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According to Smithsonian Magazine — the official publication of the Smithsonian Institution in the United States — the Islamic Civilization Center being built in Tashkent has been recognized as one of the world’s ten most highly anticipated museums for 2026. Founded in 1970, the magazine is an internationally respected popular-science publication in the fields of science, history, culture, and museology. Inclusion in its rankings is regarded as a sign of top-tier global expert recognition for major projects.

The prestigious list also includes renowned museum projects such as the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Los Angeles), the National Geographic Museum of Exploration (Washington, D.C.), the London Museum (London), MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives (Tokyo), The Hip Hop Museum (New York), and Kanal – Centre Pompidou (Brussels). This places the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan alongside the world’s most significant museum initiatives.

According to the publication, the opening of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan is scheduled for March 2026. Smithsonian Magazine notes that the three-story museum complex will feature expansive exhibition spaces, Renaissance-era halls, and a unique collection of 114 manuscript copies of the Holy Qur’an created in different historical periods. Among them is the 7th-century Uthman Qur’an — one of the oldest surviving copies of the sacred text in the world.

The magazine also highlights the extensive use of modern digital technologies at the Center. In particular, visitors will be able to engage in virtual interaction with great Islamic scholars and thinkers through AI-based “living portraits.”

The Islamic Civilization Center will also house a research institute specializing in the study of Islamic heritage, laboratories for the restoration of ancient manuscripts, and a 460-seat international conference hall. This defines the Center’s status as a world-class, multifunctional scientific, educational, and cultural space.

Smithsonian Magazine pays special attention to the architecture of the complex, noting the harmonious blend of traditional Central Asian styles characteristic of the Timurid period with modern architectural solutions. The 65-meter-high blue dome symbolizes the grandeur and profound spiritual meaning of the scientific and intellectual legacy of Islamic civilization.

The inclusion of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan in Smithsonian Magazine’s list of the world’s most anticipated museums is assessed as a significant international recognition of the country’s scientific, spiritual, and cultural contribution to global heritage, as well as confirmation of Uzbekistan’s steadily growing standing in the global cultural arena.