The leadership of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan has received an official letter from Paris from the jury of the prestigious international architectural award Prix Versailles, the news agency “Dunyo” reports.

According to the Center, the letter states that the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan has been included in the 2026 ranking of the world’s most beautiful museums compiled by Prix Versailles. The ranking is based on strict criteria such as innovation, creative approach, reflection of national heritage, and environmental efficiency. In his letter, the Secretary General of the prize, Jérôme Gouadain, congratulated the Center’s leadership on this achievement and attached the official guidelines for confirming the Center’s participation in the 2026 ranking.

The Prix Versailles is one of the world’s most prestigious awards, annually recognizing the most advanced projects in contemporary architecture, culture, and aesthetics. The inclusion of the Center for Islamic Civilization in this list confirms the international recognition of its concept, symbolic significance, and contribution to the development of the humanitarian space of Eurasia.

According to official information, the Center has not only been included in the list of the most beautiful museums of 2026 but has also obtained the right to compete for one of the three main global titles of the year — the Grand Prix Versailles, the Interior Award, or the Exterior Award. The ceremony announcing the winners of the global titles is scheduled for the end of 2026 in Paris at the headquarters of UNESCO, or in another host city designated by the Prize Secretariat.

“Inclusion in the global ranking of Prix Versailles strengthens the Center’s status as an architectural landmark of the region and a symbol of Uzbekistan’s contemporary cultural revival. This decision confirms that the project of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which represents his personal initiative, has been recognized as one of the most important modern museum and cultural projects,” said the Director of the Center, Firdavs Abdukhalikov.

According to him, the Center is already recognized as the largest humanitarian and scientific-cultural complex in Central Asia. Evidence of this recognition can be seen in references to the Center for Islamic Civilization in such authoritative international publications and rankings as Smithsonian Magazine, BBC Travel, BBC History and National Geographic. This places the Center alongside major global museum projects such as the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, the National Geographic Museum of Exploration in Washington, and the London Museum in London.

The TV channel CNN described the Center for Islamic Civilization as “one of the most ambitious cultural projects of our time,” particularly highlighting its unique spatial scale: the structure is four times higher than the famous Hollywood Sign and seven times larger than the White House.

Such international recognition clearly demonstrates the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s position on the global cultural map.

The opening of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan is scheduled for March 2026.