Islamic Art - The Barakat Trust

Join Kareem Ibrahim, an architect and CEO of Takween Integrated Community Development, as he reveals  an Egyptian hidden gem,  the ancient city of Esna, and an innovative project to introduce sustainable tourism through community "site-doing"rather than site-seeing!

Join Glaire Anderson for a fascinating conversation about one of great inventors of Andalusia: Abbas Ibn Firnas, who successfully invented a glider plane in the 9th century, and undertook the first known flight when in his 60s!  Find out about this fascinating man, his many inventions, and the relationship between science and religion in Muslim Spain. 

Join Matt Saba for a fascinating conversation about the magnificent palaces built by the Abbasid Caliphs of Iraq.  This dynasty realised that kingdoms invariably rose and fell, and that the longest lasting legacy of the reign would be literature. This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an initiative organised by Asia House and the Barakat Trust exploring the arts and cultures of the Islamic Worl...

May Al-Ibrashy, conservation architect and founder of Megawra Built Environment Collective and al-Athar Lina (Heritage is Ours!), talks to us about the projects she is leading to preserve historic Cairo, putting the community first. May discusses the recently completed Imam Shafii Conservation Project - one of the most magnificent buildings of historic Cairo, and the opportunities and challenges o...

The Making of a Master Calligrapher - Bilal Badat and Seif El Rashidi Join Bilal Badat, master calligrapher and scholar for a conversation about the meaning of Islamic calligraphy. Badat explains calligraphy not just as a craft but as a means of transmitting and glorifying sacred knowledge.  He shares fascinating on the making of calligraphers  - the way in which the  long training process is as m...

Alain George shares his most recent book research on the Mosque of Damascus, an incredible building in Syria that is a living testament to better our understanding of community relations between Pagans, Christians and Muslims during the formative years of Islam. This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an initiative organised by Asia House in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the a...

Tim Stanley, co-curator of the blockbuster exhibition 'Epic Iran' at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, shares with us the challenges of putting together such ambitious exhibition, and the rewarding effect it has caused around the public. The show is the major survey on Iranian art history since 1931, and is pioneer by the inclusion of art from pre-history to modern times, evidenc...

Featuring in our new Young Perspectives series, Doğukan Atmaca explores the emergence of coffeehouses in Istanbul, and the way in which coffeehouse culture spread like wildfire despite accusations that cafes were the source of political unrest and seduction. This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an initiative organised by Asia House in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts...

Join photographer and writer Christopher Wilton-Steer on a colourful journey of five months through the many Silk Roads to discover the cultures, peoples, traditions, flavours and beliefs he encountered on this magnificent odyssey. This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an initiative organised by Asia House in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and cultures of the Islamic...

Mysa Kafil-Hussain explores the changes that Iraqi art went through to form a unifying identity across the nation by revitalising aspects of ancient folklore and traditional art.   This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an initiative organised by Asia House in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and cultures of the Islamic World.

Professor Robert Hoyland takes us on a journey through time to discover the many faces that inhabited the ancient Arabian Peninsula, evidencing a much more multi-cultural and cosmopolitan world than what it is often assumed. This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an initiative organised by Asia House in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and cultures of the Islamic World.

Tharik Hussain, Journalist and travel writer speaks to us about his projects to discover and tell the stories of Muslim Europe, include trails he worked on reveal and share the stories of Muslim Britain, and his upcoming book, "Minarets in the Mountains," the outcome of his journey in search of Muslim Europe, following in the footsteps of a 17th century Turkish Ottoman traveler, Evliya C...

Wendy Shaw, professor of Islamic Art History at the Free University of Berlin, reflects on the importance of 'Art History' as a discipline to engage with the different narratives that conform our history and a subject that provides the means by which we can gain a different perspective by assuming a different way of being in the world.    This podcast is part of Converging Paths, an init...

Artist, educator and activist Bahia Shehab discusses the role of artists during times of political change, and reflects on what it meant to take part in the Arab Spring. Shehab discusses her newly-published book ‘You Can Crush The Flowers: A Memoir of the Egyptian Revolution,’ and her work to help develop a new generation of creative minds through arts education.

Ratish Nanda, CEO of Aga Khan Trust for Culture India, tells us about his work at the organisation and how they worked on the transformation of neighborhoods and communities based on their needs. Nanda along his team has been able to revive and reinvigorate public spaces in India, creating new places for recreation, in particular gardens--giving people a new perspective on their environment. This...

Episode 7. Contextualising the Occult - Liana Saif and Juan de Lara Liana Saif explores how divination, talismans, amulets and ritual have helped people address social anxieties and cultural challenges throughout history. This podcast is part of Asia House Arts in Isolation Series and Converging Paths, an initiative organised in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and culture...

Professor of Arabian and Middle Eastern Archaeology at UCL, Robert Carter, tells us about the importance of pearl trade in the Gulf and India, and with over 7,000 years of history defining and shaping the global economy.  This podcast is part of Asia House Arts in Isolation Series and Converging Paths, an initiative organised in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and culture...

Jaimee Comstock-Skipp,  PhD candidate affiliated with Leiden University, takes us on a magic journey to learn more about the mythical spine of Iran: Firdausī’s Shāhnāma epic. This podcast is part of Asia House Arts in Isolation Series and Converging Paths, an initiative organised in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and cultures of the Islamic World.

George Manginis, Academic Director at the Benaki Museum in Athens, sheds light on the importance of the Monastery of St. Catherine in Mount Sinai, Egypt—the bridge between Asia and Africa.  George will reveal, how unlike popular belief, the monastery has been an important place of pilgrimage for three Abrahamic religions alike: Christendom, Islam and Judaism This podcast is part of Asia House Arts...

Nancy Um, professor of Art History at Binghamton University, takes us on a journey to discover the stories and myths associated to one of the largest commodities of modern world, coffee. This podcast is part of Asia House Arts in Isolation Series and Converging Paths, an initiative organised in partnership with the Barakat Trust that promotes the arts and cultures of the Islamic World.

Salma Tuqan, Deputy Director of Delfina Foundation and former Contemporary Middle East Curator at the V&A, gives us a better insight of the thriving and resilient cultural scene experienced in the Levant countries of the Mediterranean, in particular Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Through her sounded expertise, Salma explains the several ways in which the region has faced the challenge of crisi...

The Hagia Sophia has featured in thousands of books and treatises throughout the centuries, many of which have praised the awe-inspiring spaces of this architectural feat. Yet recently, the building has made headlines for very different reasons, as politics and heritage become entangled. In this week’s podcast, Professor Bissera Pentcheva helps us to navigate the complex story of the Hagia Sophia,...

The Moon has been a revered orb for civilizations from all over the world. It provides gentle light during the night, sets the calendars and regualtes the tidal force. Ulrike Al-Khamis explores our fascination with this mystical celestial body and looks at the role it has played in faith, science, and the arts across the Muslim world and beyond.  This podcast is part of Asia House Arts in Isolatio...