The Great Langar Quran was gifted to Oxford.

A delegation led by the director of the Center for Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan, Firdavsi Abdukhodikov, visited the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

The meeting with representatives and scholars of the center included the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ravshan Usmanov, the rector of the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, Uyghun Gafurov, the director of the International Research Centre named after Imam Bukhari, Shovosil Ziyadov, the director of the International Research Centre named after Imam Tirmidhi, Muzaffarhon Janiev, the director of the International Research Centre named after Imam Maturidi, Jamolidin Karimov, and others.

In New Uzbekistan, presentations were made regarding ongoing efforts to preserve, study, and promote cultural heritage, relevant scientific research, and the development of international cooperation in this area.

Representatives of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies presented the project "Atlas of the History of the Islamic World," which is being implemented in collaboration with several countries. The project examines the contribution of each global region to the development of Islamic civilization, significant discoveries, the lives and activities of scholars, as well as the contributions of Islamic civilization to global science.

During the negotiations, an agreement was reached to combine the efforts of both sides to create a volume within this project dedicated to the role of Central Asia in the development of Islamic civilization.

The meeting concluded with the signing of memoranda of cooperation between the Center for Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan, international research centers, and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

As part of the event, an exhibition of books and albums published in recent years was also organized.

The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies received facsimiles of the Katta Langar Quran, as well as books and albums from the series "Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in World Collections."

"Uzbekistan is an ancient country with a rich history and unique cultural heritage," noted the director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Farhan Nizami. "I have visited Uzbekistan multiple times. However, in recent years, your country's contacts with the outside world have begun to significantly expand. The leadership of New Uzbekistan emphasizes that the doors are open for all foreign partners, including us, scholars and foreign researchers. I am confident that the negotiations conducted by the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, together with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, will yield the expected results and contribute to the development of mutually beneficial cooperation."

After this, representatives of the Uzbek delegation visited one of the oldest libraries in the world—the Bodleian Library in Oxford, where they familiarized themselves with rare manuscripts related to Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan is a country of great scholars, poets, and thinkers," says Nicholas Kontovas, curator of the Eastern Manuscripts section of the Bodleian Library. "In particular, the manuscripts copied during the lifetime of the great Alisher Navoi are among the valuable treasures of our library. Such priceless works can rightfully be called the heritage of all mankind."

In the library, Uzbek scholars examined more than ten manuscripts related to the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan. The manuscript "Khamsa" with the personal signature of Alisher Navoi left a particularly strong impression.

The work of Mirzo Ulugh Beg, "Zij-i Quranghi," also has a unique history. About three centuries ago, it was acquired by the Oxford scholar John Graves, who left golden notes in the margins of the book. The pages of the manuscript also contain notes in Ottoman Turkish.

The visit of the scientific delegation from Uzbekistan to the United Kingdom continues.