IRCICA Newsletter Issue 72

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Visit of His Highness Sheikh Nasser M. A. al-Sabah,Prime Minister of Kuwait, to IRCICA5 April 2007The Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture(IRCICA) was most honoured by the visit of His HighnessSheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah, PrimeMinister of the State of Kuwait, to its headquarters, on 5 April2007, during the period of the Prime Minister’s official visitto Turkey. The Prime Minister, and the high-level delegationof Advisors to the Prime Ministry, were accompanied by theMinister of Finance of Turkey H.E. Mr. Kemal Unakıtan.OIC Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu metwith the guests and addressed the ceremony marking theoccasion. His Highness’ visit was an excellent opportunity torecapitulate the achievements in the cooperation and workingrelations between the State of Kuwait, Kuwaiti cultural andacademic institutions, and IRCICA. The Prime Minister ofKuwait Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah received information onthe various research programs of the Centre, its congressesheld in various countries, and its activities contributingto the dialogue of cultures. The reception ceremony at ÇitQasr, opened by IRCICA Director General Dr. Halit Eren,underscored the fruitful cooperation established betweenthe Government and the cultural and academic institutionsof Kuwait on one hand and IRCICA on the other since theearliest years of IRCICA’s activities. He said that the State ofKuwait is one of the Member States with which IRCICA’scontacts and relations progressed and strengthened thefastest and most fruitfully starting from the establishmentof the Centre in 1980. In this regard, the Director Generalhighlighted the participation of researchers, artisans, painters,and other interested parties from Kuwait in symposia,competitions and other international events organisedby IRCICA, joint publications, and the various occasionsexpressing the patronage and the support extended by theState of Kuwait to the Centre. He expressed his gratitude,adding that this collaboration provided at the same time aninput to the joint Islamic cultural action aiming, within theoverall OIC framework, at creating a correct understandingand awareness of the history and the civilisation of Islamaround the world. The Director General also announcedwith pleasure that a calligrapher from Kuwait had won anaward in the Seventh Calligraphy Competition which wasfinalised the day before.OIC Secretary General H.E. Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğluwelcomed the Prime Minister, and recalled that throughoutthe first 25 years of his functions at the head of IRCICAhe had seen, through hundreds of activities and occasions,that Kuwait was one of the countries which always upheldculture, scientific research, cultural advancement and Islamicheritage, and that IRCICA had greatly benefited from this.Evoking the hard times undergone by Kuwait during theaggression on its territory, the Secretary General recalledthe many meetings that were organised jointly in Istanbulat that time to help explain the situation to public opinion.He said that what was been done by Kuwait, under the ableleadership of His Highness the Emir, and before, under theable leadership of the late Emir, have always been in thememory of all people who appreciate Kuwait and its peacefulpolicy.H.H. Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah kindly received a plaque ofIRCICA expressing the Centre’s gratitude to the state ofKuwait which was presented by OIC Secretary General andIRCICA Director General.His Highness SheikhNasser al-Mohammedal-Ahmed al-Sabahsaw an exhibitions ofpublications by IRCICA8 Newsletter JANUARY-APRIL 2007, NO: 72
H.H. the Prime Minister addressed the audienceH.H. Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah expressed His pleasure to beat IRCICA, which He qualified a famous Islamic centre, aholder of books, manuscripts, a conductor of research, andHis happiness to see it working so well. He assured the Centreof the continual support of Kuwait. The Prime Minister wroteHis impressions in the Centre’s Visitors Book, as follows: “Iwould like to thank my brothers the Secretary General ofthe OIC and the Director General of IRCICA for the warmwelcome and care they extended to me. I would also like tocongratulate my brothers at the Centre for all the manuscriptsand the works, written in 138 languages, that we have seen.May God bless our brothers for the magnificent work theyaccomplished in this noble Islamic historical centre. …The visit of H.H. the Prime Minister of Kuwait to IRCICA wasan excellent opportunity for an appraisal of the achievementsmade in the activities involving cooperation between theState of Kuwait, its authorities and its institutions on onehand, and IRCICA on the other. This cooperation developedsteadily since the first years of the Centre’s operations, at boththe institutional level and as regards the activities per se. TheState of Kuwait has been a member of the Governing Boardof IRCICA since 1986, represented during successive termsby Sheikha Hussa al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah, Sheikh SelmanDaud al-Selman al-Sabah, Mr. Khalid S. al-Otaibi, andcurrently by Mr. Walid al-Fadil, Assistant Undersecretary,Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. The Tenth Sessionof the Governing Board was held in Kuwait City, State ofKuwait, in 1993. It was also recalled with appreciation thatseveral cultural institutions, researchers, artists, etc. fromKuwait participated in the congresses and other events ofIRCICA, starting from the very first symposium it organised,on “Common Principles, Forms and Themes of IslamicArts” (İstanbul, 1983), continuing with the InternationalSeminar on “Research in Islamic Civilisation: Problemsand Prospects”, 1988; the International Seminar on “Craftsin Traditional Islamic Architecture with special focus onMushrabiyya and Stucco Coloured Glass”, Cairo, 1995;the International Seminar on “Arabesque in Crafts of OICCountries” Damascus, 1997; the International Symposiumon “Islamic Civilisation in Caucasia” (Baku, 1998) organisedwith the collaboration of the Ministry of Awqaf and IslamicAffairs of Kuwait and the Commission for Asian Muslimsof the Kuwait Charity Society; the International Seminar on“Traditional Carpets and Kilims in the Muslim World”, Tunis,1999; the International Congress on “Islamic Arts and Crafts”,Isfahan, 2002; the Second International Congress on “IslamicCivilisation in Volga-Ural Region”, Kazan, 2005; the CulturalFestival entitled “Islamic Countries Cultural Week” organisedwith the cooperation of the Metropolitan Municipality ofIstanbul on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of IRCICA,2005, in which Kuwait participated with exhibitions ofPaintings, Handicrafts, Illustrations and Publications,Concerts and Lectures; the International Congress on “Biladal-Sham during the Ottoman Era”, Damascus, 2005; theInternational Congress on “Tourism and Traditional Crafts”,awards and exhibitions, organised with the cooperation ofthe Supreme Commission for Tourism, Kingdom of SaudiArabia, in Riyadh, 2006, in which Sheikha Altaf al-Sabah,Head and Patron of the Al Sadu Weaving Cooperative, Kuwait,presented a paper, and the Kuwaiti delegation of artisans tookpart in the exhibitions. The following Kuwaiti artisans wonawards at the International Award for Creativity in Crafts:Aba’b al Azimi (Sadu and kilim); Abdul Karim Sa’d al-Galaf(handmade models: traditional ships); Ali al-Suleiman, Jasimal-Abasi (traditional costumes). Furthermore, a paintingexhibition by the Kuwaiti artist Mr. Farid Ali was held atIRCICA, in 2001. Exhibitions of works of calligraphy wereheld in Kuwait on various occasions. Most recently, IRCICAparticipated in the International Congress and Exhibition ofIslamic Arts organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and IslamicAffairs of Kuwait, in Kuwait City on 10-19 December 2006,with an exhibition of calligraphy and documentary materialsintroducing its activities and publications.H.H. the Prime Minister and the other distinguished guests saw a short film on IRCICA’s activitiesJANUARY-APRIL 2007, NO: 72 Newsletter 9
Page 1 and 2: JANUARY-APRIL 2007, NO. 72IRCICA Aw
Page 3 and 4: EditorialAt our Centre, the past th
Page 5 and 6: The Prime Minister gave a comprehen
Page 7 and 8: Visit of H.E. Mintimer Shaimiev, Pr
Page 9: Signing of the Memorandum of Cooper
Page 13 and 14: “Isfahan Cultural Week”held at
Page 15 and 16: West. Prof. Barışta also introduc
Page 17 and 18: Announcement of the results at a pr
Page 19 and 20: Mentions (500 $)Winner Country Coun
Page 21 and 22: International congress on “Islami
Page 23 and 24: “Semerkand: Architecture and Urba
Page 25 and 26: Distinguished guests* On 12 January
Page 27 and 28: two calligraphers on basis of techn
Page 29 and 30: H.A.R. Gibb and Costi K. Zurayk (
Page 31: IRCICA PublicationsSultan II. Abdü

IRCICA Newsletter Issue 72

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