Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- With the independence of the Central Asian republics, France was interested in strengthening and developing relations with Uzbekistan and with the countries of the region, equally in comprehensive cooperation, including in the field of economic, diplomatic, scientific and cultural relationships.

This is due to a number of factors: firstly, France in the second half of the 1990s and up to date pursues a policy of strengthening diplomatic relations and political activity in Central Asia; secondly, Paris seeks to strengthen its economic and political presence in the region; thirdly, France is strengthening relations with the states of Central Asia in the humanitarian sphere, within the framework of cultural centers and various scientific programs that are focused on the needs of the Central Asian states.

For example, the Scientific Institute for Central Asian Studies (IFEAC-Institut français d’études sur l’Asie central) and the Institute for the Study of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO - Institut National des Langues et Civilizations Orientales) have been operating in France since the 1990s.

It should be noted that the origins of the formation of political relations of the forerunner of Uzbekistan Maverannahr with France, refers directly to the outstanding statesman and commander of the Islamic world Amir Temir. During the military campaign in Anatolia, Sahibkiran established diplomatic correspondence with French king Charles VI and English king Henry IV, through Catholic monks.

From the end of the 14th century, Europe was under the threat of the military onslaught of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Bayezid I, who subjugated Bulgaria, Serbia and consolidated the rule of the Ottomans in the Balkans, which caused the European states to seek help.

The National Library in Paris has a letter from Amir Temir to Charles VI in Latin dated 1 August 1402, which reports on the victory over Bayazid, beginning with the words: “This is a copy or summary of the letter of the glorious ruler Temurbey, which he sent to the most illustrious king of France, translated from Persian to Latin".

In the same library, the only copy of the letter of Charles VI addressed to Temur, dated 15 June 1403, with the words: “Karl, by the grace of God, king of the Franks, greetings and peace to the brightest and most victorious sovereign Temurbey,” has been preserved.

From the analysis of the correspondence of the two monarchs, it is obvious that they were also interested in the development of mutually beneficial trade.

The era of the Temurids, Sheibanids and Ashtarkhanids has been studied in depth by historians, culturologists, and documentary filmmakers of Uzbekistan and France since the early 1990s. An active popularizer of the art and culture of Uzbekistan in France is Frederic Beaupertuis-Bressan. Back in 1988, she became a co-founder of the Association for the Study of Culture and Art of the Temurids in Paris, is its general secretary, as well as the editor of the magazine La Timuride. Mrs. Beaupertuis-Bressan is an honorary citizen of Samarkand, the initiator of many conferences, exhibitions, concerts dedicated to the culture, art and history of Uzbekistan, the author of texts and photographs for publications on the history and culture of Uzbekistan.

Illustrated manuscripts of Maverannahr related to the period of the Temurids, Sheibanids and Ashtarkhanids, brought to Paris by French people, are stored in France, which were later divided by the Louvre and the National Library.

For example, the National Library holds a collection of rarities from Maverannahr and the Timurid dynasty of the Mughal era in Hindustan (from 1526 to 1858), which belonged to Pierre de Brunet, a former officer of the French East India Trading Company.

And the Louvre collections contain miniatures depicting the events of the 16th century. from Baburnom. According to the director of the Islamic art department of the Louvre, Yannick Linz: “The end of the 15th - the beginning of the 16th centuries played an important role in the life and work of Emperor Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur. This is a new period in the history of Central Asia. "Baburnoma" is a masterpiece and an official historical source, which has a great place in world history."

Linz is echoed by F. Bressan: “science and education were actively developing in the territories ruled by Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur. He founded a strong empire in northern India, leaving a great legacy as a great poet and historian."

Rare historical books from the time of the Mangit emirs of Bukhara, acquired by the French traveler Edouard Blanc. A collection of ancient books and manuscripts of Turkestan by Georges Marteau, who collected them at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, and miniatures of the Middle Ages of the Bukhara school by Gaston Mijon, a colleague of J. Marteau.

In addition, the Divan-i-Amir was preserved in the Marto collection, with miniatures from the time of Abdalaziz Khan (1513-1550) - the sixth ruler of the Sheibanid dynasty, the eldest son of Ubaydullah Khan, who patronized poets and scientists. Abdalaziz Khan himself wrote poems in the Turkic language under the pseudonym Azizi. The scribe was Sultan Ali Mashhadi.

Among the masterpieces of the National Library from the collection of Marto is also the manuscript “Gulistan”, dated 1546, written by Mir Ali Katib, under the supervision of the Kitabdar Sultan Mirak Munshi, also dating back to the time of Abdalaziz Khan, whose library was considered one of the largest in the Middle East .

The resolutions of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev“On measures to further improve the system of storage, research and propaganda of ancient written sources”, “On the establishment of the Center for Research on Cultural Property of Uzbekistan located abroad under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, “On measures to organize the Center for Islamic Culture in Uzbekistan under the Cabinet of Ministers Republic of Uzbekistan".

At the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan carried out large-scale work to preserve, study and popularize the rich cultural heritage of the country. Among a number of initiatives put forward by the President of the Republic at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, there was a proposal to hold a cultural forum aimed at popularizing the culture and history of our people. The initiative was supported by the international community and UNESCO.

These resolutions and initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan have activated the entire spectrum of cultural and civilizational relations of Uzbekistan with foreign countries, in particular with France. As a result, the reforms carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are highly appreciated by French experts.

So Mrs. F. Bressan noted that in recent years Uzbekistan has undergone many changes and updates. And especially important, in her opinion, is the fact that in Uzbekistan the preservation of cultural heritage is a priority in the creation of New Uzbekistan.

As an example of ongoing reforms, one can cite the media event “Cultural Heritage as a Bridge between Uzbekistan and France”, which took place on the eve of the first official visit of the President of Uzbekistan. The media event brought together more than 60 world-famous scientists and orientalists from France and other countries.

In addition, in May 2017, the first International Congress “Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan - the path to dialogue between peoples and countries” was held in Tashkent and Samarkand, where the idea was put forward to create a World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan. In 2018, within the framework of the II International Congress of the World Society, its Charter was created and approved.

In September 2021, the V Congress of the World Society was held in Tashkent, where a facsimile edition of a copy of the manuscript “Suwara al Kavakiba” (“The Book of Fixed Stars”), which belonged to Mirzo Ulugbek, was presented.

Important contributions were made by the Bibliothèque nationale de France, where this book is kept, and by the Austrian publishing house Mueller & Shindler, which created a unique facsimile.

In July 2022, the VI International Congress of the World Society "Cultural heritage of Uzbekistan - the basis of a new Renaissance" was held in Samarkand. The central event of the Congress was the presentation of 10 new volumes of books-albums of the series "Cultural heritage of Uzbekistan in the collections of the world" (51-60 volumes). Thus, the collection of illustrated books with the support of the ERIELL Group, an international oil service company, on which more than 350 scientists from more than 25 countries, 100 libraries and world-famous museums have worked, has already reached 60 volumes, which highlights in detail the handwritten rarities of Maverannahr in museums and cultural centers of France.

In November 2022, an exhibition dedicated to the second visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to France “Treasures of the oases of Uzbekistan. At the crossroads of caravan routes” and “The road to Samarkand, the colors and splendor of Uzbekistan” will begin in Paris, which will be held at the Louvre and the Institute of the Arab World. The Paris exhibitions will provide an opportunity to showcase our rich culture at the international level, as well as lay a solid foundation for our bilateral cooperation with France.

According to the President of the Association "Avicenna-France" Marc Bonnel, who clearly highlighted the level of trust and strong scientific ties between medeevists, archaeologists, restorers, numismatists and anthropologists of Uzbekistan and France, when establishing the "International Avicenna Prize":

“We welcome the policy of openness pursued by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and are ready to help strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the French and Uzbek peoples. The scientific and cultural circles of our countries should actively contribute to the rapprochement between France and Uzbekistan.”

Thus, the dialogue between Uzbekistan and France dates back to the time of Amir Temur, being true evidence of friendly relations between our peoples and states, which continue to this day. Thanks to an open and constructive foreign policy of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbek-French relations have risen to a qualitatively new level, contributing to the intensification of the multifaceted interaction of the parties, both in a bilateral format and on a regional and transregional scale.

Anvar Salikhbaev, Leading Research Fellow, International Institute of Central Asia.