Inside Uzbekistan’s New Multi Million Dollar Cultural Center

Inside Uzbekistan’s New Center of Islamic Civilization 

After eight years of planning and construction, the Center of Islamic Civilization (CISC) in Tashkent is finally preparing to open its doors in early 2026. Conceived as both a museum and a research institution, the center is designed to celebrate, preserve, and revive Uzbekistan’s deep legacy of Islamic scholarship a legacy shaped by figures like Ibn Sina, Al Biruni, Al Khwarizmi, and countless artisans, astronomers, mathematicians, and historians who emerged from the region.

The Grand Entrance Hall 

A vast marble atrium welcomes visitors beneath a 65 meter dome, decorated with geometric tile patterns inspired by Samarkand and Bukhara. Four monumental portals echo traditional madrasa façades, creating a symbolic gateway into centuries of learning.

Four times taller than the Hollywood sign and around seven times larger than the White House, Uzbekistan’s newest cultural center is a monument of epic proportions. Part museum, part academic research facility, the three-story, $150 million Center for Islamic Civilization (CISC) in Tashkent will be open to the public in March 2026, and is intended to celebrate and revive Uzbekistan’s historical role as a center of Islamic scholarship. “This region has been home to many ancestors who influenced world civilization,” said Firdavs Abdukhalikov, director of CISC.

 “The big question was how to present their influence to the world, to younger generations, in an engaging and modern way.”

The Manuscript Treasury One of the center’s crown jewels is its climate controlled manuscript vault 7th 13th century Qurans, including pages traditionally attributed to the era of Uthman Illuminated manuscripts from the Timurid courts Rare works in astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy Recovered artifacts returned from international auctions and private collections Interactive displays allow visitors to zoom in on calligraphy, pigments, and notes made by scholars

Restoration Laboratories 

CISC houses Uzbekistan’s most advanced restoration labs, where experts treat. 

• Ancient paper and bindings 
• Textiles and prayer rugs 
• Metalwork and ceramics 
• Archival documents

What’s inside: Museums, Libraries & High-Tech Exhibits 

• The building features four grand portals rising 34 m high and a central dome reaching 65 m a striking blend of traditional Islamic architecture with modern museum design.
• There's an interactive educational zone using virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI, where visitors including children can “talk to” living portrait renditions of historic scholars and thinkers. 
• On the second floor sits a library/research wing housing over 200,000 books, providing scholars (local and international) a space to study Islam, history, science, theology, and cultural heritage. 
• Among exhibits ancient Qurans (including a 7th century manuscript often described as the “Quran of Uthman”), rare handwritten manuscripts produced over centuries by rulers and calligraphers, and artifacts highlighting contributions to astronomy, medicine, literature, and art.

Reviving the past 

While Uzbekistan is a secular nation, Islam is a key part of its history and cultural identity. Arab conquests brought Islam to Central Asia in the 7th century, replacing earlier Zoroastrian and Buddhist traditions, and between the 9th and 12th centuries, the region experienced a golden age of science, literature, and architecture. Medieval Uzbekistan, and the wider Central Asian region, was “a globalized world before globalization,” said historian Farhan Ahmad Nizami, founding director of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, who’s not connected to the CISC. Uzbek cities like Bukhara and Samarkand were important stops on the Silk Road, a cross continental trade route that stretched from Venice to Xi’an for 1,500 years (130 BCE to 1453 CE), and became a confluence of culture and ideas from both the East and West.

Tremendous potential

While Nizami said the center has “tremendous potential,” he cautioned that “the building is a platform what happens on the platform is entirely different,” stressing that its success depends on long term research, education and cultural engagement.There are criticisms of the center, relating to its cost, the sources of its funding, and the limited religious freedom in the country.

 

Jennifer Lawrence fashion choices

That’s a well written and cohesive piece it already reads like an excerpt from an entertainment profile or interview summary. If you’d like, I can refine it slightly for smoother narrative flow and journalistic polish while keeping the quotes authentic.

It happens every time, Lawrence said. I see it happening while I’m shooting, and then I look back at pictures and I’m like, Who is that? Her latest role Grace, a new mother spiraling into postpartum psychosis  left its mark as well. Grace was very influential. I noticed when I started to dress like her, she admitted. Even years later, certain characters stay with her quite literally. When it comes to Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, it’s the braids that bring her back. I can’t put my hair in a braid without being like, Oh, you want somebody to bring up the movie? she joked. Lawrence starred as Katniss in all four Hunger Games films between 2012 and 2015. Last year, she told Variety she’d be totally open to returning to the role.

That’s a beautifully written celebrity feature warm, vivid, and perfectly paced for a lifestyle or fashion magazine profile. It already reads like something from Harper’s Bazaar or Vogue. If you’d like, here’s a lightly refined version that preserves your tone but tightens flow and rhythm, giving it a slightly more polished editorial edge. The world fell in love with Jennifer Lawrence as the zany 22 year old who tripped on her dress on her way to collect her Oscar. More than a decade later, she’s still as disarmingly charming as ever ut look closer and you’ll notice something different: a new poise, a quiet sense of peace. In 2019, Lawrence pressed pause on Hollywood to focus on life off screen. She married art allegorist Cooke Maronite, and the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Cy, in February 2022.

I just think everybody had gotten sick of me. I’d gotten sick of me, she told Vanity Fair of her self imposed hiatus. “It had just gotten to a point where I couldn’t do anything right. If I walked a red carpet, it was, ‘Why didn’t she run? I think that I was people pleasing for the majority of my life. Now back in the spotlight, Lawrence radiates renewed confidence and fashion insiders have taken notice

She’s become a defining face of the stealth-wealth movement, joining the likes of Sofia Richie, the Succession cast, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s courtroom chic. Think impeccable tailoring, plush fabrics, and a palette of black, white, gray, and camel. “I normally lean toward a more understated elegance and quiet luxury, she says. On this fall afternoon, she sits curled on a couch in a New York hotel suite, embodying the aesthetic to perfection in a black A line midi skirt, a fitted short sleeved sweater, and nude patent pumps. On one wrist, a black Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Bone Cuff catches the light; on the other, a Longines Mini DolceVita watch gleams softly. The launch of that watch is why we’re meeting: Lawrence was recently named Ambassador of Elegance for the storied Swiss brand. You may have seen the paparazzi photos from JuneLawrence wrangling a pack of dogs while filming a Longines commercial the internet swooned over her effortlessly chic navy sweater, long trench, and dainty silver timepiece.

Mariam Mohamed

Who she is

• Mariam Mohamed is 26 years old.
• She was born and raised in Sharjah, UAE.
• She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Sydney.

What’s the milestone 

• She was crowned Miss Universe UAE 2025. 
• In doing so, she became the first Emirate woman to represent the UAE at the Miss Universe pageant. 
• The global competition (Miss Universe 2025) is scheduled for November 21 in Pak Kret, Thailand.

Mariam Mohamed is a visionary bridging academia, art, and advocacy. With a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Sydney and current studies in Fashion Design at ESMOD Dubai, she combines analytical insight with creative expression. “My dream is to reduce global poverty and empower women,” says Mariam a mission reflected in her work and values. She has designed sustainable fashion, contributed to charitable initiatives such as Ramadan Aman and The Giving Family Initiative, and represented the UAE in international women’s entrepreneurship programs. Mariam’s passions embody both heritage and innovation from falconry and camel riding to sustainable fashion and global cultural exchange. Through every pursuit, she carries the UAE’s values of grace, resilience, and forward-thinking, shaping a future where tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously.