Kazan, 2 May 2023 (TDI): On May 18-21, representatives of 72 countries will gather in the most northern point of Islamic culture distribution – the Russian region of the Republic of Tatarstan. The XIV International Economic Forum Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2023 will be held here.
The business program will be combined with an immersion in the history of the development of Islam in the world and Russia in particular. Guests of the Forum will see ancient Tatar cities, spiritual artifacts, the largest printed Koran, and relics of the Prophet Muhammad.
Modern Russia has the largest Muslim population in Europe – more than 20 million people, a considerable part of whom are connected with the Republic of Tatarstan. This is a unique region, whose culture developed at the junction of two major civilizations: Eastern and Western. Here the diversity, rich traditions, and spiritual identity of the peoples of the Volga region have been acquired and preserved.
The guests of the Forum will find themselves at the origins of traditional Islam in Russia. As part of the large cultural program, on May 21, the day of «Ize Bolgar zheny» holiday, they will have an excursion to the ancient city of Bolgar, called «Northern Mecca». Here, in 922, the Volga Bulgars, the progenitor of modern Tatarstan, embraced Islam. The event is traditionally held in May and brings together thousands of Muslims from Russia and abroad. This year, a special feature of Izge Bolgar zheny will be the exhibition of 11 sacred relics of the Prophet Muhammad. It will be held on May 21.
KazanForum participants will see the architecture of the ancient city of Bolgar: the Cathedral Mosque, the Eastern and Northern Mausoleums, the Khan Palace, the bathhouse and burial vault, the Small Minaret, the Black and White chambers, and visit the Museum of Islam, where the largest printed Koran in the world is kept. The book is two meters long, one and a half meters wide and weighs 800 kilograms. The cover is made of malachite with precious metals and stones. The Bulgarian Historical and Archaeological Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Also Read: UNESCO calls for Global Regulation to combat misinformation & hate
Rich spiritual traditions and relics are preserved in the city of KazanForum – Kazan, which the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has given the status of “Youth Capital of the Islamic World” in 2022. Here the Forum participants will be able to see and visit the Museum-reserve Kazan Kremlin – the only preserved Tatar white stone fortress in Russia, the most northern point of Islamic culture in the world.
The objects on the territory of the Kremlin have been constructed since the 10th century and are also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Among them are: the main cathedral mosque Kul Sharif, one of the largest mosques in Russia and Europe; the central cathedral of the Republic of Tatarstan, created by architects of the main cathedral of Moscow in the 16th century; the famous falling Suyumbike tower, one of the ten most famous falling towers in the world; the oldest burial vaults of the Khans. The residence of the Rais of Tatarstan is also located here.
In the evening, the Kazan Kremlin will host an amazing light show, when historical sketches, symbols and attributes of traditional Islam, characteristic of the Tatar people, will appear on the walls of the fortress.
The cultural program of KazanForum also includes a sightseeing tour to the Island-town of Sviyazhsk – a historical and cultural pearl of the Republic of Tatarstan, where unique objects of the Middle Ages are preserved: the Dormition Bogoroditsky and Ionno-Predtechensky monasteries with the oldest church in Tatarstan.
The peaceful coexistence of different confessions and nationalities and preserving the sacred traditions of Islam on one land for centuries is one of the peculiarities of the spiritual and cultural development of the Republic of Tatarstan and Russia as a whole. Guests of the Forum will also be able to experience this feature in theatrical and film performances, exhibitions, and fairs, which will be held during KazanForum 2023 in Kazan.
An important task of the cultural events of the Forum, as explained by the organizers in the Government of Tatarstan: to reflect the history of the Tatar and Muslim peoples of the country, as well as the history of inter-confessional dialogue.
International Economic Forum, Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum
It is the main platform of business interaction between Russia and the countries of the Islamic world. The purpose of the forum is to strengthen trade and economic, scientific and technical, educational, social, and cultural ties between regions of the Russian Federation and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which includes 57 states.
The XIV International Economic Forum Russia – the Islamic World: KazanForum 2023 will be held on May, 18-21st (May 18-19th – business program, May 20-21st – cultural), 2023. Location: the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan, the International Exhibition Center Kazan Expo.
The KazanForum 2023 program has about two hundred events, including over 140 sessions. Themes of expert discussions: Islamic finance, Halal industry, international cooperation, logistics, industry, sustainable development and ESG, IT technologies, innovations, investments, youth entrepreneurship, small and medium business, female perspective, education, medicine, sports, and many others. For more information about the program, visit the Forum website: www.kazanforum.ru
