On March 17, Tashkent hosted the official opening of the Center of Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan, a major project launched on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The event also carries significance beyond culture, including for Central Asian sport — an angle of particular interest to Eurasia Football.
Sport has long been part of Uzbekistan’s cultural tradition and social development. The museum’s exhibitions trace the history of physical culture on the territory of present-day Uzbekistan across centuries — from archery and martial practices in the pre-Islamic era, as well as games mentioned by Mahmud al-Kashgari, to court entertainment and competitions in the Timurid period. The role of the Jadid movement is also highlighted, as its representatives in the late 19th and early 20th centuries promoted physical education and healthy living. That historical line continues in the modern section of the exhibition, which focuses on the achievements of athletes in independent Uzbekistan and the country’s recent sporting development, presented in the “New Uzbekistan” hall.
Uzbekistan spent eight years preparing for the opening of the Center — from the idea first presented by Mirziyoyev at the UN General Assembly in 2017 to the completion of one of the largest cultural and scientific complexes in the region. It is notable that the Center opened in 2026, a year in which Uzbekistan stands out not only for this major cultural project, but also for its sporting profile. The country enters the year as a Chess Olympiad champion, one of the leading nations in amateur boxing, and a first-time FIFA World Cup participant.
Today, Uzbekistan is increasingly associated not only with economic reform and cultural heritage, but also with success in fields that depend on discipline, institutional development and long-term planning. Another notable aspect of the project is the involvement of businessman Alisher Usmanov, whom the President publicly thanked for his contribution. Usmanov is a former fencer and a long-serving president of the International Fencing Federation. He has also been linked to football, including financial support for Pakhtakor, Uzbekistan’s best-known club. Internationally, he is also known as a former shareholder in Arsenal. Usmanov has also invested in esports and gymnastics.
Even before its official opening, the Center of Islamic Civilization had already become one of Uzbekistan’s emerging landmarks. Alongside heads of state, politicians, business figures, scholars and cultural representatives, the site was visited by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, a delegation from the International Olympic Committee that included Olympic swimming champion Dániel Gyurta, and a delegation led by Asian Judo Union president Obaid Al-Anzi.
The Center of Islamic Civilization is located in Tashkent next to the Hazrati Imam complex. Designed in the style of medieval architectural traditions, the building features four portals, each 34 metres high, and a central dome rising to 65 metres. It includes a Quran hall, a 460-seat conference hall, and a museum whose exhibitions cover the full history of Uzbekistan, from the pre-Islamic period to the present day. The Center is intended to serve as a platform for studying the heritage of earlier generations and presenting it in a contemporary format, in cooperation with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and research and educational institutions around the world.
