Uzbekistan to Launch Global Calligraphy Contest for World Quran

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A global calligraphy contest to create a unique Quran will be announced on 26 August 2026 at the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan during the International Media Forum "Islamic Civilization: A New Perspective — New Discoveries," the event organizers said.

Calligrapher and head of the calligraphy school at the Center of Islamic Civilization Habibullo Solikh will present the project, titled "Quran of the World: From the Tradition of Calligraphy to the Heritage of the Future." The competition aims to unify the traditions of various international calligraphy schools into a single manuscript.

The announcement will take place during the plenary session "Heritage That Unites Centuries: Spiritual Meanings of Islamic Civilization." The forum will also host a panel discussion addressing the role of media in overcoming stereotypes and Islamophobia, featuring delegates from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation alongside government and media representatives from Algeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Mali, and Uzbekistan.

Additional forum initiatives focus on manuscript preservation, including the "114 Qurans: 114 Masterpieces of Calligraphy of the Islamic World" project, the "Katta Langar Quran: Truth and Legends" project, and an initiative titled "Artificial Intelligence — The Digital Key to Reading Ancient Manuscripts."

Calligraphy development in Uzbekistan is managed through institutional initiatives, including the Calligraphy School established at the Center of Islamic Civilization by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The school offers instruction in traditional scripts such as Thuluth, Naskh, Nasta'liq, Ruq'ah, Diwani, and Kufic.

The art form is also incorporated into the new Imam al-Bukhari complex in Samarkand Region, where portals and iwans display inscriptions of hadiths from "Sahih al-Bukhari." The complex houses the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center and the School of Hadith Sciences.

The Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan serves as the main venue for the International Media Forum, which brings together approximately 300 media executives, agency leaders, journalists, academics, and creative industry professionals from nearly 50 countries.