Capitals of Islamic culture and the Centre of Islamic Civilisation

ISESCO (officially abbreviated ICESCO since 2020) is the international organisation for education, science and culture within the system of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). From 2005 the organisation has each year declared several cities of its member states (usually one each from the Arab, Asian and African regions) “Capital of Islamic Culture”; the first title went to Mecca, and Tashkent received it in 2007. The aims of the programme are to develop cultural ties, to study and restore historical, architectural and scholarly heritage, and to strengthen interfaith and intercivilisational dialogue. In choosing a city, the existence of ancient monuments, research and manuscript centres, cultural events and documents on the city’s history is taken into account. On Tashkent the textbook mentions medieval scholars such as Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi (904–976) and notes that the Hazrati Imam complex was renovated. By a Presidential decision of 23 June 2017 the Centre of Islamic Civilisation was set up under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan; its tasks include scholarly study of the heritage of scholars and thinkers from our region, building library, archive and museum collections, and developing international cooperation and dialogue. As “early universities” the lesson names al-Qarawiyyin (Fes, founded 859) and al-Azhar (Cairo, 970s), the “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad (early 9th century) and the Ma’mun Academy in Khorezm (early 11th century).