Elyor Karimov is an Uzbekistani scholar who specializes in Islamic studies and the history of Central Asia. He graduated from Tashkent State University and has worked at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan since 1986. Karimov has received fellowships from UNESCO and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He has authored or contributed to numerous publications on the history and culture of Central Asia, including volumes in UNESCO's History of Civilizations of Central Asia series. Karimov uses both written and oral sources to study topics like Sufism, women's history, and the role of religion in Central Asian societies.