A researcher at the Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies  of Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, Khilola Nazirova, from October 15 to 18 this year, at the invitation of the khokimiyat of the Khorezm region, visited the Republic of Turkey as part of the scientific delegation of the Jalaliddin Manguberdi Foundation and the Khorezm branch of the Republican Center for Spirituality and Enlightenment.

The purpose of the visit of the scientific expedition was to study and research the burial place of the last commander Sultan Jalaliddin Khorezmshah and research new information about his valiant name. And also the expedition took part in the international symposium entitled "Silvan and Sultan Klych Arslan", which took place in the city of Dyarbakir. Professor of the University of Public Security of the Republic of Uzbekistan Zhumabay Rakhimov and the head of the Khorezm regional branch of the Republican Center for Spirituality and Education, chairman of the Jalaladdin Manguberdi Foundation Bekzod Abdrimov made a presentation and new information about the life and work of the great Sultan of Khorezmshah.Scientists from Turkey and other countries also took part in the symposium.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the young scientist Bekzod Abdrimov spoke about the main goals and objectives of the delegation and about mutual scientific cooperation, about the role and significance of the history of the great commander in the fate of the peoples of the East. The governor of the city of Dyarbakir, Munir Karaoglu said that if confirmed, the burial place of Sultan Jalaladdin Manguberdi will be replaced by a mausoleum. Speaking at a narrow meeting, Zhumabay Rakhimov also spoke a lot about the courage and patriotism of the great commander, our ancestor, that he is a symbol and role model for the modern world.

As well as, a special report was prepared by a researcher of the Institute Khilola Nazirova for the media of Uzbekistan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBOuNNAlQ_0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3miiRK5q-4

The book New Perspectives for the Study of Islamic Culture, History and Art in Uzbekistan, published jointly by Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences and IRCICA, was launched during the opening ceremony of the international conference “Central Asian Islamic Manuscripts: Cultural Heritage and Historical Source” coordinated online from Tashkent on 16 November 2021. This conference was organized by Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Iranian Studies of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the British Institute of Persian Studies, and Leiden University. The book presented at its opening consists of a collection of the papers presented during the international conference on “New Perspectives for the Study of Islamic Culture, History and Art in Uzbekistan” dedicated to the memory of Academician Ubaydulla Karimov which was organized by Al-Biruni Institute and IRCICA online and offline on 28 May 2021. Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Director General of IRCICA, gave an address at the opening session of the conference “Central Asian Islamic Manuscripts: Cultural Heritage and Historical Source” and presented the book to the participants. The book (774 pp., 24 cm.) includes a total of 84 articles in the Uzbek, Russian and Turkish languages, each with an abstract in English.

In his opening speech, Prof. Bakhrom Abdukhalimov, Director of Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies and Vice-President of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, said that the Institute gives importance to cooperating with institutions around the world and has organized dozens of academic conferences with the aim of promoting the academic study of Islamic manuscripts, particularly Central Asian manuscripts. Prof. Abdukhalimov expressed thanks and appreciation, on behalf of his Institute’s staff and his own, to Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Director General of IRCICA, for the academic support and cooperation extended to the Institute. Prof. Florian Schwarz, Director of the Institute of Iranian Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences, said, in his speech, that one of the most dynamic fields is that of studies on manuscripts and manuscript cultures; he pointed to the significance of these materials as sources of historical, literary, artistic and other information and also as cultural heritage. Prof. Gabrielle van den Berg from Leiden University spoke of the development of Central Asian studies at Leiden University, past and present, and the expanding cooperation between Central Asian and European universities. Prof. Charles Melville, President of the British Institute of Persian Studies, pointed out to the coverage of the designation “Persian manuscripts” which historically extends beyond the frontiers of modern Iran. Speaking of the developments in manuscript studies, he described the association of researchers with manuscripts as a lively, active and genuine one.

In his address, Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç underlined the importance of studies on Islamic manuscripts from the viewpoint of IRCICA. Presenting the new book, the Director General said that it covers a remarkably wide spectrum of topics in Islamic studies, manuscript studies in particular, approached from different perspectives. With this diversified coverage, it will benefit academics and administrators involved in research and curriculum development as well as specialists and researchers in various disciplines of cultural studies. Prof. Kılıç also spoke of the engagement of IRCICA in promoting studies on Islamic history and culture and the sources of this culture including manuscripts, and described the wide geographical coverage of IRCICA’s activities over the OIC membership area that includes Central Asia, Caucasia, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, and Africa. The Director General thanked Professor Abdukhalimov and his colleagues for their cooperation which resulted in the new publication.

21 papers were presented by specialists of Islamic manuscripts from Asian and European countries. The sessions of the conference were titled: “Preserving the written cultural heritage”; “Manuscript evidence and historical interpretation”; “Manuscript collections: past, present, and future”; “Visual dimensions of manuscripts”; “Beyond the codex”; “Producing, publishing and studying texts: From manuscript cultures to the digital age”.

On November 4, the library of the al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan received as a gift from the Ibn Sina Islamic Culture Research Foundation (Moscow) 25 excellent books dedicated to the academic discourse on various aspects of the history, philosophy, culture and history of science of the Muslim East and to prominent scholars on the Islamic studies.

The Ibn Sina Islamic Culture Research Foundation was established in 2007. It brings together the members of the academic and student community involved in studying different aspects of Islamic culture, science and philosophy. The founders of the Ibn Sina Foundation are Hamid Hadavimogaddam (PhD) and Stanislav Prozorov (leading researcher of the RAS Institute of Oriental Manuscripts). The main objective of the Foundation is to demonstrate the richness of Islamic culture.

The Foundation carries out various publishing, educational and academic projects and takes part in the organization of scientific conferences, presentations and exhibitions in cooperation with leading Islamic centres of Russia. About 10 series of scientific and popular scientific literature are currently published under the guidance of the Foundation. With the Foundation, the yearbook of Islamic philosophy, “Ishrak”, is also published, featuring the most important research articles by Russian and foreign scholars.

The al-Biruni Institute expresses its profound gratitude to the Ibn Sina Foundation administration, especially to its Director for Science, Andrey Lukashev, who has taken care of all the arrangements, for this valuable gift. The donated books will certainly help the readers of the Institute's library to comprehend the rich history and culture of the Muslim world as well as to popularise the educational activities of Ibn Sina Foundation in our country.

On October 7-9, 2021, I spoke at the Second International Symposium named after Prof. Fuat Sezgin on the history of Islamic sciences, which was held in Istanbul (Turkey) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Republic Turkey, Istanbul University, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Waqf University and Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History of Science in Islam. I exchanged views with scholars from Iran, Egypt, the Netherlands and other countries.н.

Abridged versions of medical treatises, their copies, storage locations, their impact on medical schools of subsequent periods were discussed with foreign colleagues. Iranian colleagues invited me to a conference in Tehran (Iran), scheduled for November 12-15, on the topic "Contribution of Iran and Turkey to the development of medical sciences", at which I plan to make a presentation on "Mujaz al-Qanun and its manuscripts in Turkish Foundations. "I am also planning to speak at the Health Sciences Symposium in Isparta, Turkey, November 19-20, as a speaker on "Abridged versions of Medical Treatises and Their Manuscripts in Turkish Libraries. "

At the end of the symposium, on 20.10.2021 I held a seminar on "Abridged versions of Ibn Sina's medical treatises and their role in the development of medieval medical education" at the Faculty of Medicine of Bahcesehir University, Turkey, and received a certificate of participation.

After the symposium, I spent two weeks working at the Sulaymaniye Library and found some resources I needed for my research.

During this trip, I gave an interview to an Istanbul newspaper about Ibn Sina's manuscripts in Turkey.

Also in the Sulaymaniye library, with the Turkish researcher of the life and work of Ibn Sina, Ferrukh Ozpilavchi, we prepared a program about Ibn Sina for the program of the Uzbek channel "Khalq Mulki (The Property of the Nation)".

F. Ibragimov

junior researcher

Department "History of Science and Culture of the Peoples of the East"

Institute of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences

(dedicated  to the competition “the most active young scientists council of the year”)

Today, the the Young Scientists Council of Al-Biruni Institute of  Uzbekistan  Academy of Sciences held a meeting on the competition "The most active Council of Young Scientists of the Year."

Hilola Nazirova, the Сhairperson of the Council of Young Scientists, introduced the terms of the competition to the members of the Council of Young Scientists. Yaroslav Kvintkov, Chairman of the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences, also attended the meeting.

Ps.: In 2019, the Young Scientists Council of Al-Biruni Institute of Uzbekistan  Academy of Sciences won the Grand Prix.