In parallel with the independence of the Caucasian peoples in the late 20th century, significant scientific activities were carried out to investigate the importance of Islamic civilization for the other peoples of the region, including the Azerbaijani people. The second International Symposium on "Islamic Civilization in the Caucasus," organized jointly by the late great leader Heydar Aliyev under his patronage and the Research Center for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA), was held in Baku in 1998.