International Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), which is o?ne of the Islamic Conference Organization?s structures, has named Tashkent a world capital of Islamic culture in 2007.

Alongside with Tashkent, which represents the entire Asian continent, the cities of Fes (Morocco) and Tripoli (Libya), which represent the Arab world, as well as the capital city of Senegal Dakar ? the o?ne representing the African continent, are named the capital of Islamic culture, Information Agency ?Jahon? repotted.

Tashkent has been honored to receive such high and honorable rank thanks to the outstanding merits of Uzbekistan before the Islamic culture and science, preservation of monuments and further enrichment of Islamic heritage.

And, in fact, the capital of independent Uzbekistan astonishes the visitors from all around the world with its grand buildings of madrassahs and mosques, libraries with the richest stocks of ancient manuscripts, and museums, where the works of grand masters, scholars and architects of Islamic renaissance, are now kept.

At the moment, the Tashkent Islamic Institute after the name of Imam al-Bukhary, Kukeldash Madrassah and Tashkent Islamic University, established upon the initiative of President Islam Karimov, operate in Tashkent.

These educational institutions train the theologians, scholars of religious studies, and specialists in Islamic law, the source studies, international economy and information studies. Tashkent Islamic University is the o?nly higher educational institution of its kind o?n the CIS territory.

The University has not o?nce served as a venue to hold the international conferences, seminars, and roundtables o?n the urgent topics of religion and politics, tolerance and preserving peace and stability in contemporary world.

From amongst the many cities, which represent Asia, the very Tashkent has been chosen as the world capital of Islamic culture in 2007. In its choice the ISESCO has taken into consideration, above all, the policies of Uzbekistan?s Leadership aimed at reviving the cultural and spiritual values of Uzbek people, as well as the measures taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to protect and carefully preserve the monuments of Islamic civilization.

Such ISESCO choice is also explained by the fact that the rich history and culture of o?ne of the most ancient cities in Asia ? Tashkent takes a special place in the history of world civilization.