Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 14-15 September 2021, the International Cultural Forum "Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations" meets in Khiva. 

The event is held jointly with UNESCO on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which was expressed at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. The head of the international organization UNESCO Audrey Azoulay supported the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan. “I welcome the initiative of President Mirziyoyev to hold an international cultural forum on Central Asia in Khiva in 2021,” she said.

Khiva is one of the oldest cities on the Silk Road, was a center of education, science and culture and served as the cradle of civilizations for millennia, and the inner city of Khiva "Ichan-Kala" in 1990 was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The upcoming Forum will serve as a platform for a comprehensive exchange of views on the invaluable contribution of the peoples of our region to world civilization.

Another important event will be the opening of the meeting of the Permanent Council of Culture Ministers of the TURKSOY countries. Within the framework of the program, a report on events within the framework of "Khiva - the cultural capital of the Turkic world", a presentation on the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2022, as well as the election of the Secretary General of TURKIC for 2021-2024 will be heard.

Also, on 13-21 September in several cities of Uzbekistan - Tashkent, Khiva and Nukus, a number of bright cultural events of the Week of Cultural Heritage will be held, which has already become a traditional event. Within the framework of the Week, the V Congress of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan "Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan - the Foundation of a New Renaissance" will be held.

The events held with the support of the Government of Uzbekistan are organized by the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan, and the National Association of Electronic Media of Uzbekistan with the assistance of UNESCO, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Culture, the oil service company "Eriell Group".

More than 350 scientists and experts from 46 countries of the world and our country will take part in the congress - leading orientalists, Koranologists, experts, researchers, specialists in manuscripts and miniatures, and many others.

Within the framework of the Heritage Week, it is planned to hold more than ten exhibitions that will acquaint Uzbek citizens and foreign guests with the unique masterpieces of our country’s art. These are photo exhibitions of the archaeologist, researcher of the culture of Central Asia Leon Semyonovich Barshchevsky, "History of Uzbekistan in photographs", "Cartography of Central Asia: between science and geopolitics", the photo exhibition "100 outstanding manuscripts of Uzbekistan", an exhibition of Rishtan ceramics, a virtual trip to the monuments of Shakhrisabz and Samarkand " 3D-technologies in modern science ", exhibition of video art, painting by Zh. Usmanov" Poetry of A. Navoi ", exhibition of the numismatic collection of the National Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan and others.

Also, within the framework of the Cultural Heritage Week, there will be a presentation of 50 unique books-albums from the series “Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in the Collections of the World” dedicated to the masterpieces of Uzbek art in both world and domestic collections. A ceremony is also planned for the transfer of 50 sets of books-albums to museums, galleries, educational institutions, Embassies and consulates of foreign countries in Uzbekistan.

Also, the participants of the Heritage Week will visit Nukus and will take part in the opening of the International Scientific and Theoretical Conference "The Role of Bakhshi Art in the Civilization of World Culture" at the Nukus Bakhshi School, and after that they will take part in the opening ceremony of the International Bakhshi Art Festival.

An international conference "Archeology and Tourism: Defining Potential and Heritage Management" under the auspices of UNESCO will also take place in Nukus. Participants will discuss issues of archaeological heritage management and geocultural branding, archaeological heritage in fundamental and applied science and other topical issues.