Participants of the International Media Forum “Islamic Civilization: New Perspective — New Discoveries” will travel to Samarkand on August 27. They will visit the newly built Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex, the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, and the Imam Bukhari Innovation Museum. In the afternoon, a special program will be organized for the participants to explore the city’s historical and cultural heritage sites, including monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The memorial complex is located in the Payariq district of Samarkand Region, at the burial site of the great hadith scholar and theologian Muhammad Bukhari (810–870). He was the compiler of “Sahih al-Bukhari,” which is regarded as one of the most authoritative collections of hadith in Sunni Islam.

Following extensive reconstruction, the complex reopened to visitors in the spring of 2026. It covers a total area of 45 hectares. The complex features a mosque with a capacity of 10,000 worshippers, administrative and service buildings, a colonnaded terrace with 154 columns, 14 blue domes, and four minarets rising to a height of 75 meters. Following the reconstruction, the complex’s daily visitor capacity increased from 12,000 to 65,000.

One of the central components of the complex is the new Imam Bukhari Innovation Museum, comprising nine pavilions. The exhibition is dedicated to the scholar’s life, the history of hadith studies, and his scholarly legacy. The museum also presents information about the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an, the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Mecca and Medina, and the history of the formation of written hadith collections.

The Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center also operates near the complex. The Center is engaged in studying the Islamic scholarly and manuscript heritage, including the works of medieval Central Asian scholars, conducting academic research and preparing translations, as well as promoting international scholarly exchange.

Following their visit to the complex, forum participants will explore historic Samarkand. The city’s major architectural monuments include Registan, the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shah-i-Zinda complex, and the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum. UNESCO recognizes these four sites as key monuments of the historic city inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001 under the title “Samarkand — Crossroad of Cultures.”

The Samarkand leg will form part of the program of the International Media Forum “Islamic Civilization: New Perspective — New Discoveries,” which will take place in Tashkent and Samarkand from August 24 to 28.