Birmingham Quran digital exhibit in UAE for first time

The University of Birmingham is bringing a major interactive digital exhibition telling the fascinating story of the Birmingham Quran to the UAE for the first time.

One of the oldest surviving Islamic manuscripts, the Birmingham Quran is considered a global treasure. Exhibition visitors will be able to explore the manuscript in digital form as well as viewing a detailed replica of the holy script.

Working closely with the British Council and the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development as strategic partner, the university is bringing the unique exhibition to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The exhibition will form a highlight of the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and H.R.H. Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales.

People can also discover the story behind the treasured manuscript through an innovative and free online course developed by the team looking after the manuscript at the University’s Cadbury Research Library.

The exhibition will be open at the Sharjah International Book Fair, SIBF, 2017, from 1st to 11th November, before moving to Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi from 20th to 29th November, and to Dubai in the spring of 2018, for which dates and venue are to be announced.

At each venue, the exhibition will feature a range of Birmingham Quran-related education activities for young people, including exhibition tours.

In Abu Dhabi, there will be free creative workshops for students from local schools. Young visitors, aged eight to 18, can join calligraphy workshops led by Narjes Nourreddine and Bassem Zbeeb from Gallery Arabesque. Schools should email UKUAE2017@britishcouncil.org to book places.

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 Quran 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."

The UK is the designated Country of Honour for SIBF 2017, as part of the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. SIBF is the largest book fair in the Arab region and the fourth largest in the world.

University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Eastwood, said, "The Birmingham Quran manuscript is of huge significance to Muslim heritage and the academic study of Islam. We are immensely proud to host such a treasure at the University of Birmingham.

"By bringing this interactive digital exhibition to the UAE for the first time, we are privileged to offer an opportunity for people to celebrate this holy work. Together with the development of our campus in Dubai, this exhibition symbolises the university’s deep commitment to working with partners in UAE to enhance academic opportunities and cultural understanding."

Accompanying the exhibition, a four-week course, ‘The Birmingham Quran: Its Journey from the Islamic Heartlands’, is now open for registration and begins on 20th November.

The course explores the origins and journey of the Birmingham Quran, its significance, and the methods used to determine its age and how it is cared for at the University of Birmingham.