"The Word of God; The Art of Man - The Qur'an and its Creative Expressions" Conference 2003

In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created.
Created Man from a clot.
Recite: And thy Lord is Most Bounteous,
Who taught by the pen,
Taught Man that which he knew not. (Qur’an 96:1-5)

The Holy Qur’an, the sacred text of all Muslims, continues to be memorised and recited aloud. It is also a work that has been copied by hand more than any other book in the Muslim world. The Holy Qur’an as the foundation of Muslim faith and practice has also played a vital role in Muslim civlisations as the inspiration for several art forms.

The aim of this international colloquium is to bring together scholars with varied interests in the areas of architecture, metalwork, woodwork, numismatics, textiles, ceramics and anthropology, in addition to manuscripts, calligraphy and illumination, to discuss their research on the Qur’an as a source of artistic inspiration on the material culture of Muslims from around the world and through the ages.

This colloquium is one of the celebratory events marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of The Institute of Ismaili Studies in 1977. All events are to be held at the Ismaili Centre, South Kensington (unless otherwise specified).