IRCICA Newsletter, issue 82-83

in history, IRCICA had presented the “IRCICA Award for
Excellence in Research” to Prof. Usmanov in 2008.
The book Tatar History and Civilization is the outcome of
a long-term research activity of scholars of the Institutes
of History (Institute of History named after Shihabuddin
Marjani), Language, Literature and Art, and Encyclopedia,
of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, under the joint
supervision of Pofessor Mirkasim Usmanov and the Director
of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences Prof.
Rafael Khakimov.
OIC Secretary General Prof. İhsanoğlu, who was the initator
of the project of this book while he was Director General
of IRCICA before 2005, said that the book provides most
comprehensive insight into various aspects which have never
been studied before. Prof. Rafael Khakimov, Director of
Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan
extended words of gratitude to Mr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu,
“Though we always possessed rich material, the world
community expected a different approach. In this book we
tried to estimate the contribution of Tatar civilization to global
culture, to determine the place and role of Tatars in the Islamic
world”.
Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA, reviewed the
preparation process of the book authored by thirteen Tatar
scholars. He said that everything was translated from Russian
and Tatar languages into English. He said that scholars of
Kazan and IRCICA had cooperated in the best possible way
and that the Centre was interested in further development of
joint activities.
On the occasion, Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Secretary
General of OIC, was conferred Membership of the Tatarstan
Academy of Sciences, in recognition of his contributions in
promoting studies on and making known the Tatar culture
and civilization. Presenting the membership, Prof. Ahmet
Mazgarov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic
of Tatarstan, announced the awarding of Prof. Ihsanoglu with a
honorary title of “Foreign Member of the Academy of Sciences
of the Republic of Tatarstan” in recognition of his status of a
prominent scientist and talented organiser of science.
During the same ceremony the Director General of IRCICA
Dr. Halit Eren was conferred the title of Honorary Doctor by
Kazan Federal University/Kazan State University. Founded
in 1804, the latter is one of the oldest universities of Russia.
The Rector of Kazan Federal University Prof. Ilshat Gafurov
announced the decision of the University’s Senate to award
Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA, with the title of
Honorary Doctor of Kazan Federal University.
Earlier on that day, the Secretary General of the OIC and
the Director General of IRCICA together with State Adviser
and former President of Tatarstan H.E. Mintimer Shaimiev,
visited the historical sites in the city of Bolgar at the outskirts
of Kazan, where Islam was accepted as the state religion in
922. Restorations and excavations are conducted in the sites,
including restorations of the palace of the Bolgar Khanate and
ancient mosques.
Professor Mıṙkasıṁ A. Usmanov Passed Away
The world of learning has lost Professor Mirkasim A. Usmanov,
an eminent historian of Tatarstan (Russian Federation).
Usmanov was a member of Kazan State University and Research
Consultant for Turkic-Tatar and Oriental Manuscripts at the
National Library of Tatarstan. Professor Usmanov passed away
on 11 October 2010.
Mirkasim Abdulakhatovich Usmanov was born in 1934
in the Xianjiang province of China. He was one of the
founders, and Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of
the Republic of Tatarstan during 2005-2007. Earlier, during
1985-1991 Mirkasim Usmanov was the First Vice-Rector and
acting Rector of Kazan State University. He has numerous
publications that enriched significantly both the source base
and the study of historical problems of history, literature and
culture of the Tatar people over the period between 13th to
early 20th centuries. He was the supervisor and the chief
editor of the seven-volume fundamental edition History of
Tatars Since Ancient Times, and co-editor of IRCICA’s joint
project with academics of Tatarstan relating to the publication
Tatar History and Civilisation. Lastly he was working on
locating documentary sources on Islamic culture in various
archives of Russia and other countries. He conducted research
and publications on scholars and enlighteners representing
Turkic peoples in Russia such as Shigabutdin Marjani, Husain
Faizkhanov, Rizaaddin Fakhruddin, Ismail Gasprali, Aziz
Gubaidullin, Hadi Atlasi, Jamal Validi and others. He rendered
remarkable services to the preservation of Islamic written
heritage located in Eastern Europe and in countries of the Near
and Middle East by collecting the products of this heritage and
establishing programs of studies on them.
Prof. Usmanov was presented the IRCICA Award for
Excellence in Research in 2008. The award was an expression of
appreciation and gratitude for: his contributions to knowledge
about Turkic cultures and languages and the preservation
of their written heritage; his efforts to develop contacts and
cooperation between scholars and specialists in Tatarstan with
their counterparts in other countries; and his role in promoting
a fruitful cooperation between IRCICA and academic circles
in Tatarstan. Usmanov’s life-long scholarly achievements will
always be remembered with gratitude. May God bless his
soul.
The late Professor
Mirkasim Usmanov
(on the le) had
kindly received the
IRCICA Award 2008
(presented by Prof.
Raşit Küçük, Dean
of the Faculty of
Theology, Marmara
University)
May-August, No: 82 / September-December 2010, No: 83 Newsletter 17