The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, will launch the celebration of Samarkand as a 2025 Culture Capital in the Islamic World on Tuesday, 27 May 2025. This event is part of ICESCO’s Culture Capitals program and will begin with an international conference in Uzbekistan under the theme: “Spiritual Heritage and Cultural Expressions in the Islamic World: Calligraphy, Music, Poetry, and Solidarity.” The Conference will be attended by high-level officials, including ministers of culture from ICESCO Member States and representatives of international organizations and institutions.

On this occasion, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, stated that the year-long celebration will feature a rich and diverse array of programs, activities, and initiatives organized by ICESCO in cooperation with relevant Uzbek national authorities. These efforts aim to enhance the city’s cultural capital, highlight its distinguished cultural and historical heritage, and reaffirm its pivotal role in the civilization of the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik affirmed ICESCO’s strong commitment to ensuring the success of the celebration and presenting it in a manner worthy of Samarkand’s historical stature. He noted that a comprehensive program has been developed in collaboration with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Culture and expressed his hope that the Samarkand celebration would serve as a model for future Capitals of Culture in the Islamic world.

The celebration program will include the organization of an Uzbek Culture Week in Rabat, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of ICESCO’s Culture Capitals initiative. It will also feature international conferences on the influence of scholars from the region of Transoxiana on human civilization, such as Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, and Ibn Sina. Furthermore, the celebrations will include the organization of international forums focusing on traditional arts, manuscripts, literature, and Islamic architecture. Additional activities will include poetry and photography competitions and the launch of a new initiative to assess and reduce the carbon footprint of heritage sites and museums in Samarkand.