On February 17, 2024, a briefing was held within the walls of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan on the occasion of Kazan being awarded the status of cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2026. The decision was made on February 13 in Jeddah by the Ministers of Culture from the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Irada Ayupova, the Assistant to the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Timur Suleymanov, and Mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Hazrat Samigullin, spoke at the briefing.
“This status is well-deserved for Kazan, because the Tatars have made an invaluable contribution to global Islamic culture,” emphasized Kamil Hazrat. Firstly, the mufti noted the unique edition of the Holy Quran, “Kazan Basmasy” which was printed in 1803 and is the most widely distributed Kazan book in the world.
The first typographic version of the Quran was repeatedly republished in the Islamic world, including in other countries such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. Despite its oblivion during Soviet times, it has been revived today, and even the font used for printing has been recreated. Today, it is possible to publish modern books using a popular and recognizable font.
Kamil Hazrat also spoke about the handwritten Quran project in Kazan, which was launched in 2022 when Tatarstan celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria. The head of the Commission for the Preparation of the Quran of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA), Sheikh Mamun ar-Ravi participates in the expert committee of the project. For the first time, a Quran is written manually on the territory of CIS countries, noted the mufti.
“The uniqueness of this publication lies in the fact that we rely on all old sources - there was no such opportunity before,” said Kamil Hazrat. At the same time, he referred to the words of Sheikh Mamun al-Ravi on the peculiarities of handwritten Qurans in Kazan. The sheikh expressed confidence that Kazan's mushaf would become a benchmark as it relied on 11 sources. So far, the writing of the Quran has been completed, and there is still a long and painstaking work ahead to verify and prepare the manuscript for publication.
“Unfortunately, in modern times, we cannot always appreciate and thank God for the benefits that we have,” said Kamil Hazrat. Thus, the mufti emphasized the status of Tatarstan as a pioneer in Islamic finance: today, 8 out of 11 Russian experts who meet the standards of the Accounting and Auditing Organization of Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) come from Kazan. Today, 14 of the largest financial institutions in Russia are under the Sharia control of the Religious Board of Muslims of Tatarstan.
Arguing about the need to value not only the legacy of the past, but also the achievements of the present, Kamil Hazrat drew attention to the three-volume scientific monograph by the Chairman of the Supreme Sharia Court of Bahrain, Doctor of Sharia Sciences, Professor at the Bulgarian Islamic Academy, Ibrahim bin Rashid al-Mureihi, titled “The revival of some chains (isnads) of theologians of Tatarstan.” The monograph examines the spiritual succession chain of famous Tatar scholars such as Kursavi, Marjani, Ramzi and Barudi, among others.
Tatarstan's Minister of Culture, Irada Ayupova, noted the symbolism of the event. 2026 marks the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the Soviet Union, whose successor is the Russian Federation. The USSR recognized the Kingdom of Hejaz, Nejd, and the annexed territories in 1926, and in 1932 this was transformed into the modern-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Minister Ayupova presented slides with archival footage. Among them were photographs of compatriots: diplomat Karim Khakimov and Mufti of the Central Religious Board of Muslims, Rizaitdin Fakhretdinov - members of the Soviet delegation that took part in the First World Congress of Muslims in Mecca in 1926.
“Today, almost a hundred years later, we are going through this path again and re-emphasizing the spiritual connection,” Ayupova said. “It is spirituality that underlies any state and forms the basis for development and social structure.” The Minister also stressed Saudi Arabia's positive attitude towards Russian delegations.
Ms. Ayupova pointed out that there are 1,605 mosques in Tatarstan, including 14 that were built in the last year. In this regard, she referred to the historical legacy of Volga Bulgaria, which had cathedral mosques in major cities. As an example, she mentioned the cathedral mosque in Bilyar with an area of 2.5 square meters.
In addition, Tatarstan has a rich literary heritage, and we are especially talking about “Kissa-i Yusuf” (The Book of Yusuf) by the medieval writer Kul Gali. The mission of this monument of Tatar literature aimed to spread Islamic spiritual values and popularize them among the people for transmission from generation to generation. Minister Ayupova recalled that Tatarstan will be celebrating the 850th anniversary of Kul Gali's birth in 2033 and the 800th anniversary of the work itself.
“Our whole life is a test of our faith. Commitment to faith is the main idea behind this work,” Ayupova explained. She also mentioned the fame of Tatar enlighteners in the Islamic world as a reason for compatriots to study their works today. Ayupova also showed a plan for events on the occasion of Kazan being awarded the status of the cultural capital of the Islamic world. However, Timur Suleymanov, who is an assistant to the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan and chairman of the regional council of the All-Russia Movement of Children and Young People “First Movement” in Tatarstan spoke about these plans in more detail.
One of the events will be the International Youth Festival of Modern Muslim Culture, which was first held in 2022. Over the past three years, more than 2,000 participants from more than 50 countries represented the cultural and distinctive diversity of the Islamic world. The festival is planned to be held on a larger scale in 2026.
An international youth camp, “Cultural Village”, will also be organized for teenagers starting at the age of 14. Youth exchanges are planned in various cultural fields, primarily for journalists. Suleymanov noted that the goal of the program is to launch a new level of communication and interaction.
In addition, the planned events include: the opening and closing ceremonies to be held in the new building of the Galiasgar Kamal Tatar State Academic Theatre; the forum “Preservation of Linguistic Diversity”; the XVI International Economic Forum Russia-Islamic World; the Forum of Ministers of the Islamic Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (ICESCO), the ethno-Fashion Festival of folk art and decorative and applied arts “Lifestyle – cultural code”; Kazan International Film Festival “Altyn Minbar”; The International Festival of Islamic Arts and the International Calligraphy Exhibition, as well as the traditional “Izge Bolgar Zhyeny”.
It is worth noting that the first Forum of Ministers of Culture of OIC countries will be held in Kazan in 2025. At a similar event in Jeddah, Kazan was awarded this significant status. The forum is held every two years, but since the cultural policy for Islamic countries will be determined in Kazan, it was decided to hold an extraordinary meeting within the framework of the International Economic Forum “Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum”.
“Kazan is the first city outside the geography of OIC countries to receive the status of Cultural Capital of Islamic World,” stressed Suleymanov. He said that the implementation of the program began in 2005 by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) after the decision of the OIC, which includes 57 countries whose ministers of culture supported Kazan application.
“The topic of the cultural code of Islamic heritage is beyond state borders, and ICESCO's task is to unite countries. Moreover, they pay great attention not only to Islamic culture, but also to the culture of world civilization as a whole,” explained Mr. Suleymanov.
In 2023, Salim Al-Malik, Director General of ICESCO, personally visited Tatarstan. Meetings were held with Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia – Islamic World”, and Mintimer Shaimiev, State Adviser to the Republic of Tatarstan and the first President of Tatarstan. From that moment, according to Suleymanov, discussions began on including tangible and intangible objects from the republic on the ICESCO's cultural heritage list.
In addition, the focus was on issues of interaction experience accumulated in the youth area. A separate trip of the ICESCO delegation to Innopolis also took place, where the issue of establishing a separate ICESCO department to continue cooperation in the scientific and educational area is currently being worked out. During this conference, details of Kazan's application for the status of the cultural capital of the Islamic world were discussed. Further interaction continued on a number of other events, one of which was the International Youth Scientific Congress of the OIC countries in Tatarstan, for example. Already in 2024, a joint session with ICESCO was held on the topic of “Cultural code and traditional values in raising children”.
“The topic that worries us all today, and we see it in the current geopolitical context: how important it is to unite with friendly countries, with partners, with institutions in order to protect these values. To protect them first through their correct transmission to the younger generations,” Suleimanov noted the importance of the event.
He also presented a video greeting from ICESCO Director General Salim Al-Malik. “In addition to its historical significance, Kazan is a dynamic and forward-looking city that innovates while preserving its rich cultural and religious identity,” the message said. Mr. Al-Malik also wished the capital of Tatarstan long life in Tatar language.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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