Uzbekistan unveils monumental mural celebrating Islamic heritage

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — A monumental art installation titled the Wall of Civilizations and Discoveries is underway at the Museum of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

Spanning 52 meters in length and 5 meters in height, the exhibit is designed to honor the region’s contribution to global science, culture, and Islamic scholarship during the Timurid era.

According to Uz Daily, the installation will feature more than 10 large-scale miniatures created by around 50 artists, with a thematic focus on the intellectual and artistic flourishing that took place in Central Asia under the Timurid dynasty (14th–15th century). 

Uzbek officials and curators refer to this period as the “Second Renaissance”—a state-led framing that draws on the legacy of the Islamic Golden Age to support a modern cultural revival.

The miniatures are being painted in the traditional styles of the Herat, Bukhara, and Samarkand schools, deliberately excluding Persian styles such as Shiraz and Isfahan to maintain a distinct regional identity. Artists are using high-quality fabric and gold leaf imported from Italy to produce the intricate compositions.

At the center of the mural are scenes portraying Amir Temur’s coronation at the Balkh Kurultai, his architectural and scientific patronage, and the construction of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque.

Also featured is Mirzo Ulughbeg, the famed astronomer and mathematician whose observatory in Samarkand was among the most advanced of its time.

The installation also highlights literary and political figures such as Alisher Navoi, Husayn Bayqarah, and Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, presenting them within the rich cultural milieu of a period often sidelined in mainstream global histories of science and civilization.

By celebrating this heritage, the project aims to reinforce Uzbekistan’s role as a historical center of Islamic knowledge and creativity—and to position it as a modern-day custodian of that legacy.