17 objects are exhibited in Jeddah to demonstrate the culture of Uzbekistan

17 January 2023

press release

Reading time: 3 min.

The Biennale is organized by the Diriya Biennale Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia. The mission of this event is to “connect the past, the present and the future”, and its main theme comes under the title “Avval Bayt’, which in Arabic means "first house". Avval Bayt is a term that came from Quran and is used to denote the most sacred place for Muslims – the Kaaba in Mecca.

According to the organizers, this event promotes innovation whilst also supporting the preservation of traditions. It presents explorations of spirituality in the aesthetic field, in all its variety of artistic expression and forms.

The historical heritage of Uzbekistan is presented at the Biennale by the Art and Culture Development Foundation.

17 objects are exhibited in Jeddah to demonstrate the culture of Uzbekistan. Those include several pages of the Katta Langar Quran of the VIII century, one of the oldest Mus'haf manuscripts in the Islamic world, the collection of hadith “as-Sahih” by Imam al-Bukhari of the XVII century, ceramic jugs and mugs from Samarkand and Afrasiyab, national costume and shoes, and many others.

The Katta Langar Quran has a significant place in this exposition. Two of 13 pages recently restored by the specialists of the Louvre Museum, are now exhibited for the first time at the Louvre in the ongoing exhibition organized by the Art and Culture Development Foundation. At the Islamic Arts Biennale there will be showcased four pages of the Quran, two of which have never been seen by audiences before.

As said by the executive director of the Art and Culture Development Foundation Gayane Umerova, the Islamic Arts Biennale is an important international event that allows us to demonstrate projects related to Islamic culture. Uzbekistan has a rich and multifaceted story, most of which is closely related to the traditions of Islam, and the selection of exhibits presented by our country is designed to attract the world public to further study it.

As a part of the Biennale, the Art and Culture Development Foundation also organizes a public program dedicated to introducing the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan to the audience. The program includes discussions, music performances, film screenings and workshops. Amongst the events are a screening of the silent film “The Minaret of Death” (1924) accompanied by traditional musical instruments, the film “Al-Bukhoriy” (1998), workshops in ceramics and suzani, and many more.