UZBEKISTAN/World Tour 2001

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April 4

The first full day in Uzbekistan was both extremely busy and exciting for the travelers.

Delegates attend breakfast at the Uzbekistan Hotel.

Mahmoud Shelton enjoys conversation with other students of the Shaykh.

Bahauddin K. enjoys the delicious repast.

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham take breakfast...

after which they boarded the caravan of five Uzbek government Mercedes Limos escorted by police with blazing sirens.


	Immediately after breakfast, three coaches were loaded with delegates and set off on the first tour - Tashkent city center. Here Shaykh Abdur Rahman of Malaysia watches as "downtown" Tashkent passes by. First stop - the opera house.

Built in the communist era, the opera house has elegant traditional touches, particularly the mosaic patterns engraved in the stonework facade.

Next stop - the Parliament House and its surrounding park. Built after independence, this new building boasts a typical Uzbeki architectural feature - a sky-blue dome, symbol of the people's love for their Islamic tradition.

Karam Sperling, Hafez Sahib Mahmoud Abdurrauf Makki and Abdul Wahid study a map of Tashkent to get their bearings.

A modern monument to Ali Sher Navoyi (1660) - a famous poet of Samarqand, who brought Uzbek poetry to its peak of eloquence.

Shaykh Nazim, Shaykh Hisham and HRH Raja Ashman bin Azlan Shah, Bahaddin Adil, Dato Mohamed Muiz and other Malaysian and Indonesian members of the ISCA delegation were invited to a private luncheon by the ambassador of Malaysia to Uzbekistan.

As usual the press were in abundance, and transmissions of the dinner were made on Uzbek television.

Quran of Sayyidina Uthman

After returning to the hotel for Salat al-Dhuhr, the entire group proceeded to the office of the Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan, Shaykh Abdurahman Bakhromov.

They enter the mosque, famous for being the repository of ancient manuscripts.

	The Grand Mufti introduces Mawlana Shaykh Nazim and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham to his staff. Upon their request, Shaykh Nazim makes du`a for the staff and the students who study at the institute located across from the Grand Mufti's office.
	"Chief" of the manuscripts in the mosque is a handwritten copy of Quran from the rescension of Sayiddina Uthman ibn `Affan (r), 3rd Caliph of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
	Here Mawlana Shaykh Nazim and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham make ziayarat for this blessed mushaf, of which it is said that Sayiddina `Uthman (r) was reading when he was assassinated by rebels. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim looks at other ancient manuscripts of classical Islamic works.
	Here Shaykh Hisham shows Mawlana Shaykh Nazim handwritten manuscripts by Khwaja Shah Naqshband. Another ancient mushaf, in Kufic script.
	The Grand Mufti then opened the vault containing a vast library of manuscripts, which the Shaykh toured.
	The elegantly decorated wooden ceiling of the manuscript archive and its carved wooden pillars.
	The Grand Mufti requests Mawlana Shaykh Nazim's entry in the visitor's guestbook.
	The shaykhs view more manuscripts.
	More illuminated manuscripts.

	From the manuscript archive, they proceeded across the street to the Office of the Grand Mufti,
	The Grand Mufti hosted the Shaykh and the official delegation to "chai" (tea, which usually includes a large number of food items). As is tradition in Uzbekistan, invocation is made before eating or drinking. After chai (green tea), the Grand Mufti presents Mawlana Shaykh Nazim and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham with a gift of a jubba (chapon in Uzbek language), symbol of scholarship.
	The Grand Mufti presents a book on Bukhara ash-Sharif to Mawlana Shaykh Hisham. Shaykh Mehmet Adil, eldest son of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, peruses a book.
	The group made Salat al-Dhuhr in the Grand Mufti's mosque, followed by tasbih and du`a.

	Shaykh Nazim then gave a talk in Turkish (to which the Uzbek language is closely related) to the assembled students.
	After the talk, students and shaykhs greet Mawlana Shaykh Nazim and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham.
	The Shaykh then made invocation (du`a) for the gathered students and shaykhs.

Wonders of Uzbekistan