DUSHANBE, May 17, 2010, Asia-Plus -- An official ceremony of presentation of Dushanbe as Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2010 will take place in Dushanbe on May 18 in the framework f opening of the 37th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Member States, according to the Ministry of Culture (MoC).

After the ceremony of the opening of the 37th CFM, its participants will visit the Dushanbe Botanical Gardens, where an exhibition of handicrafts and cultural relics, calligraphy, national costumes, and national dishes has been organized, the source at a MoC said.

We will recall that the Executive Committee of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) designated Dushanbe as Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2010 at its session in June 2009.

ISESCO was established by the OIC in May 1979.  ISESCO is one of the largest international Islamic organizations and specializes in the fields of education, science, and culture.  Its headquarters are in Rabat, Morocco.

According to the ISESCO website, its objectives include strengthening and promoting and consolidating cooperation among Member States (OIC) in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, developing applied sciences and use of advanced technology within the framework of Islamic values and ideals, consolidating understanding among Muslim peoples, and contributing to the achievement of world peace and security, particularly through education, science, culture and communication.