Dubai, UAE, November 20, 2017:  The University of Birmingham has opened the Abu Dhabi exhibition of the Birmingham Qur’an Manuscript which is located at  Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi, and will take place from 20 to 29 November. 

 

Yesterday’s VIP opening was attended by Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development; Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the UAE Mr. Philip Parham; and Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) University of Birmingham. 

 

The major interactive digital exhibition continues its UAE tour telling the fascinating story of the Birmingham Qur’an to Abu Dhabi for the first time. It will then move to Atrium 6 at D3 in Dubai’s Design District from 19 April to 3 May 2018. 

 

More than 14,000 people visited the exhibition earlier this month at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), where they explored the manuscript in digital form as well as viewing a detailed replica of the holy script. 

 

One of the oldest surviving Islamic manuscripts, the Birmingham Qur’an is considered a global treasure. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, viewed the exhibition in Sharjah after chairing an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at SIBF where the UK is Guest of Honour in celebration of the UK UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration.

 

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, The Ruler of Sharjah and Member of the UAE Supreme Council visited the exhibition with Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, as part of the opening of SIBF. 

 

The Birmingham Qur’an exhibition forms a highlight of the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and HRH The Prince of Wales. 

 

The University of Birmingham is working closely with the British Council and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development as strategic partner to bring the unique exhibition to the UAE. 

 

Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development said: “I am delighted that the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development has been able to support the University of Birmingham and British Council in bringing this truly exciting digital exhibition to Abu Dhabi as a key part of the UAE/UK Year of Cultural Collaboration.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Electro-acoustic music experts at the University combined a choir of Quranic recitation with sounds inspired by the night sky at the first encounter between Prophet Mohammad and angel Jibreel into the exhibition’s soundtrack.

 

Researchers Tasawar Bashir and Scott Wilson used a piece of specialist computer software to discover what the night sky would have looked like on 24 August 610. They then turned the brightest elements of the firmament into the music that now accompanies the Birmingham Qur’an digital exhibition. Certain Maqqata’at and verse 109 from Surah Al Kahf are referenced throughout this work – entitled ‘The Revelation’.

 

The exhibition features a range of Birmingham Qur’an-related education activities for young people, including exhibition tours. In Abu Dhabi, there will be free creative workshops for young visitors, aged eight to 18, who can join calligraphy workshops led by Narjes Nourreddine and Bassem Zbeeb from Gallery Arabesque. 

 

Susan Worrall, Director of Special Collections at the Cadbury Research Library, said: “This excellent free workshop will allow children to learn how to produce calligraphy similar to that found in the Birmingham Qur’an and other ancient manuscripts. Students will also learn more about the University’s Mingana collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts and their relevance to the 21st century. The workshops promise to be a valuable complement to a fascinating and ‘hands-on’ exhibition.”

 

It will also be possible for people to discover the story behind the treasured manuscript, thanks to an innovative and free online course developed by the team looking after the manuscript at the University’s Cadbury Research Library.

 

The four-week course, ‘The Birmingham Qur'an: Its Journey from the Islamic Heartlands’ is now open for registration and begins on 20 November 2017. Topics covered include: 

This course is designed for anyone who has an interest in the history of religious texts, the study of Islam, manuscript culture, Islamic arts, how historic collections are cared for, and their value for research.

 

Participants will learn with experts including Susan Worrall, Director of Special Collections; Neelam Hussain, Curator of The Mingana Collection of Islamic Arabic Manuscripts; Sarah Kilroy, Head of Conservation; Robin Johnson, Education Consultant and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Birmingham. 

 

The digital exhibition was a key feature of the launch of the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Cultural Collaboration, in November 2017, when their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain.