Russian Presidential Grants Fund will support the construction of the first museum of Islamic history and culture in Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in 2020. The museum’s exposition are to be hosted at the North Caucasus Islamic University in Nalchik, Alim Sizhazhev, deputy chairman of Muslim Religious Administration of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic told TASS agency on Monday.

“We are grateful to the Presidential Grants Fund for supporting our initiative. The money we received from the Fund will help to create the first Islamic culture museum in the region. We plan to buy all the equipment for our museum that is to be located in the North Caucasus Islamic University named after Imam Abu Hanifa in the city of Nalchik,” said Sizhazhev.

He also noted, that the main historical sources indicate that the religion of Islam came to Kabardino-Balkaria in the X-XI centuries and to this day the indigenous peoples of the republic have managed to accumulate a large heritage. “These include ancient architectural monuments (mosques and houses of worship), ancient relics (objects of religious and everyday life) and literature dating back hundreds of years (versification, mathematics, economics, a description of religious and national rites and ways of life).

Relics and artifacts will include both previously collected materials and those that are to be found during throughout the republic. In addition, the organizers together with the Regional Ministry of Culture, plann to hold exhibitions of artifacts stored in the State Museum of Kabardino-Balkaria that are related to Muslim culture.