Assassin's Creed
Dr. Glaire Anderson’s groundbreaking project, supported by The Barakat Trust, brought the worlds of Islamic art history and digital gaming together, resulting in an educational collaboration with Ubisoft on Assassin’s Creed Mirage. This major title, set in 9th-century Baghdad, has now reached millions of players worldwide and offers an unprecedented opportunity to engage audiences with the art, architecture, and history of Islamic civilisation.
With her team at the Digital Lab for Islamic Visual Culture & Collections at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Anderson provided expert research on medieval Islamic art, architecture, and daily life to Ubisoft’s development and history teams. This work directly shaped the in-game “History of Baghdad” feature, which allows players to interactively explore 66 historical sites and learn about topics including art, science, court life, belief, and the economy of Abbasid Baghdad. Major collections from institutions such as The David Collection, The Khalili Collections, and the Institut du Monde Arabe contributed artefacts to enrich the game’s content.
In addition to this successful collaboration, the Digital Lab created two free, educational games: Digital Munya 2.0, a 3D visualisation of an Islamic villa and garden based on primary sources, and The Córdoba Journey, an introduction to the history and archaeology of medieval Córdoba.
The project has had remarkable reach, with international media coverage, invitations to leading academic and industry conferences, and engagement with over seven million players. It serves as a powerful example of how Islamic art and heritage can be made accessible, relevant, and exciting to global audiences through digital media.
Dr. Anderson is a specialist in Islamic art and architectural history, and Director of the Digital Lab for Islamic Visual Culture & Collections. The project highlights her commitment to making Islamic heritage accessible and inspiring through innovative digital storytelling.
