45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee will take place from 10 to 25 September 2023 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The committee will be chaired by H.H. Princess Haifa Al Mogrin, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. Currently following countries are members of the World Heritage Committee: Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and Zambia. The World Heritage Committee will consider the implementation of the 1972 UNESCO Convention on Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Member States. For the time being 195 countries are State Parties to the Convention. Up to date 1157 cultural/natural properties from 167 State Parties are inscribed to the World Heritage List under the 1972 Convention. Among them 43 are transboundary properties from 67 State Parties. The World Heritage Committee will consider also new nominations to the World Heritage List. Based on evaluation made by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) following cultural sites from IICAS’s Member States were recommended to inscribe to the World Heritage List: Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and “Köç Yolu” Transhumance Route (Azerbaijan), Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er (China), Deer Stone Monuments and Related Sites of Bronze Age (Mongolia),  Gaya Tumuli (Republic of Korea), Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) and Gordion (Turkiye). According to the evaluation by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), following natural sites from IICAS’s Member States were recommended to inscribe to the World Heritage List: Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) and Tugay Forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve (Tajikistan). Final decision will be made by the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee.

Today, a number of foreign scientists, who are participants in the forum ”Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan – the foundation of the new renaissance” have visited in al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies. Guests have gotten acquainted closely with the new building of the Institute. Director of the Institute Prof. Bahrom Abdukhalimov introduced briefly activities of the institute to the guests. Shown documentary film and the new museum, which was established under the Institute, left a considerable impression on foreigners.

On April 26, 2023 guests from the Sultanate of Oman headed d by Dr. Ahmed visited the Institute.

On April 27, 2023 R. Stephen Humphreys, Professor of History and Islamic Studies (emeritus) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, from the United States, visited the Institute.

On April 28, the Institute was visited by Irina Donovna Zvyagelskaya, head of the Center for Near East Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

On April 29, 2023 Farhan Nizami, director of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies from from the UK visited the Institute.

On March 14, 2023, TSUOS hosted a presentation of books and translated works by the leading researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Abu Rayhon Beruni of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, orientalist, source specialist, DSc. Komiljon Rakhimov.

Friendly visit

(Visit of scholars from Sultanate of Oman)

On December 14, 2022  Arabic-language specialist of Nizwa University, Sultanate of Oman, Dr. Said Al-Zubaidi and the Head of the Arabic language department of this university, Dr. Masoud Said Al-Hadidi and Dr. Helal Kadhom, a teacher of the Department of Arabic-language, translation theory and practice of the Uzbekistan State University of World Languages  have visited to Al-Biruni institute of oriental studies, Academy of sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The guests welcomed by the scientific secretary of the institute N. Jabbarov, the Head of the fund Sh. Islamov and the Head of the international relations department U. Rakhmanov.

The guests were first shown the new building of the institute. N. Jabborov introduced the guests about the activity of the institute and the work being done there. After that, the guests got acquainted with the activities of the restoration and scanning department and the work being done there. The activity of the institute left a great impression on the guests.