Cultural artifacts seized during attempts to illegally export them abroad will become part of the exhibition at the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent. The Customs Committee has handed over 267 ancient coins and pieces of jewellery to the center, according to the committee’s press service.
The items were discovered with smugglers at a customs checkpoint in the Surkhandarya region. Expert analysis confirmed their historical and cultural value, and a court ruled to confiscate the finds in favor of the state.
The Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Customs Committee, Akmalkhuja Mavlonov, personally presented the future exhibits to the head of the Center of Islamic Civilization, Firdavs Abdukhalikov. The leadership of the customs authority and the cultural center also signed a memorandum of cooperation on the transfer of cultural assets.
Once construction is completed and the center opens, the artifacts seized from smugglers will be on display for residents and visitors of the capital.
In total, during 2024 and the first half of 2025, Uzbekistan’s customs authorities prevented the illegal export of 6,000 cultural artifacts. Among the items confiscated were 3,000 ancient coins, numerous medals and ornaments, 29 historical books and manuscripts, and even a fragment of an architectural monument.
The seized items have since been distributed to enrich the collections of 28 museums across Uzbekistan.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the Center of Islamic Civilization will feature a 52-meter panoramic miniature mural.
