The Third Congress of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan

On August 22 and 23, under the auspices of UNESCO, with the participation of Director General Audrey Azoulay, the Third International Congress of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan and the Heritage Week “Uzbekistan as the Crossroads of Great Roads and Civilizations: Empires, Religions, and Cultures” were held.

More than 300 oriental scholars, UNESCO experts, representatives of the government of Uzbekistan, foreign and national media took part in the Congress and the Heritage Week. Among the participants were Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Mr. Aripov; Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Mr. Abdukhakimov; Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan Mr. Saifullaev; Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan Mr. Rtveladze; director of the al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Abdukhalimov; the outstanding expert in the Koran Mr. Babajanov; Director of the State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan Ms. Ismailova; Academician of the Academy of Arts of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Khakimov; Professor of Art History and Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Program at Hofstra University Mr. Naimark (USA); director of research at the Cambridge Center for Persian Studies Ms. Melville; senior specialist of the Asia Department of the Museum of Asia and the Pacific in Warsaw Ms. Krzywicka and many others.

The presentation of 20 volumes of books-albums of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections series took place at the congress. At the same time, the ceremony of announcing the official registration of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan was held in Paris.

A number of unique events took place:

August 22 - exhibition "Treasures of Kushan: Dalverzin's Gold", presentation of the book-album and documentary film "Treasures of the Kushan Kingdom", made by the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan with the support of the State Committee of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development.

August 22 - Welcome to Uzbekistan. Solemn reception from the sponsor of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections project, oilfield services company Eriell Group.

August 22 - the official registration of the World Society in Paris is announced.

August 23 - an exhibition of the rarest manuscripts at the al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

August 23 – a round table at the State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan "East - West: the experience of museums in preserving the cultural legacy of Uzbekistan."

August 23 – a round table at the al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan "Actual Issues of Conservation, Study and Popularization of the Manuscript Heritage of Uzbekistan."

August 23 - a round table in the State Museum of the History of the Timurids "The Brilliant Age of the Timurids".

On August 23, participants in the Third Congress visited the Center for the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan. They got acquainted with the greatest property of the entire Islamic world, sacred relics - a unique ancient manuscript - the Uthman Koran, as well as 16 folios of the Katta Langar Koran, which are also identified by world scholar as one of the Uthman Korans.

August 24 – the International Archaeological and Tourist Forum "Uzbekistan as the Crossroads of Civilizations."

August 24 - the opening of the archaeological site of Alexandria on the Oxus in Termez, a visit to the excavations by more than 200 members of the World Society.

On August 24, the Russia-Kultura and Sevimli TV channels premiered the documentary film Uzbekistan: Legends of Love.

August 25 – the International Scientific Conference of Islamic scholars "Light from the Depths of Centuries."

August 25 - guests of the Cultural Heritage Week "Uzbekistan as the Crossroads of Great Roads and Civilizations: Empires, Religions and Cultures" visited one of the unique places in Surkhandarya - the Buddhist temple complex Fayaztepa.

August 25 - the participants in the cultural heritage week had a unique chance to see the priceless treasures of the Termez Archaeological Museum.

August 26 – the International Conference on the Preservation of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage: Current Issues and Strategies. The conference was held on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev under the auspices of UNESCO for the first time not only in Uzbekistan, but also in the whole region of Central Asia.

August 26 - 300 famous world scholars address the President of Uzbekistan in Registan Square.

The participants in the International Archaeological and Tourist Forum "Uzbekistan as the Crossroads of Civilizations" in Termez were announced about the discovery by Academician E.V. Rtveladze of the legendary Oxian Alexandria, the lost city of Alexander the Great.

Edvard Rtveladze, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, spoke about how the excavations at the site and the process of identifying Alexandria Oxiana took place:

“The ancient site of Kampyrtepa was discovered in 1979 during route surveys of archaeological sites in the Amudarya Valley from Termez to Kelif. Then the heat was unbearable. The find made a huge impression on me. The site was small and compact. We discovered an ancient Greek temple, a citadel, a gate, a terrace descending down to the line of the Amu Darya. The first pottery shards of the Hellenistic era were also found here,” Rtveladze said.

The scholar added that he is very careful in his hypotheses, and proves them for decades. But this time, according to Rtveladze, there is no doubt that Alexandria on the Oxus, mentioned in the written sources of the ancient Greek historian and geographer Ptolemy and being a unique monument of Hellenistic culture in Central Asia, is located in the Surkhandarya Province of Uzbekistan.