On September 12, 2022, in the building of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan, the grand opening of the international art exhibition “History of Religions on the Territory of Kazakhstan”, dedicated to the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, took place. This exhibition is organized by NPJSC “N.Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue” together with the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The purpose of the exhibition is to acquaint with the basics of world religions professed on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to gain orientation skills in religious and spiritual issues of interethnic and interfaith relations.
The following exhibits were presented at the exhibition from the museum funds of the organizers: manuscripts of the Koran, Karakhanid coins, copies of Khan's seals, a stone altar, a Bible book, candlesticks, communion bowls, ritual musical objects, souvenirs, beads, a sculpture of a Buddhist monk, gifts from representatives of the Congresses, international organizations - CICA, OIC, etc.
Since the convening of the First Congress in 2003, the interreligious summit has demonstrated to the world the true vocation of all religions, the commonality of moral and ethical principles, and their enormous peacemaking and humanitarian potential.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Vice-Minister of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serik Egizbayev, Chairman of the Board of the NPJSC “N.Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Inter-civilizational Dialogue”, Commissioner for the Promotion of the Goals and Objectives of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Bulat Sarsenbayev, Director of the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Temirbolat.
Also, the opening of the exhibition was honored with the participation of the composition of the working group of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions: Director General of the Institute for Islamic Studies of the International Islamic University of Islambad Mohammed Ziya Ul-Haq, Representative of the Minister of Awqfs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Rector of the Kazakh-Egyptian University of Islamic Culture “Nur-Mubarak” Mohammed al-Shahhat al-Jindi, Representative of the Chairman of the Center for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures of the Organization of Islamic Culture and Islamic Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Zahra Rashidbeygi.
Representative of Buddhism: Representative of the South Korean Buddhist Order Chogye in Central Asia, monk Cho Zhu, representative of Hinduism: Secretary of the Program for Interfaith Relations and Mutual Understanding of the Somaya Vidyavihar University Rudraksha Sakrikar.
The exhibition will operate from September 12 to 16, 2022 in the building of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the first floor of the Atrium, for visiting by visitors - students, schoolchildren, residents from different regions of Kazakhstan, guests from near and far abroad.
