His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, inaugurated the "Light and Peace" museum at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi.
H.H. Sheikh Mansour, accompanied by a number of senior officials, toured the various sections of the museum. He viewed the museum's contents, activities, and the knowledge it offers about the Islamic civilization, its arts and sciences throughout history, and its embodiment of tolerance and coexistence.
The museum features five sections with interactive experiences, utilising advanced technologies and multimedia. It showcases rare and unique collections that convey the museum's message and offer an engaging sensory narrative, allowing visitors to interact with its cultural content and open channels for cultural dialogue between different civilizations.
His Highness also explored the immersive light experience, a multimedia hall that fosters the mosque's civilizational message, located in the "Dome of Peace," which includes various cultural facilities in addition to the museum and the light experience.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed emphasised that the opening of the "Light and Peace" museum reflects the UAE's vision to promote culture, peace, and coexistence. He noted that this project is another step in establishing the country's position as a beacon of tolerance and civilizational dialogue between cultures.
He stated, "This museum forms a window that allows the world to explore the cultural richness of Islamic civilization and represents a qualitative addition to the UAE’s efforts in highlighting the shared human values that unite us as diverse peoples. It makes heritage, art, science, and literature platforms for dialogue and rapprochement. We are committed to supporting initiatives that contribute to building a future that promotes values of understanding and peace."
He added, “The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre continues its role and civilizational message, entrenching the UAE’s position as a global cultural destination that blends the essence of the past with the aspirations of the future. It reaffirms our vision for cultural development that respects cultural diversity and celebrates pluralism.”
The museum combines a unique atmosphere with innovative display methods for artifacts and multimedia, creating an inspiring and rich narrative experience composed of five sections: Values of Tolerance – The Abundance of Light; Sanctity and Worship – The Three Mosques; Beauty and Perfection – The Spirit of Creativity; Tolerance and Openness – The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; and Unity and Coexistence, in addition to a space dedicated to family and children’s experiences.
The museum displays a rich and carefully selected collection of artefacts and exhibits from various Islamic eras, focusing on diverse themes. Among the key items in the museum's collection are: a part of the Kiswa (covering) of the Holy Kaaba (20th century), the first Islamic gold coin, gold-illuminated pages of the Blue Qur'an (9th–10th centuries CE), the Andalusian astrolabe (14th century CE), as well as the personal collection of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The museum also features various pieces of antique and contemporary artwork, scientific and medical manuscripts, decorations and calligraphy, metal, wood, and marble artworks, and textiles.
In order to spread its message to the broadest possible audience and share its cultural content with visitors from diverse backgrounds, the museum presents its civilizational message in seven languages: Arabic, English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, and Hindi. This is facilitated through technology that enables users to activate the content on the digital screens accompanying the cultural experiences in the exhibition sections.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre will announce the opening of the museum to visitors soon, to allow visitors of different cultures to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to have a cultural experience in the museum.
