The contemporary world, partly due to new geopolitical realities and partly due to historical evolution, is slowly shedding the mantle of Eurocentrism.
UNESCO plays a leading part in this process through its programme of cultural rapprochement. Both UNESCO and the Government of Uzbekistan, through the Ministries of Culture and Tourism, have taken up the challenge to recognize the place of central Asian cultures at the apex of global cultural achievements by organizing the major forum “Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations in Khiva on 15th September 2021.
The origin of the proposal was the announcement made by the President of Uzbekistan, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 2020 UN General Assembly.
The choice of Khiva was not accidental, because, together with splendours of Samarkand and Bukhara, this city forms a golden triangle of Uzbek architecture which emanated from what was the greatest empire in the world at the end of the 15th and beginning of 16th century: the legacy of a great warrior and statesman Timur Khan/Tamerlane.
This leader left a huge mark on the history and possibly borders of Europe after his conquest of Turks at Constantinople.
No wonder that some of the finest literary figures and composers in Europe, such as Marlow in literature, and Handel, Vivaldi, Scarlatti and Myslivicek in music, found inspiration for their masterpieces in Tamerlane’s conquests.
True, much blood was spilled on military expeditions from China via India and Persia to Turkey, but he always
spared artists and his reign marked flourishing of priceless architectural wonders in today’s Uzbekistan, as well as sciences, philosophy and literature.
