Rare and unique masterpieces of world significance are being returned to Uzbekistan through the collaboration of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan (WOSCU), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Art Loss Register — an international specialized company engaged in searching for stolen, lost and illegally exported works of art, antiques and cultural property — the Metropolitan Police Service, relevant British institutions, and international experts.
An international media event on the theme "History and Cultural Heritage of the Great Timurids" was held in London, at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dedicated to the 690th anniversary of the birth of the great statesman and commander Amir Temur. It was attended by leading British and foreign historians, orientalists, representatives of the diplomatic corps, the academic community, cultural circles and international organizations. During the evening, special materials were presented about the personality of Amir Temur, his place in world history, the achievements of the Timurid era, as well as modern initiatives aimed at preserving historical heritage in Uzbekistan. A special event of the event was the premiere of a new short film titled "The Golden Age of the Timurids," created with the participation of world-famous British actor Sir Ben Kingsley.
A new publication prepared by WOSCU within the framework of the series "Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in World Collections" — a book by Firuza Melville dedicated to the Central Asian manuscript heritage in the Cambridge University Libraries — also aroused great interest.
The most important part of the event was the ceremony of returning cultural property to Uzbekistan, which sparked great interest among the participants. Among the returned items are ten priceless artifacts from various periods of Central Asian history. Among them are finds related to the culture of the Kushan period, ancient Termez, Buddhist artistic traditions, and the Sogdian heritage. Some objects date back to the 2nd–8th centuries AD. Also among the returned heritage is a unique Timurid-era cenotaph belonging to a royal personage.
"The return of historical artifacts was the result of extensive and complex international cooperation that lasted several months. This process involved dozens of specialists, experts, lawyers, art historians and law enforcement agencies from various countries. The repatriation process began after information was received that these items may have originated from the territory of Uzbekistan. Subsequently, an international working group was formed with the participation of foreign specialists, WOSCU members, art history scholars and cultural heritage experts. Today, we express our sincere gratitude to all partners who participated in the implementation of this important program, especially the OSCE, the Art Loss Register, the Metropolitan Police, British state institutions, international experts and all collaborators," — said Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Board of WOSCU.
WOSCU played a decisive role in the return process. In recent years, it has become one of the most effective international mechanisms for searching, studying and returning Uzbekistan's cultural heritage from foreign collections.
"For UK law enforcement agencies, returning cultural property to its legal owner is one of the important tasks in the fight against illicit trafficking. We are proud to have the opportunity today to hand over these cultural treasures to the people of Uzbekistan. We see the high attention that President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is paying to issues of culture, historical memory and the return of national heritage. This creates important conditions for such initiatives and unites different countries in a noble cause," — said Detective Superintendent Kerry Wood, Head of the Economic Crime Unit.
According to experts, among the returned objects, the sculpted heads made of plaster and terracotta dating back to the 2nd–5th centuries AD are of particular significance. Such works are characteristic of the Kushan period culture and the Buddhist art centers of ancient Termez — Karatepa, Fayoztepa and Dalverzintepa. Also of great interest are fragments of ancient wall paintings. Some of them may be associated with Sogdian traditions dating to the 7th–8th centuries or more ancient monumental schools in southern Uzbekistan.
"The returned items are of immense historical and scientific significance. They belong to different periods of the territory of modern Uzbekistan and reflect the civilizational processes that took place in Central Asia over the centuries," — said Dr. Farkhod Maksudov, Director of the Institute of Anthropology of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
After being brought to Tashkent, these items will undergo additional attribution, restoration examination and scientific description. This will allow them to be introduced into international scientific circulation and presented to the general public for the first time as a restored part of Uzbekistan's historical memory.
Within the framework of the ceremony, official documents were signed and certificates were exchanged confirming the legal transfer of the returned cultural property to the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. This event became an important symbol of international cooperation, the restoration of historical justice, and the return of priceless relics to their homeland.
"This event could mark the beginning of a new stage: it is not impossible that similar processes will be observed in other countries where items originating from Uzbekistan are kept, following London. Such examples show that international cooperation and a responsible attitude towards cultural heritage serve to restore historical justice," — said James Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Art Loss Register.
This event has become an important symbol of international cooperation, trust, legal responsibility and the restoration of historical justice.
