Bactrian Artifacts Transported from the UK to Uzbekistan’s Center of Islamic Civilization

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — At the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, unique artifacts from Ancient Bactria have been delivered to the Center of Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan, bringing to life the history of Central Asia prior to the advent of Islam, the Center’s press service reports.

The “Pre-Islamic Period” section of the exhibition showcases the advanced development of cities, craftsmanship, jewelry artistry, and social organization in the Bactria–Margiana region.

Bactria, which existed in the 3rd–2nd millennia BCE, spanned northern Afghanistan, southern Tajikistan, and parts of Uzbekistan. The civilization’s development was closely linked to irrigated agriculture along the Amu Darya, Panj, and Vakhsh rivers, which facilitated the emergence of early settlements and multi-story urban structures.

According to Professor Gaybulla Boboyorov, the foundation of Bactrian culture was its urban civilization, encompassing governance traditions, administrative systems, writing, law, crafts, horticulture, and international trade.

Through the Great Silk Road, Bactria became a crossroads of cultural, economic, and spiritual exchange between East and West.

The exhibition demonstrates that long before Islam, the region already had developed crafts, applied and jewelry arts, symbolic thinking, and a complex social structure.

Among the unique exhibits are gold bracelets inlaid with agate, turquoise, and lapis lazuli, symbolizing social status and wealth; beads and necklaces serving spiritual and ritual purposes; and rare 4th-century BCE gold scabbards decorated with animal figures and mythological motifs, reflecting the cultural fusion of Bactrian, Sogdian, and Saka traditions.

The delivery of these artifacts from the United Kingdom, initiated by the President, aims to promote Central Asia’s historical heritage and showcase the continuity of the region’s cultural traditions.

The Center of Islamic Civilization exhibition allows visitors to explore the rich world of Bactrian beliefs, crafts, and art, highlighting the high level of cultural and spiritual development in the region long before the rise of Islamic civilization.