The implementation of the project was a vivid result of the personal initiative of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev aimed at studying, preserving, and promoting the cultural and historical heritage of our country.
This work is aimed at studying historical inscriptions located on historical monuments in our country. To date, 20 multilingual volumes of book-albums have been published in Uzbek, Russian, Arabic, and English languages, dedicated to all regions of Uzbekistan.
The project "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan" was launched by WOSCU with organizational and financial support from the Government of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with partners and co-organizers.
Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Director of the Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies, Bakhrom Abdurakhimovich Abdukhalimov, delivered welcoming remarks.
Dr. Bakhtiyor Babadjanov gave a special presentation.
"We did not expect that our research would uncover over a thousand names of craftsmen, architects, artists, calligraphers, and poets! We have identified the names of builders, donors, and, in most cases, understood who erected the monuments and for what purpose. We receive favorable feedback about these books from abroad, and we believe that this work will be in demand," said Dr. Bakhtiyor Babadjanov.
Among them are books-albums dedicated to epigraphic inscriptions on architectural monuments of Karakalpakstan, Andijan, Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan, Surkhandarya, Fergana, Khorezm, Tashkent and Tashkent region, as well as photo albums dedicated to the architectural historical complexes of Samarkand - Registan and Shakhi-Zinda.
"Today, thanks to the published books, we have uncovered the essence of historical inscriptions on monuments in our country. The publication of albums dedicated to monuments in each region is truly a noble feat, opening new horizons of understanding our history and heritage. Now we have these wonderful publications that help decipher the historical message left by our ancestors. I am confident that these books will allow every young person to get closer to the roots of their culture, enrich their knowledge, and feel pride in what our ancestors have bequeathed to us," noted Eminov Odiljon Karimovich, Chairman of the Committee on Science, Education, and Healthcare Issues of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis.
As a result of the project implementation, inscriptions on over 2,000 epigraphic monuments in Uzbekistan have been translated. Among the deciphered content are verses and poetic sayings, moral teachings, well-wishes and wise sayings, names of craftsmen and calligraphers, religious and dedicatory inscriptions, chronograms of historical events, and decrees of rulers. Experts not only discovered, studied, and deciphered a vast amount of epigraphic material but also corrected and enriched earlier readings and translations of Turkic, Arabic, and Persian inscriptions.
Among the invited guests were the authors of the listed books-albums themselves: Bakhtiyar Babajanov, Elizaveta Nekrasova, Fayzhuzha Makhmudov, Sanzhar Gulyamov, Bobur Aminov, Salima Eshonova and many others.
"On this pre-holiday day, we are delighted that the project team was able to realize the initiative of the esteemed President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. We thank the government for the organizational and financial support of the project, which will ensure that 20 volumes of these books are delivered to every educational institution in Uzbekistan. We thank all the scientists who participated in the implementation of this large-scale research. Thanks to their efforts, all monuments in the history of Uzbekistan have been deciphered for the first time. It is important to note that this project is unparalleled and serves as a vivid demonstration of how New Uzbekistan approaches the issues of preserving and enhancing cultural heritage," stated the project author and Chairman of the WOSCU Board, Dr. Firdavs Abdukhalikov.
The event featured a documentary film showcasing the activities of the World Society for the Study, Preservation, and Popularization of Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan (WOSCU), as well as a documentary film titled "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan".
The media event concluded with a solemn certificate award ceremony for the complimentary receipt of 20 volumes of the book-album series "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan" to representatives of ministries, agencies, and organizations of Uzbekistan – totaling over 100 organizations.