Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - The Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Benelux countries took part in the annual Oriental Bazaar festival, organized by the Leiden University Center for Islamic and Social Studies (Netherlands).

 The event was held at the State Museum of Antiquities in Leiden. Created more than 200 years ago, the museum positions itself as a national center of archeology, focusing on ancient Egypt and the Middle East, the ancient world of Greece, Etruria, Rome and the history of the Netherlands.

The festival was attended by representatives of more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Central Asia. The delegation of the republic at the event was headed by the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the Benelux countries Diller Hakimov. It also included Uzbek artisans - members of the Hunarmand Association.

The participants and guests of the festival were offered a rich program of events. In particular, the Dutch public got acquainted with the exhibition and sale of handicrafts, as well as national dishes of the participating countries.

It should be noted that the products of Uzbek masters, including products from wood, textiles, metal and ceramics, aroused great interest among the Dutch public. Magnificent decorations, graceful and beautifully decorated tea sets, handbags, caskets, suzans and much more were snapped up by local lovers of oriental art and craftsmanship.

In addition, the organizers invited leading scientists and researchers of Leiden University to the event, who delivered interesting lectures on the history and modern development of various regions of the world, including the Near and Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Europe.

In particular, a lecture by the deputy of the International Institute for Asian Studies Willem Vogelsang was dedicated to the Uzbeks of Afghanistan. The scientist who spent more than 30 years of his life in Afghanistan told about the history, culture, art and today of the Uzbek population of Afghanistan. It was noted that the Uzbeks are an integral part of modern multinational Afghanistan, playing an important role in the socio-political and economic life of the country.

A lecture by professor of Leiden University Elena Paskaleva was dedicated to the architecture of the Timurid dynasty.

For more than ten years, the scientist has been studying the material culture of the peoples of Central Asia, in particular, the architecture of the Timurid dynasty. Her lecture was devoted to the architectural heritage of the Timurids in three large cities of the Silk Road: Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Mashhad (Iran) and Herat (Afghanistan).

It was noted that the artistic heritage of the Timurids is one of the innovative and sophisticated achievements of Islamic architecture. At the same time, the researcher believes that the artistic excellence of these monuments was a product of the continuous exchange, mixing and fusion of the traditions of the peoples located along the Great Silk Road.

- In 2014, the Central Asia Initiative was created at Leiden University, the purpose of which is to promote the development of relations between the university and partner universities from Central Asian countries, as well as creating favorable conditions for research and education, ”says a professor at Leiden University Elena Paskaleva. - There has always been an interest in the East, in particular Central Asia at the university, proof of which is one of the largest and richest in Europe collection of ancient manuscripts, the authors of which are the brightest representatives of the peoples of the region. We are very pleased that for the first time in the history of the Eastern Bazaar festival, the event was attended by representatives of Uzbekistan, in particular, craftsmen, and we have the opportunity to conduct lectures and seminars on Central Asia.

Another notable event of the festival was a practical seminar dedicated to the Uzbek language, conducted by the candidate of philological sciences, a specialist in the Turkic languages ​​of the University of Leiden, Nicholas Kontovas.

The seminar allowed the participants to plunge into the richness of the history and culture of the Uzbek people. It was noted that today the Uzbek language is a language of communication for more than 30 million people scattered around the world. According to the scientist, the Uzbek language is a real linguistic capsule of the time of the Central Asian Silk Road. At the seminar, special attention was also paid to the Karakalpak language.

During the festival, guests were also able to enjoy national dances, songs and music of the participating countries. The heady tunes of the East, unique combinations of oriental motifs to the accompaniment of choral performers, magical dances filled with exalted meaning and beauty, aroused great interest among the local audience.

In this context, it is also worth noting that the Leiden University of the Netherlands is one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe. Created in 1575, this year the university celebrates its 444th anniversary.

Leiden University is one of the few universities in the world that houses a valuable collection of books and manuscripts of medieval scholars of the East, including the most prominent representatives of Central Asia. Currently, the library’s collection continues to be replenished with various books, manuscripts, as well as electronic information carriers from various parts of the world, including Uzbekistan.