About IRCICA

Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) is a non-profit institution which conducts research on, among others, the history of science, technology and medicine.  IRCICA started its activities in 1980 as the first subsidiary organ of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) concerned with culture.

Its establishment was proposed by the Republic of Turkey during the Seventh Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers held in Istanbul, in 1976, and adopted by the Conference by Resolution no. 3/7-ECS.

The Establishment Statute of the Centre was adopted by the Ninth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Dakar, Senegal, 1978) by Resolution no. 1/9-C. The Centre started its activities in 1980, after its first work program and first budget proposal, prepared and submitted by the Centre’s newly appointed Director General Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, were adopted by Resolution no. 11/11-C of the Eleventh Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Islamabad, Pakistan, 1980).

IRCICA’s headquarters are located in the three buildings named Seyir Pavillion, Cit Qasr and Yaveran Qasr in the historical Yildiz Palace in Besiktas, Istanbul. These buildings were allocated to the Centre by the Government of the Republic of Turkey.

Work programs of the Centre were officially announced to the international cultural and academic circles on 23 May 1982 at a ceremony inaugurated by H.E. Since 1985, research on the history of science and technology has gained a new direction and significance at IRCICA. IRCICA organized many symposia and meetings on the history of science (in addition to those on history, culture and arts), took part in many activities in this field and produced important works. Thus, it has played a significant role in bringing the Ottoman/Turkish science to the international community as a field of research in the history of science. The operations of the Centre are carried out by six main departments under the supervision of the Director General. Their functions are defined in the Internal Regulations document which was prepared by the Centre and adopted by the Third Session of its General Assembly (1995)

IRCICA and Icherisheher

Icherisheher has been cooperating with IRCICA since 2018. The Administration had a fruitfull cooperation with IRCICA over past years.

    Collaboration with IRCICA can be seen as a very successful step for Icherisheher  State Historical and Architectural Reserve in terms of presenting Azerbaijan's rich history and material culture on a large scale. On November 26, 2018, an agreement was signed between IRCICA and  “Icherisheher” Reserve at the headquarters of the IRCICA.  The agreement was signed by Asker Alakbarov, Chairman of the Board of the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve and Director of the Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture.

    Within the framework of the 3-year cooperation it is planned to organize a number of international events on traditional art of Islamic countries, such as festivals, congresses, trainings and workshops. As a follow-up to this agreement, a memorandum was signed on May 2, 2019 in the Mugham Club to strengthen relations in both cultural and historical fields.

     The core of the document was to organise Baku International Festival  named “Craft in Action” on September 28 - October 4, 2019, in the capital of our country. Representatives of each Islamic country and international organizations made reports on 14 different topics at the Congress.

   A total of 100 artists participated in the competition including miniature art, ornaments, engraving, metalworking, pottery, handmade paper, stucco glass and the artof batik.