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Russian Imam and historian Islam Zaripov compared the architectural grandeur and scale of the newly constructed Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex in Uzbekistan to India’s iconic Taj Mahal.

Islam Zaripov visited Uzbekistan as one of the participants in the First International Islamic Civilization Forum, held from 7 to 11 July this year in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez. The forum brought together hundreds of scholars, religious leaders, and representatives of international organizations from more than 40 countries, becoming a prestigious international gathering dedicated to the study, preservation, and promotion of the rich scholarly and spiritual heritage of Islamic civilization.

As part of the forum, the scholar visited the Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex in the Samarkand region. According to him, the names Bukhara and Samarkand had been etched in his imagination since childhood as great centers of medieval scholarship and enlightenment.

“For anyone devoted to Islamic theology, setting foot in the homeland of Imam Bukhari is an experience that is beyond words,” said Islam Zaripov.

According to the scholar, the newly reconstructed Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex deserves a place among the world’s most renowned pilgrimage sites not only because of its magnificent architectural design and monumental scale, but also because of its unique spiritual atmosphere. It was for this reason that he compared the complex to the Taj Mahal, one of the masterpieces of world architecture.

During his working visit, Islam Zaripov also toured the exhibitions at the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan. He highly praised the Center’s presentation of the centuries-old scholarly, cultural, and spiritual heritage of Islamic civilization through state-of-the-art museum technologies, describing it as an important international platform for academic dialogue and enlightenment.

In Zaripov’s view, Uzbekistan is today pursuing a consistent state policy aimed at studying, preserving, and promoting the legacy of its great scholars on the international stage. The Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex, the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, and the international scholarly forums hosted by the country are all tangible manifestations of these noble efforts.

The Russian scholar’s remarks once again demonstrate that Uzbekistan’s initiatives to revive and promote the heritage of Islamic civilization and to advance scholarship and dialogue among civilizations are receiving high recognition from the international academic community.

For reference, the Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex in the Samarkand region is today one of the largest pilgrimage and spiritual-educational destinations in the Islamic world. Completely reconstructed at the initiative of the President, the complex features the mausoleum of the great hadith scholar Imam Bukhari, a magnificent mosque with a capacity of 10,000 worshippers, a museum, colonnaded galleries, and modern infrastructure for pilgrims. The complex serves to promote Imam Bukhari’s rich scholarly legacy, foster pilgrimage tourism, and strengthen the spiritual bonds of the Muslim world.