confused with other related ‘-stans’ and is mentioned deliberately, sometimes even jokingly.
One renowned foreign political scientist lamented Uzbekistan’s situation: ‘Generally speaking, many people abroad today disregard the land of Avicenna and Al-Biruni, viewing it merely as a turbulent region to be crossed on the way to somewhere else’. Indeed, he was right about this. We should not take offence at his description.
However, as the political scientist suggested, in terms of its intellectual and cultural heritage, as well as its political and military traditions, our homeland is by no means ‘deserving’ of being ‘lost’ among the other ‘stans’ mentioned above.
This land was the cradle of two great Renaissance periods that left an indelible mark on human history: the Islamic and Timurid renaissances. It was the centre of powerful empires and sultanates that encompassed half the world.
But where is that history now? Where is the memory that bestows upon us glory, grandeur, and a great spirit?
Anyone with even a little knowledge of our history and true essence is deeply troubled by this question, and it is precisely this spiritual despondency that quietly kindles a sense of sorrow in their heart.
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I believe that insightful analysts and enlightened individuals can see and feel that Uzbekistan has embarked on a new path, and that they can sense what is unfolding here. However, there is one subtle aspect that I doubt everyone perceives. As I have stated in previous articles, it is accurate to say that this country and its people, who have endured many years of hardship, are now committed not only to strengthening the country’s sovereignty but also to restoring their forgotten and uprooted past, culture, and heritage. As part of this honourable endeavour, they are dedicated to rediscovering their identity and achieving spiritual renewal.
The time has come to speak out, and I would like to openly express my opinion on one matter. Indeed, it is relevant to today’s article. I vividly recall how, when the topic of the Third Renaissance was raised in our country and this idea was voiced from high platforms, some people spoke of it ironically. If I were to claim that such attitudes no longer exist, I would be lying – there are still people with such views. However, the problem is that these individuals only see the surface level of the policy being pursued. What makes Shavkat Mirziyoyev unique is that he has not ostentatiously expressed his innermost dreams and aspirations, nor his fervent love for his people and homeland. Instead, he stood above the taunts and sarcasm of all kinds. Yet anyone who carefully observes his activities can discern the true picture and the passionate ideals of the president’s character.

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‘Why did we create the Centre for Islamic Civilisation? We did this to immortalise the glory of our nation in history. We did this so that anyone who visits would subsequently pay homage to our nation’. – Shavkat Mirziyoyev

This quote was taken from the president’s live speech at the meeting with activists on the eve of this year’s Independence Day. The text below is from his 2023 speech. Here is what he said then:
‘As we look back at the past, we must admit a bitter truth: When people heard ‘Uzbek’, they only imagined hardworking people toiling in cotton fields from dawn to dusk. Unfortunately, we had fallen to this level.
The dominance of cotton became a curse for Uzbeks. The cotton policy depleted the Aral Sea, causing an ecological crisis and disrupting our economy and education system. As a result, several generations grew up semi-literate. We are still struggling with the consequences of this today’.
It is natural for anyone reading these two seemingly unrelated quotations to wonder about their connection. The two texts differ in both period and content. However, there is a reason why we are presenting them consecutively in this article. As we mentioned earlier, this method helps us gain insight into the president’s inner world, including his aspirations, dreams, and true desires and ideas.
Indeed, if you pay close attention to the subtext of these quotations, you’ll notice that the underlying rhetoric of the statements can reveal their true significance. In other words, the president’s thoughts and appeals regarding renaissance and spiritual growth are not mere political populism, but are rooted in fundamental principles and specific plans. Consider, for instance, the idea of building the ‘Centre of Islamic Civilisation’, which we have chosen as the main topic for today’s article. The president first proposed this concept in 2017, shortly after taking office, and the initiative was set in motion. During those years, the Third Renaissance, the historical and cultural heritage — including the Muslim and subsequent Timurid Renaissance periods — and a new approach to honouring the memory of our great ancestors became the core of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s ideological policy. In essence, it feels like there is just one unmet desire lurking in his mind, relentlessly haunting him. It is the desire to restore the dignity of the nation and the Motherland and to glorify the honour and greatness that have been trampled upon and disregarded…
I have been fortunate enough to hear him talk passionately about our people’s past and our homeland’s history many times.

‘When it comes to Uzbeks or Uzbekistan, why do others always mention cotton, pilaf, skullcaps, robes, teapots, cups with cotton flower designs, teahouses, and hospitality? Don’t we have anything else valuable to show the world and make ourselves known? Why don’t we show the world our great history and the legacy of our ancestors, who conquered and captivated the world with their enlightened knowledge? Why are we afraid of our great historical legacy? Why do we hide it and pretend not to see it? Why are we afraid to mention the names of our great ancestors and introduce their legacy to others? After all, were they not the ones who taught humanity everything from mathematics and medicine to astronomy, philosophy, and music, and laid the foundation for many fields of modern science? Weren’t they the people who built empires stretching from the Altai to the Mediterranean Sea and from Egypt to India? Why are we in such a state today? Why are our children’s shoulders slumped and their heads bowed, their eyes fixed on the ground?’

It has been almost thirty years since I heard these words from Shavkat Mirziyoyev. I know for certain that, over the years, this inner pain – the grief for the nation – has shaped him into a spiritually nationalist, patriotic, and courageous son of his people.
Indeed, his inner reproach was entirely justified. To put it with a touch of artistic passion, it seemed as if history was treating us unjustly. However, the truth is that the scientific ideas and discoveries created by our ancestors in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, and other sciences opened a new chapter in the development of world science and civilisation. Notable examples include the numbering system founded by Abu Musa Muhammad al-Khwarizmi; the Canon of Medicine by Avicenna; the extremely accurate measurement of the Earth’s radius by Abu Rayhan al-Biruni using a simple astrolabe; and the arrival of Christopher Columbus at the American shores in 1492, based on calculations to determine the Earth’s circumference compiled by Ahmad al-Farghani. All of these achievements testify to the boundless intellect and high scientific potential of our forefathers. Furthermore, the recognition of Samarqand paper as the world’s finest and the use of Fergana Valley silk in the decorations of prestigious European courts and cathedrals clearly confirm the incomparable significance of our ancestors’ spiritual and material heritage. An even more striking and interesting fact is presented in an article by the renowned American political scientist, Frederick Starr. Speaking about the First Renaissance, he states:

‘The last great explosion of cultural energy in Central Asia occurred under the Seljuk Turks, beginning about 1037 and continuing for more than a century. From their eastern capitals at Merv in modern Turkmenistan and Nishapur near the present-day Iranian-Afghan border, they encouraged innovators in many fields. Among their achievements was the invention of a way to cover large spaces with double domes. One of their earliest efforts can still be seen rising from the desolation of their ruined capital at Merv. Following a circuitous route that led through Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome at the Cathedral of Florence to St. Nicholas’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg, this innovation eventually defined the cupola of the U.S. Capitol in Washington’.

This rightful recognition demonstrates that our ancestors were unparalleled in the art of architecture. But who besides four or five specialists knows and acknowledges this today? Who will promote the fact that our people and homeland possessed such enormous potential? Even then, I saw precisely this regret and these frozen images of unanswered questions in the words and eyes of Mirziyoyev.
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A European philosopher who worked in the middle of the last century and wrote about the hardships and evils of the wars that engulfed his time, his continent and the world said that, ‘in such turbulent times, when artists depict chickens sleeping peacefully on their perch, it means that faith in beauty, creativity, peace and goodness has not yet faded from the human heart’.
Almost a century later, I can add to this philosopher’s thoughts. At a time when the world is on the brink of nuclear catastrophe and our region borders four nuclear powers, it is even more regrettable that one of the powers claiming to be the master of world order is talking about changing the name of the ‘Ministry of Defence’ to the ‘Ministry of War’. Who can deny this when I ask what kind of heart a person should have to talk about human civilisations, historical heritage, art, eternity, and universal values, and find the courage to do great things in this regard? Or, if I refer to Camus’s idea that legends never die, and that at least one person in this world must find the courage to answer their call and breathe life into them, what force could stand in my way?
Indeed, such figurative language and philosophical concepts are inherently appropriate for this topic. At the core of this idea lie the interests of the nation and homeland, as well as the aim of guiding human thought towards a universal channel. This idea seeks to awaken an ageing and increasingly tedious world and indicate that goodness and beauty still exist in the universe. We will postpone our reflections on this matter.

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Now, let’s move on to another important issue for us. I often feel a sense of inner resentment when I say that, when it comes to ‘Muslim civilisation’, which has firmly established its place in world cultural history, our country and our people are often overlooked on a global scale. In reality, we have a stronger claim to this universally valuable heritage. Although Baghdad was the centre of the Caliphate and some people try to associate this great renaissance with the Middle East, linking prominent scholars to the Persian or Arab cultural world, the historical centre and main intellectual ‘base’ remains ours. This is a historical axiom. Starr expresses this idea well in one of his works: ‘One caliph, al-Ma’mun, refused for years after his appointment in AD 818 to leave Central Asia, ruling the Muslim world instead from the splendid oasis city of Merv in what is now Turkmenistan. When he eventually moved to Baghdad he brought with him, along with his Turkic soldiers, the more open and ecumenical values of Central Asia, with their blend of influences from the Persian and Turkic cultures. The movement from Central Asia to the Middle East recalls the ancient brain drain from the centers of Greek learning to Rome’.
While commenting on our region’s past, Oxford University researcher and archaeologist Paul Wordsworth speaks about its important role in the world order at the time.

‘Many people think that the interconnected regions of Eurasia are closely linked. In reality, that’s not the case. The world’s highest mountains are located in Central Asia. Long and turbulent rivers flow through it.
By the middle of the first millennium AD, Central Asian merchants had mastered the art of traversing this region of complex terrain and trading within it. The region was not just at the heart of trade routes. It was also a place where science and creativity flourished.
Scholars travelled from city to city, exchanging knowledge. Cities along the Silk Road, such as Bukhara and Samarqand, became centres of science. At that time, they were the Oxford and Cambridge of Central Asia.
When discussing the Silk Road, people often focus their thoughts either on the Chinese or Roman empires, knowingly or unknowingly. In this case, the territories in between appear to be under external influence. However, the true history of Central Asia challenges these stereotypes. After all, it was the people of this region, with their intelligence and unique culture, who managed to unite Eurasia into a single entity’.

However, as Wordsworth specifically points out, the problem is that this region has indeed remained in the shadow of external influences for many years. Regrettably, even today, there are those trying to push us out of the world hierarchy by portraying us as the ‘backyard’ of one great power or another.

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Our perspective on history has varied over time. There were times when we were history’s obedient slaves. At other times, we merely consoled ourselves with pride in it. We have fabricated and tailored history as we saw fit, reshaping it according to our desires. Many people are well aware of how we viewed the past during the Soviet era. However, even after gaining independence, our attitude towards our cultural heritage has not changed much. It would be unfair to say that there were absolutely no developments in this regard, though. Some things were discussed and initiatives were put forward, but, as I mentioned, these were still based on personal preferences. On this very issue, I would like to highlight the magnificent bronze statues of the great Amir Timur — an ensemble that ‘set out’ from Shahrisabz, passed through Samarqand, and found its complete poetic expression in the heart of the capital, Tashkent. The respect shown to the personality and legacy of our great ancestor was one of the most significant accomplishments of the early years of independence. The naming of the vast, majestic square in which the historical monument stands, and the establishment of the State Museum of Timurid History on the adjacent site, further clarified our official stance on our historical heritage. In other words, it seemed to imply that we should accept the image of Timur and the grandeur of his empire as a symbol of our independent statehood. (It should be noted that the Jadids first raised this idea in our recent history. In this regard, they did not limit themselves to Timur. The memory of Göktürk Attila, Bilge Khagan, Uzbek Khan, and even Genghis Khan appears to have influenced their national thinking, even though we are hesitant about the latter.) Frankly, for a former Soviet republic that had just gained independence, this was a completely understandable, even praiseworthy, phenomenon. However, some exceptions disrupted this view. At that time, our view of history, which we discussed at length above, unofficially took the form that our past began and ended with Timur and the Timurids. This observation may seem harsh, but the real situation was no better. While scholars and personalities from a thousand years ago were occasionally mentioned and their names included in speeches to embellish political texts, our people’s past, which is recognised as being more than three thousand years old, was never widely acknowledged. Perhaps it is precisely this attitude towards our heritage that explains why people today claim that al-Biruni, Khwarizmi, Avicenna, al-Farabi, and our other great figures belonged to the Arab or Persian nation. I’m not sure, but this seems a very strange and illogical view to me.
Even back then, we spoke of our cities and culture being thousands of years old and celebrated the 1,000th–2,000th anniversaries of ancient towns and world-renowned scholars. Yet, at the same time, we encouraged the idea that our national history began anew in the 14th century, with Timur’s era. Almost entirely forgotten for the preceding tens of centuries and the subsequent six centuries, the past existed only in the manuscripts of past scholars and writers. Essentially, this meant subordinating history to ideology and politics. In other words, we sift through the past, evaluate it, and select parts to suit our politics, for instance, in pursuit of state or political-ideological populism. For example, to suppress the passions of intellectuals and the masses, and to present ourselves to the international community as emerging from the post-colonial quagmire, we could build a complex and shrine in Yunusabad District, Tashkent, to immortalise the memory of the victims of repression. At least once a year, we have the Quran recited for them and raise our hands in prayer, yet the names of those who became martyrs for freedom remain on blacklists. The list of those executed by the former Soviet Union’s Supreme Court and denounced as ‘enemies of the people’ remains unchanged.
This is a separate and very profound topic. I mention it because it reveals how sincere or contradictory official policy is.
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Now, I believe it is time to discuss the subject of our article. Construction of the Centre of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan began in 2017. Located within the renowned Hazrati Imam complex in Tashkent, the project encompasses an area of 10 hectares. This magnificent structure is 161 metres long and 118 metres wide. It consists of three floors. The blue dome at its centre reaches a height of 65 metres. The building occupies 1.8 hectares, with 42,000 m2 of usable space. These statistics alone demonstrate that, in terms of its grandeur, size, and scope, the Centre of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan is becoming one of the world’s largest complexes dedicated to studying and promoting Islamic history and culture. Having seen this magnificent monument with my own eyes and felt immense pride and honour, allows me to describe it in more detail.
Designed based on Eastern and national architectural traditions, the complex can be accessed from all four sides through the main portals. Each portal and the exterior of the building are adorned with Quranic verses and hadiths that promote sacred values such as knowledge, enlightenment, tolerance, and respect for parents.
The museum at the Centre features exhibitions including the Quran Hall, Pre-Islamic Civilisations, the First and Second Renaissances, the Period of Uzbek Khanates, 20th-century Uzbekistan, and New Uzbekistan – New Renaissance. On the second floor, there will be representative offices of international organisations, as well as branches of Al-Furqan and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, alongside more than 100 scientific institutes, museums, and libraries from Turkey, Russia, and Central Asian countries.
Notably, the Centre has implemented a system for designing scientific research based on local and international experience. Today, we often speak about the two renaissances of Uzbekistan. However, we don’t often reflect deeply on how they manifested. History shows that these renaissance periods occurred through cultural exchanges and integration into global science.
The establishment of cooperation between numerous global educational institutions and cultural centres and our scholars and intellectuals represents a significant opportunity for Uzbekistan. Put simply, it means bringing some of the world’s most advanced thinkers to our country (recall how Caliph Ma’mun and Timur both gathered and encouraged highly intelligent individuals within their empires). Notably, leading specialists and scientists from dozens of countries participated in constructing this facility and equipping its museum and other cultural spaces. Therefore, I can confidently say that the Centre’s reputation has spread worldwide even before its opening. Many organisations have already expressed their desire to participate in the grand opening ceremony with their own exhibitions. These include the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, the Suleymaniye Library in Turkey, the Hazret Sultan Complex in Kazakhstan, the University of Bologna in Italy, the Ratti Foundation, the Alberto Levi Collection, the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, the David Paley, Bruce P. and Olive W. Baganz and David Raisbord American collections, the State Hermitage Museum of Russia, the State Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg and the Marjani Foundation.
I noticed another crucial aspect of the process of establishing the museum’s activities. In the past, we would frequently come across unpleasant, heart-wrenching news on social media or in official foreign media. For example, we would read that an ancient manuscript or artefact of historical value had been stolen from a museum or institute in Uzbekistan and smuggled to another country illegally. Today, however, we are not talking about clandestine thefts, but the return of our people’s spiritual wealth to our country. Recently, more than 580 artefacts related to Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage were purchased for this museum from the auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s in London, as well as from major collectors and art dealers. This is unprecedented in our history, with nearly six hundred of our treasures returning to us. These include a fragment of the enormous Baysunghur Quran manuscript, copied by the calligrapher Umar Aqta on the instructions of Amir Temur; two daggers, one sword and one precious dagger handle from the Mughal period; five embroideries created during the Uzbek Khanate period (18th–19th centuries); three miniatures from the Mughal and Safavid periods; two gold ornaments from the Golden Horde; Jalaluddin Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Ma’navi from the Mughal period; a page from Hafiz-i Abru’s Majma’ al-Tawarikh, copied during the Timurid period; and ceramic and silver vessels from the Sogdian, Karakhanid and Seljuk periods.
The list could go on. However, we are not interested in the length of the list; rather, we want to highlight the fact that we are fortunate to have a brave individual at the forefront of such significant achievements, someone who is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of national pride and homeland.

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In one of his works, the 16th–17th century historian Mutribi Samarqandi wrote about the creative potential of Abdullah Khan, a prominent figure from the Shaybanid dynasty who was the last ruler of Turan. Samarqandi also quoted the following confession from the khan: ‘Amir Alisher, while serving Sultan Husayn Mirza, left behind a thousand charitable constructions as his legacy. We are monarchs, and if we don’t increase the number of constructions to ten thousand, we can’t merely call ourselves rulers’.
This demonstrates that throughout history, every leader has viewed construction and creation as a means of achieving immortality. However, few have left an indelible mark. Only initiatives rooted in enlightenment, art, and culture have endured. As we have previously mentioned in the context of the First and Second Renaissances in our history, this is the case.
The idea put forward by Shavkat Mirziyoyev is exceptionally unique in its global and universal significance. If you familiarise yourself with the activities of this centre, you will notice a desire to connect the heritage and traditions of the past with the present, rather than a desire to become an ‘obedient slave of history’. This will create a bright future by harmonising history with the future. It is quite likely that hundreds of influential scientists from around the world will visit the centre to conduct creative work and research, which could lead to great discoveries. There are many examples of this in history. For example, not everyone knows the stories behind the creation of the world-famous opera Aida or the Statue of Liberty in the US.
In 1869, Ismail Pasha, the ruler of Egypt, commissioned renowned Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi to compose a new opera for the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal. This commissioned work, the opera Aida, premiered at the Cairo Theatre in 1871. Ismail Pasha also requested that French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi create a statue of an Egyptian woman holding a torch to be installed over the water at the canal’s entrance. However, this project could not be realised due to the high cost. The renowned sculptor later used the concept from this project when creating the Statue of Liberty.

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In general, our capital city, Tashkent, has never needed praise. Great ancestors such as Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, al-Khwarizmi, and Mahmud Kashgari wrote about this ancient city, as did the Greek scholar Claudius Ptolemy in his work Guide to Geography. Throughout history, whenever Tashkent has been mentioned, people have envisioned the ‘old city’. But what has transpired in this area, which has been Tashkent’s cultural hub for many centuries, and what improvements have been made in the last 100 years? Delving into history provides answers to these questions: the Chorsu market, presented as Soviet-era modernism in the 1980s; the Hastimom complex, built during the years of independence; and the Zarqaynar fashion house, constructed adjacent to it. Indeed, this place has always been the cultural centre of ancient Shash.
Today, take some time to visit the ‘Old City’ and experience its wonders for yourself. I’ll be surprised if you don’t feel as if you’ve stepped into history and if your imagination doesn’t engage with the distant past. The Qorasaroy street, facing the main entrance to the centre, will particularly captivate you. Implementing such changes in such a short period of time is incredible. Honestly, it’s mind-boggling. I also used to work as a top leader in several districts of the capital. Back then, it would take years to put a single sewer into operation and months to find an excavator for repairs. All of this now seems like a dream, like a fairy tale.
I firmly believe that the Centre of Islamic Civilisation will not only revive the spiritual history of the old city, but also transform Tashkent into a cultural hub for the region, just as Samarqand and Bukhara are.

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Russian writer Anton Chekhov has argued: ‘If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don’t put it there.’ Although this phrase is about theatre, logically, it can also apply to our current situation. If I don’t explain why I chose such a striking headline for this article and where this feeling came from, the text might lose its logic. So let me tell you.
Upon familiarising myself with this historical site — the Centre of Islamic Civilisation, which has opened before our eyes — two resentments crossed my mind. Firstly, despite having such a great history, we have been unable to showcase it to the world. Secondly, while our captivating cultural heritage is scattered around the world, we haven’t considered gathering these items in one place and presenting these rare artefacts as having been made, created, or invented by our ancestors.
However, even disregarding the oppression of the Soviet era, how many leaders have come to power in this country since Sharaf Rashidov’s time, when there was some freedom in national matters? Why didn’t we start this work during the years of independence? Why? Why? Why? Was it because we didn’t have the money? After all, wealth hasn’t suddenly rained down on us from the sky today. We still have the same cotton, gold, and gas. So why didn’t we do this work earlier? Who or what were we afraid of?!
Such thoughts naturally evoke a sense of guilt before history and the pure spirits of our ancestors. Moreover, as I mentioned above, lost time, indifference, and disregard for our great history and culture ignite a burning resentment in one’s heart.
But this ancient world is full of wisdom. Some extraordinary phenomenon can unexpectedly wash away the grief in your heart and the sorrow in your soul, illuminating not only your own spirit, but also the entire world. In this sense, we should recognise Mirziyoyev’s boundless love for the nation and homeland, and his loyalty to his native people, as a blessing from fate that washes away yesterday’s mistakes and the anguish in people’s hearts.

Qudratilla Rafiqov,
Political Scientist

Captions

1. A piece of Kiswa presented to the Centre of Islamic Civilisation
2. The Hall of the Imam Bukhari Innovation Museum
3. An ancient manuscript of the Holy Quran.
4. The Wall of Time project at the Centre of Islamic Civilisation
5. Second Renaissance Hall
6. General view of the Centre of Islamic Civilisation
7. Exhibition of Uzbekistan’s Cultural Heritage, London, 4 July 2025, Hall of Glory of the Centre of Islamic Civilisation
8. Hall of the Holy Quran