May 2026 at The Barakat Trust
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In This Month’s Newsletter:
- New podcast – Renewal in West Africa: The Great Mosque of Djenné
- A Weekend in Cairo – Recap
- Our visit to the Aga Khan Library
- Grants news
- Study day at Leighton House
This month’s podcast takes us to the far south-west of the Islamic world, to the Inner Nigel Delta in Mali where stands the Great Mosque of Djenné in all its magnificence. Join Michelle Apotsos as she discusses the story of this vibrant place of worship built solely out of mud and wood at the centre of a town with deep historical links south to the Atlantic coast and north across the Sahara desert to the Maghreb. In the annual tradition of renovation and reconstruction, the Great Mosque offers a model of architectural renewal alongside an understanding of heritage not as a stagnant object needing to be frozen time but a living tradition.
Michelle Apotsos is a Professor of Art and Architectural History at Williams College, specializing in architecture and Afro-Islamic creative production. Her current projects focus on the growth of large-scale congregational masajid on the continent and alternative contemporary religious spatial technologies and ecologies.
A Weekend in Cairo
Our most recent trip
At the end of April we held a cultural trip to Cairo over a weekend packing in as much of we could of this historically dense city. Highlights included a private tour of the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, a visit to the Museum of Islamic Art and Bayt Yakan, and a tour of the Imam al-Shafi’i shrine. We were delighted to be joined throughout the weekend by current and former grantees of The Barakat Trust. To our guests, we sincerely hope you enjoyed the trip, and to everyone involved in the organisation, thank you for all the hard work.
Keep an eye out for more information about future trips!
Aga Khan Library Tour
Events in London
Back in early April we were lucky enough to take a small group to the Aga Khan Library where Head Librarian Dr. Walid Ghali kindly showed us around the beautiful Aga Khan Centre and its expansive library. We were lucky enough to see some of the Library’s rarer manuscripts. Many thanks to Dr. Walid and all at the Aga Khan Library for hosting us so warmly.
Keep an eye out for more events in London later this year.
Members of The Barakat Trust can buy discounted tickets.
Grants 2026
As usual the Academic Advisory Committee will be meeting in early May to award this year’s grants across all categories. Successful applicants can expect to hear from us towards the end of May. This year’s standard of applications is very high and we are looking forward to sharing more news of the projects we will fund later in the year.
Study Day at The Arab Hall: Leighton House
Tuesday 19 May | £60 / £20 Student tickets
Exploring one of London’s most iconic interiors, this inspiring Study Day of the Arab Hall at Leighton House brings together a panel of experts and creatives who will delve into the room’s fascinating history and reflect on its significance in today’s world. From groundbreaking new research about the antique tiles, to an exploration of the traditional arts from Community Jameel, and how contemporary filmmakers and artists have reinterpreted the space through their work.
To buy a ticket, click here
