The opening ceremony of the International Imam al-Bukhari Symposium—which brings together the traditional body of knowledge in the science of hadith and contemporary research methods, centred on Imam al-Bukhari and his work, *Sahih al-Bukhari*—began with a minute’s silence and the singing of the Turkish National Anthem. The programme continued with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an, followed by the opening addresses by the official guests.
The opening addresses at the symposium were delivered by: Prof. Dr Mahmud Güngör, Rector of Pamukkale University; Prof. Dr Cevat Akşit, Honorary President of the Gaye Foundation; Prof. Dr Şovosil Ziyadov, Director of the International Imam al-Bukhari Research Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Prof. Dr Ahmetcan Solaviç, Vice-Rector of Samarkand University; and a lecturer at 29 May University, Former President of the Presidency of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr Ali Erbaş, Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies (İSAM) and Member of the Higher Education Council (YÖK), Deputy President of the Presidency of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr Ahmet İshak Demir, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr Coşkun Yılmaz, AK Party Member of Parliament for Denizli Cahit Özkan, Member of Parliament for Denizli Sema Silkin Ün, Governor of Denizli Yavuz Selim Köşger and President of the Higher Education Council Prof. Dr Erol Özvar.
Chair of the Higher Education Council: “Bukhari’s scholarly journeys, which contributed to the development of the science of hadith, remain an important example for academics today.”
Speaking at the opening of the symposium, YÖK President Prof. Dr Özvar recounted that he had first become acquainted with Imam al-Bukhari during his university years and had read *Tajrīd al-Sārih* for the first time in the year he began university. Stating that from that time onwards he had dedicated a special place in his mind and academic work to Imam al-Bukhari, YÖK President Özvar said, “The science of Hadith is one of the most important disciplines that distinguishes Islam from other religious traditions. The science of Hadith, alongside Imam al-Bukhari, stands at the forefront of the disciplines that convey and explain the true life, daily routine and way of life of the Prophet to Muslims who came after him.” In his speech, Özvar emphasised that the science of Hadith has played a significant role in the development of other disciplines, particularly history, and noted that a special place should be reserved for the science of Hadith and Imam al-Bukhari in the development of the discipline of history within the Islamic world and in the compilation of universal history. Highlighting the importance of researchers travelling to different regions to acquire knowledge in the context of scientific advancement, Özvar noted that Imam al-Bukhari’s scholarly journeys, which contributed to the development of the science of hadith, continue to serve as an example for academics today. Prof. Dr Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), stated that the dynamism demonstrated by Imam al-Bukhari in the development and codification of hadith scholarship should serve as an example for all Muslims, all Muslim scholars and all scholars of knowledge, and he shared his views on the preparation of a catalogue of al-Bukhari’s manuscripts. Emphasising that the work to be carried out at the Centre for Islamic Studies would be a significant contribution, Özvar added that there is an academic institution in Yatağan and that the district has a long-standing tradition of madrasahs.
The opening ceremony of the Symposium on ‘The Scholarly Legacy of Imam al-Bukhari: Traditional and Modern Approaches’ concluded following the presentation of gifts and a group photograph.
At the symposium, which stood out for its international character, a total of 45 academics and researchers—20 of whom were from abroad—contributed to the programme through their papers and discussions. In addition to academics from the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria, a large number of experts in their fields from various universities across Turkey gathered at our institute for the Imam al-Bukhari Symposium.
