Yesterday on 21st November the meeting dedicated to “Ziyarat Tourism” (Tourism on Visiting Islamic Shrines) was held in Muslim Board of Uzbekistan with the participation of representatives from the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Center for Islamic Civilization, Tashkent Islamic University and leading touristic firms.
The event was opened by O.Yusupov’s speech who mentioned President Sh.Mirziyoyev’s presentation during his visit to Samarkand region on November 9-10 regarding the tasks on widening the scope of Ziyarat Tourism. He, Mr. O.Yusupov, noted that in order to attract tourists to Bukhara and Samarkand from Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Islamic countries, a number of working groups were organized which work on particular directions.
During the meeting Mr. Akmal Qosimov, a specialist from “Azia tour” firm suggested to pay attention to “Silsilai Alia” (Shrines of 12 Saints), to introduce special packages such as “Umra Plus” to Malaysian and Indonesian tourists.
The participants proposed to sign memorandum among participating parties in the process: The Committee on Religious Affairs, Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, Tashkent Islamic University, The Center for Islamic Civilization, Charity on Shrine Protection and “Uzbektourism”.
Egypt's largest daily newspaper “Al-Ahram” published an article by Ibrahim Negm, Senior Advisor to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, dedicated to his participation in the 1st International Forum of Islamic Civilization, which took place in Tashkent, Samarkand and Termez, reports Dunyo IA.
According to the author, the forum, held under the motto “The Path of Peace, tolerance and enlightenment”, exceeded all his expectations in terms of organization. Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan made a particularly profound and unforgettable impression on the scholar.
Article notes that the author was fascinated by the unique manuscripts, thousand-year-old copies of the Quran, and modern exhibition technologies presented at the Center. In his opinion, the past here is not merely displayed to visitors - thanks to modern museum solutions, each exhibit seems to acquire a new life.
Recalling his years of study at Harvard University, Ibrahim Negm discusses the theory of the “clash of civilizations”. He notes that despite the interpretation of this concept, according to which Islam was viewed as the main rival of the West, he had always doubted its scientific validity. According to the author, the Islamic civilization has never been in a state of stagnation and has never lagged behind global development.
During his visit to Uzbekistan, Ibrahim Negm visited historical and modern sites of the country's cultural and spiritual heritage, including the Center of Islamic Civilization, the Imam al-Bukhari complex, the Hakim al-Termizi mausoleum, and other shrines of the Islamic world. Based on the results of the trip, he concluded that the Islamic civilization and its rich spiritual and scientific heritage continue to dynamically develop, entering a new stage of their historical development.
Author also emphasizes that the Mushaf of Uthman, kept at the Center of Islamic Civilization, is one of the most valuable written relics not only of Uzbekistan but of the entire Islamic world. According to him, this manuscript represents a crucial source for studying the history of preserving the text of the Holy Quran in the first centuries of Islam.