Tashkent to Host Exhibition Featuring Uzbek Artifacts from Italian Museums and Private Collections

A collection of Uzbek cultural heritage masterpieces housed in Italian museums and private collections will be showcased at an upcoming exhibition in Tashkent.

The event coincides with the opening of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

As part of the preparations, a delegation from the Center for Islamic Civilization, led by its director Firdavs Abdukhalikov, visited Italy in mid-February. During the visit, negotiations were held with representatives of several museums and private collectors, who expressed support for the international exhibition.

Over the centuries, Uzbek artifacts have become part of prestigious museum and private collections worldwide.

“Collections of Uzbek relics housed in Italian museums were published in the 35th volume of the multimedia project Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in the Collections of the World. This initiative, supported by the state and business sector, has already resulted in the publication of 80 volumes documenting Uzbek cultural monuments abroad,” said Elmira Gul, the project’s scientific coordinator.

Several renowned Italian institutions have contributed artifacts to the exhibition, including:

• University of Bologna Library - home to a Hebrew manuscript by Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna).
• Giuseppe Tucci National Museum of Oriental Art (Rome).
• Museum of Asian Art (Turin).
• Stibbert Museum (Florence).
• Mudec Museum of Cultures (Milan).
• Antonio Ratti Textile Foundation (Como).
• Private collection of Milanese collectors Alberto and Anna Levi.

According to the Center for Islamic Civilization, the exhibition will feature Afrasiab ceramics with epigraphic inscriptions, Medieval metalwork from Khorasan and Maverannahr, including a legendary bowl of the Karakhanid rulers, and Uzbek textile masterpieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

This exhibition marks a significant step in promoting Uzbekistan’s rich cultural history on the international stage.