Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- “I am a frequent guest of your region, I love it because it never ceases to amaze either in its present or even in its past. It seems to you that you have studied history, understood the soul of an Uzbek, and then you find a fact unknown to yourself before, and now all ideas are crumbling. And you, fascinated and bewitched, are again trying to assemble the puzzle, Frederick Starr said at the VI International Congress of the World Society "Cultural heritage of Uzbekistan - the basis of a new Renaissance".

“Take even the location. Just look at the cards! For five hundred years Central Asia has been the center of the world. And the achievements in all areas of culture, economy and even technology of this region were great,” he said.

“In scientific works and books, considering your country, he always tried to explain, firstly, what were these achievements, and secondly, why did they become possible? The last question is especially interesting. Thirdly, I wanted to figure out what happened to them after,” he added.

“I can talk for a long time and a lot about my observations, but the most important thing I want to note is that Uzbekistan is not a periphery, as some perceive it. Why? Because you are the only ones who have had direct contact with all the surrounding centers of civilization. This is a unique position that still exists,” Frederick Starr noted.