President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has attended the opening ceremony of the Nation’s Library under the President of the Republic of Turkey, in Ankara.

On February 20, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the opening ceremony of the Nation’s Library under the President of the Republic of Turkey, in Ankara.

The library was built on the initiative of the leader of this country, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. By the amount of the book fund (4 million printed publications and over 120 million electronic files) and the level of equipment, it is one of the most advanced in the world. The building’s location, next to the Presidential Palace, emphasizes its significance.

The opening ceremony was attended by about two thousand guests from all over the world – scientists, writers, representatives of the spheres of education and culture, statesmen and public figures. Shavkat Mirziyoyev was the only highest-ranking guest invited by the President of Turkey.

And this is for a reason. After all, the Head of the state is known for his love of books, special attention to promoting reading. Shavkat Mirziyoyev has forwarded a number of international initiatives regarding enlightenment, education, upbringing youth. Another indication of the high importance of enlightenment was the announcement of the current year in Uzbekistan as the Year of Science, Enlightenment and Digital Economy Development.

The President of Uzbekistan addressed the opening ceremony of the event.

The Head of the state thanked for the invitation to this important and solemn event, congratulated the fraternal Turkish people on the new library.

“Each state and each nation in the world is strong first of all for its intellectual potential, high spirituality. And the source of this invincible power is books and libraries – the great discovery of mankind”, said President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The Uzbek and Turkish peoples share common historical roots and spiritual values. The legacy of Imam Bukhari, Beruni, Khorezmi, Ibn Sina, Jaloliddin Rumi, Yunus Emro, Alisher Navoi played an important role in the national upsurge of our peoples. Kazizade Rumi taught in Samarkand, Ali Qushchi spent the rest of his life in Istanbul. Our ancestors, the Jadids Abdurauf Fitrat, Muhammadsharif Sufizade, Said Ahrori and others studied in Turkey.

University named after Abu Reikhan Beruni operates in Istanbul. The book collections of Turkey contain more than 100 manuscripts of Alisher Navoi.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that modern schools, scientific and enlightenment centers are opening in Uzbekistan.

International research centers of Imam Bukhari in Samarkand and Imam Termezi in Surkhandarya have been organized, schools of hadith, kalom, aqida, Sufism and fiqh are operating. The Center of Islamic Civilization is being built in Tashkent, which will present a centuries-old spiritual heritage and carry out fundamental research.

This year, Uzbekistan will host events on the occasion of anniversaries of great thinkers Abduholiq Gijduvani and Bahouddin Naqshband’s birth, and the 145th anniversary of Mahmudhoji Behbudi’s birth will be celebrated. It is also planned to hold a number of international events in connection with the announcement of Bukhara as the Capital of the Islamic Culture and Khiva as the Capital of Turkic World Culture.

The Head of the state invited Turkish scholars, literary critics and religious scholars to attend these cultural and enlightenment events. He noted that over 100 thousand rare manuscripts are stored in Uzbekistan, most of which are awaiting their researcher.

The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked the President of Uzbekistan and his spouse for participating in this joyful event.

“To us, Uzbekistan is the most important of our springs of life which feed our world of knowledge, wisdom and culture and where scholars that shape our vision for civilization grow up. And, this very climate of knowledge has equally fed and enriched Tashkent and Ankara, Samarkand and Konya, Bukhara and Bursa, and Khiva and Edirne for ages. I believe, on this meaningful day, we are giving a very important message to the world about our shared civilization by inaugurating the Nation’s Library with Mr. President”, said the President of Turkey.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented the library with a copy of the rarest in the world Uthman Quran, copied by Uzbek calligraphers, facsimile copies of “Masnavi” by Jaloliddin Rumi and Abu Bakr Ar-Razi’s Classification of Diseases, album-book “Facsimile of Alisher Navoi’s works from Istanbul libraries”, as well as the book “Ulmas Kungul” – a collection of Yunus Emro’s poems translated into Uzbek.

In addition, over 350 books on various themes were donated to the Nation’s Library under the President of Turkey.

Heads of state got acquainted with the book exhibition and activity of the library.