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Dubai, 19 Dec 2021 – At the 16th Al Burda Award ceremony, held at Expo 2020 Dubai, the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth recognized creativity and excellence in the practice of various Islamic disciplines.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the awards were first presented in AH 1425/2004 AD to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessing and peace be upon him). It is a global platform that seeks to revitalize the Islamic cultural and artistic movement by reflecting the diversity of creative expression found throughout the Islamic world.
Original submissions from artists whose work is inspired by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Holy Quran, and hadiths pay tribute to the complexity of the Arabic language through original submissions from artists whose work is inspired by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Holy Quran, and hadiths. The top prizes in each category totaled AED 70,000.
The Poetry category honors a medium that uses the art of language and the power of verbal expression to highlight the life and character of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The award, which accepts submissions for both classical and Nabati poetry, honors the beauty of the Arabic language as well as the Arab and Islamic world’s literary heritage. Heba El-Feki of Egypt took first place in classical poetry, while Abdulaziz Al-Amiri of Oman won first place in Nabati poetry.
Calligraphy is a highly respected tradition in Islamic culture that embodies one of the most versatile, disciplined, and rich practices of Islamic art. Muhammad Jaber Abul-Ela of Egypt won first place in the classical calligraphy competition, while Mahsa Jawad Dawajy of Iran won first place in the modern calligraphy competition.
In Islamic art, ornamentation takes four forms: calligraphy, vegetal patterns, and geometric patterns, as well as figural representation. In this category, Turkey’s Mehribian Miza Kaya took first place.
Entrants were encouraged to experiment and innovate in contemporary typographic design in the newly established Arabic Typography category. Typography is the use of digital lettering or fonts to arrange letterforms and text in a composition. The theme for this year’s Arabic Typography category was ‘rhythm,’ which had to be derived from Qasidat al Burda (‘Ode of the Mantle,’ a 13th-century poem written and compiled by Sufi poet al-Busiri in praise of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
This category was won by Doaa Abazid, Tarek Samir, Jamal Al-Din Muhammad, Reza Babajani, and Beta Amal.
To round off the evening, a number of cultural performances were held. The Al Burda Theme was performed by Iraq’s Watar Orchestra and the Dubai Chamber Choir. Sheikh Mahmoud Eltohamy of Egypt joined the Watar Orchestra for an Islamic chanting performance. The evening featured performances by French-Iranian dancer Rana Gorgani, Senegalese virtuoso kora player Noumoucounda Cissoko, and Lebanese Diva Jahida Wehbe, as well as Emirates Art Group, Emirati Malid, who performed a form of religious chanting known as ‘Al Malid.’
