In recent years there has been deliberate destruction of cultural heritage and looting in Iraq, Syria, Libya and beyond, which has been branded “a form of cultural cleansing” by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. But for fourteen centuries, the art and architecture of the Islamic World has represented a pinnacle of achievement for some of the greatest civilisations in history.

In light of the current socio-political climate, there is a pressing need for the arts and culture of the Islamic world to be nurtured through scholarship and study programmes, preserved through elevated levels of curation and conservation, and better understood through wider access, digital platforms, and cultural activities. Such initiatives, supported by The Barakat Trust, enable the preservation of heritage and safeguard it for future generations.

The Barakat Trust supports the study and preservation of art, architecture, archaeology, art, heritage, and culture within the Islamic World, by funding archaeological excavations, museum exhibitions, studentships, academic research, publications, digitisation, conservation, conferences, public engagement work, and more.

The Barakat Trust is an international non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian and independent charity based in the United Kingdom.