Among Zoroastrian burial items, there is a camel-shaped zoomorphic OSTADON lying there. It was found…
Since ancient times, the territory of Uzbekistan has been the cradle of great civilizations, outstanding scholars, brave commanders, thinkers and poets.
We can learn about various events, astounding discoveries, social and political processes that took place in the history of our country from handwritten sources and monuments of material culture created by our ancestors.
Undoubtedly, one of the important tools that can give us a complete picture of the past is fine art. In particular, the art of miniature shows how our people have had high creative potential since ancient times and can give us the most reliable ideas about the appearance, lifestyle and activities of our ancestors, and the landscapes of our land in ancient times.
On December 16, 2020, at the 15th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, miniature art was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and recognized as the common value of the peoples of Uzbekistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran.
After all, as Respected President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted, “Great history does not disappear without a trace. It is kept and reproduced in the genetic code of the people, in their historical memory and in their deeds. This is precisely where its mighty strength lies.”
As we know, the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan has been researching examples of miniature art for many years, along with the masterpieces of our ancient culture. Several volumes published as part of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections series are devoted to oriental miniatures, and in 2021 the World Society initiated the publication of a special illustrated volume titled Kamal ad-Din Behzad: The One Who Shamed Mani devoted to the most prominent representative of miniature art.
In many countries of the world, there is a tradition of publishing books containing portraits of rulers, generals, representatives of science, literature and art. Similar attempts have also been made in our country. However, there is still no ideal publication containing all examples of national miniature art depicting famous historical figures from Uzbekistan’s past.
For the first time, within the framework of the projects of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan, a large-scale publication in this field is being published - the illustrated volume “Historical Personalities in the Masterpieces of the Manuscript Heritage of Uzbekistan.” The publication contains about 300 color miniatures made in the 13th – 18th centuries. Also in it, it is possible to find images of more than 80 rulers, princes and princesses, more than 20 poets, scholars, thinkers and artists from the dynasties of the Samanids, Karakhanids, Ghaznavids, Seljuks, Khorezmshahs, Timurids, Baburids, Shaybanids, and Ashtarkhanids.
During the work on the publication, we were able to collect images of many historical figures from various museums (the Freer Gallery in Washington, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the British Library, the Edinburgh University Library, the Prince Aga Khan Collection, the National Library of France, the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Topkapi Palace, the National Library of Egypt, etc.). We contacted about thirty museums and libraries in more than ten countries and obtained the rights to publish these images.
It is worth noting that our esteemed President pays great attention to the study and popularization of our cultural heritage. This book, the result of such attention, was published with the direct support of the government of our country.
The illustrated volume was prepared in Uzbek, Russian and English. It was peer-reviewed and received a positive feedback from a number of leading national scholars, including Akbar Khakimov, Kamola Akilova, Zukhra Rakhimova and Abdumajid Madrakhimov. The volume was published as both a gift and a regular edition. The illustrated volumes will be forwarded to research institutions, museums and libraries across Uzbekistan, as well as in a number of foreign countries, and will be presented to leading foreign scholars and specialists.
