The Light & Peace Museum at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi highlights the power of cultural expression in producing harmony, coexistence, exchange and knowledge.
Celebrating Islamic cultural heritage and fostering intercultural dialogue is at the forefront of the Light & Peace Museum, but with its propensity for nurturing local and global connections, the institution is equally a platform for progress. Inaugurated in November 2024 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, the museum embraces an interactive, sensory-focused approach to tackle artistic, scientific and cultural values and expressions of Islamic tradition. As academic as it is philosophical, and as historical as it is artistic, the Light & Peace Museum is a space that invites academics and professionals through to enthusiasts and young people to consider how the intrinsic power of creative expression can be a uniting force.
The accessible and inclusive nature of arts and culture – as a tool for both gaining and building knowledge – serves as a gentle medium through which audiences can explore how the Islamic world has impacted societies and geographies across time, proving enduring and ever-relevant. While early examples include the introduction by the Andalusian Islamic civilisation of important scientific, philosophical, and artistic developments – which the Centre highlighted in the 2023–24 exhibition Andalusia “History and Civilisation” – the resonance remains today and is particularly evident in today’s creative landscape across the MENA region. In 1998, the UAE launched the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival in Sharjah, a city recognised as a Cultural Capital of the Arab World and UNESCO Capital of Islamic Culture. This identity has a wide reach – in the context of its contemporary art world presence, Sharjah holds its own on the global stage. Other examples include the UK-based Jameel Art Prize, which since its first edition in 2009 has served as a seminal international art prize for contemporary artists and designers inspired by the art, design and craft traditions of the Islamic world. Most recently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia inaugurated the Islamic Arts Biennale in 2023 to explore themes of faith and spirituality through the lens of past, present and the intersection of the two.
Taking the connective potential of arts and expression a step further, the Light & Peace Museum is founded on the UAE’s pillars of tolerance, coexistence and exchange – an ethos rooted by the country’s founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and upheld by the current leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayhan, UAE President. The institutional model is collaborative – visitors are able to experience the museum in seven languages (Arabic, English, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Russian and Urdu), each exhibition nods to other significant mosques, and the broader curatorial remit employs cutting-edge technology, experiential displays, rare artefacts and contemporary artworks to illustrate the integral and evolving role of Islamic creativity and ingenuity. The positioning of the museum likewise supports this rhizomatic approach: positioned in the Peace Dome of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the space also houses the Al Jami’ Library, The Noor Dome and Diya Experience, and until recently, numerous temporary exhibitions.
The core collection of 65 pieces spans centuries and is sourced from the personal collection of the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as well as donations and loans from HE Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, HE Mohammed Al Murr and the Al-Sabah Collection, and collaborations with institutions such as the National Archives and Library Abu Dhabi, Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, Abrahamic Family House, Etihad Museum, Saruq Al-Hadid Archaeological Museum, Department of Antiquities and Museums in Ras Al Khaimah, and the Ras Al Khaimah National Museum. The collection is displayed across five themes: Tolerance – A Guiding Light; Sanctity and Worship – The Three Grand Mosques; Precision and Beauty – The Spirit of Invention; Tolerance and Openness – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; and Universal Coexistence. Each section builds upon that which precedes it, forming a continuous narrative that outlines the development and depth of Islamic civilisation through contemporary artworks, audio-visual displays, immersive experiences, films, rare and precious objects, and architectural analysis.
Particularly notable works include a 20th-century kiswa of the Kaaba Shareef and a portion of the Kaaba’s belt, the Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan gold dinar (the first Islamic gold coin, minted in 77 AH), a gold-illuminated page from the Blue Qur’an and a 14th-century Andalusian astrolabe. Interactive learning is central to the collection. For example, the theme of Arabesque decoration from across the world is explored by ways of a floral sensory wall, as well as within the programming in a dedicated family zone, which renders the rich cultural legacy more digestible for younger audiences. Further interest and value are provided by temporary exhibitions, which have long been part of the Centre’s ethos, as exemplified by the collaborative 2017–18 show The Hajj: Memories of a Journey, which featured 182 artefacts from 15 local and international institutions.
While a consciously thorough academic-historical institution, the Light & Peace Museum also recognises the importance of demonstrating how the values it promotes and highlights have been applied to practical use and current lifestyles. This includes encouraging the public to notice more integrated elements which may be overlooked, such as the intricate Arabic calligraphy adorning buildings. It is not only about looking to the past and seeing how it exists today, however – the museum is also decidedly forward-facing. Modern interpretations of Islamic tradition can be seen through a selection of ornamental calligraphy, woodwork and textiles, as well as contemporary artworks. Active leading artists such as Abdul Qader Al Rais, a pioneering Emirati painter; Osman Khunji, a Bahraini artist pushing the bounds of conventional artistic production; and Idris Khan, a British-Pakistani artist who blends media to forge his unique take on tradition-meets-today, present artworks that invigorate the discourse on what creation from the Islamic world is and could be.
One of the museum’s flagship initiatives, the Diya Experience, proves an especially dynamic new approach. Drawing upon the Mosque’s architectural potential and new technology, it is an immersive sensory experience led by 1.5 billion light units. Beginning with a starry ‘sky’, visitors are taken on a cinematic journey through the UAE’s vibrant landscapes before honing in on examples of its intricate architecture, such as domes, minarets and even the Mosque itself.
The curatorial vision and overarching mission of the Light & Peace Museum underline how shared cultural values expressed through nuanced artistic interpretations invite global exchange, encourage cultural harmony and build a wealth of ever-evolving knowledge and perspective.
This article is in partnership with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi
