A major new children’s exhibition titled “1001 Inventions from Uzbekistan to the World” is being developed at the iconic national Centre for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan in Tashkent, with 1001 Foundation (UK) and award-winning producer Ahmed Salim (UK) leading the design and production of the immersive experience.
The new permanent children’s hall will transform the stories of important historical Central Asian pioneers into a hands-on STEM journey, inspiring young visitors to see themselves as the scientists, technologists, engineers and innovators of tomorrow.
“It is a tremendous honour to have been invited by the President of Uzbekistan to develop the first 1001 Inventions exhibition for the country under the leadership of Dr Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Centre.”
“The stories and contributions of Uzbekistan’s pioneers of knowledge help young people fall in love with science and problem-solving. By walking through history, experimenting and playing, children will start to see themselves as the scientists, engineers and technologists who will shape the future.”
Ahmed Salim (UK), Producer and director of 1001 Foundation (UK)
Planned to welcome its first visitors in early 2026, the exhibition sits at the heart of the Centre, a landmark national project personally championed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, who has described the centre as a key symbol of Uzbekistan’s new renaissance and has recently brought visiting heads of state to tour the Centre.
No ordinary museum: a global hub of knowledge and dialogue
The Centre is a project on an exceptional scale:
- The complex stands on a site of around 7–7.5 hectares.
- Its monumental three-storey building offers more than 40,000 m² of usable space, with a central dome rising over 65 metres and a museum area spanning several thousand square metres of galleries.
- The museum complex includes multiple historical galleries such as the Pre-Islamic Civilisations, First Renaissance, Second Renaissance, Era of the Uzbek Khanates, Uzbekistan in the 20th Century, and New Uzbekistan – Foundation of a New Renaissance.
Beyond its museum, the Center brings together a research institute, restoration and digitisation laboratories, an extensive library, craft workshops, education spaces and partner institutions:
- A library of around 200,000 books, manuscripts and digital resources.
- A School of Calligraphy, a School of Traditional Arts craft and design workshops, and a manuscripts conservation laboratory.
The Centre, with its monumental architecture, range of functions and breadth of collections, is set to become one of the largest and most comprehensive complexes in the world devoted to the study and celebration of Islamic history, culture and civilisation.
More than 3,000 local and international partners and organisations have contributed to the project, with over 40 working groups across nine areas collaborating on content, design and programming – underlining the Centre’s status as a truly global hub.
Within this vast national landmark, “1001 Inventions from Uzbekistan to the World” will serve as Uzbekistan’s first dedicated children’s museum of science and civilisation, revealing science through play, experiments and multimedia installations.
A journey from past to future – through STEM
Located inside this spectacular complex, the children’s hall “1001 Inventions from Uzbekistan to the World” will invite children and families on an interactive time-travelling adventure through the First and Second Renaissances of Central Asia and into the frontiers of modern science and technology.
Through cinematic storytelling, games, immersive sets and digital installations, visitors will meet pioneering figures such as Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, Ibn Sina, Ulugh Beg and many others whose breakthroughs shaped the foundations of:
– Mathematics and algorithms
– Astronomy and space science
– Medicine and life sciences
– Physics, engineering and geography
The experience is designed not as a traditional history gallery, but as a STEM learning environment where children:
– Experiment with ideas in algebra, geometry and measurement
– Explore models of observatories and instruments to understand astronomy and navigation
– Engage with interactive content around health, environment and technology
Building on the Centre’s vision and 1001 Foundations global experience, the exhibition will use artificial intelligence, “living portraits” and interactive media to help children converse with historical scholars, ask questions and discover how curiosity, evidence and creativity drive both science and civilisation.
Global expertise brought together by 1001 Foundation
To realise the ambitious vision for the children’s museum inside such an important national institution, 1001 Foundation has assembled a large international team of experts in:
- Museum and exhibition design
- Science communication and curriculum development
- Film, animation and digital media
- Interactive technology and immersive environments
This global team – drawing on specialists from the United Kingdom, Germany, Central Asia and beyond – is working closely with the Centre’s leadership, Uzbek historians, scientists and educators to co-create the exhibits and visitor journey.
Multilingual content in Uzbek, Russian and English is being developed to align with national education priorities and support classroom learning in STEM subjects while remaining engaging for international visitors.
“From the outset, we wanted to build something that belongs to the children of Uzbekistan and speaks to the world,” added Ahmed Salim. “This has meant bringing together brilliant local talent and international experts to co-create a state-of-the-art STEM experience that celebrates Uzbekistan’s heritage while igniting curiosity about the future of science and technology.”
“1001 Inventions from Uzbekistanto the World” is designed as the children’s gateway into this national and international story—connecting the President’s vision of a “New Renaissance” to practical STEM learning outcomes for the next generation.
“Uzbekistan is investing in science, technology and education on a historic scale,” commented Ahmed Salim. “This children’s hall is our contribution to that journey: a place where young visitors can see that the great scientists of the past looked like them, spoke their languages and came from their cities—and that they too can lead the next wave of discoveries.”
Ben Kingsley returns for new Whispers of Wisdom films
The Centre will be anchored by a new film series titled “Whispers of Wisdom”, with Executive Producer Ahmed Salim and featuring Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley.
These new films form part of a wider media project by the Centre, telling the stories of pioneers from Uzbekistan and the broader region through cinematic portraits designed for museum visitors and international audiences.
This marks the second major collaboration between Ahmed Salim and Ben Kingsley, following their acclaimed short film “1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets”, produced for the 1001 Inventions global touring exhibition. That film has been viewed by audiences estimated in the hundreds of millions worldwide and has received over twenty international awards.
“Working with Ben Kingsley again is a huge honour,” said Ahmed Salim. “Our first film together helped change how millions of people perceive the history of science. With Whispers of Wisdom, together with Spectre Films (UZ), Director Shokhrukh Rasulov and Producer Gayrat Muminov, we are creating a new generation of stories, centred on Uzbek scholars, that will live inside this remarkable centre and reach audiences around the world.”
About 1001 Inventions
1001 Inventions is an award-winning international science and cultural heritage foundation that creates educational experiences highlighting a thousand years of creativity from the golden age of Muslim civilisation and its influence on our modern world. Through exhibitions, films, live shows, digital content and learning programmes, 1001 Inventions has engaged hundreds of millions of people globally, sparking young people’s interest in STEM while promoting diversity and inclusion.
