ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 10th Aug, 2023) The Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCY) has opened registration for the 17th edition of the prestigious Al Burda Award, which honours outstanding creativity in traditional Islamic art forms and appreciates the Arabic language, its aesthetics, and pioneers.
The award pays tribute to the complexity of the Arabic language by receiving original submissions from poets, calligraphers, and artists whose work is inspired by the Prophet Mohammed, the Holy Quran, and hadiths.
This year, the award will focus on the theme of “Al Mizan- The Balance: Islamic Art as a Catalyst for Sustainability”, in line with the UAE’s declaration of 2023 as the UAE Year of Sustainability and highlights how Islamic principles, traditions, and values have a long history of emphasising the value of protecting the environment.
Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said, “Al Burda Award demonstrates the UAE’s leadership position in celebrating creativity and creators. A testament to the UAE’s efforts in cementing Arab and Islamic identity globally, Al Burda provides a platform for artists to showcase their creativity through traditional Islamic arts. It’s a way of preserving the rich heritage of arts of the Islamic world and honour its core values of peace and tolerance.”
He added, “Islamic arts have always enhanced cultural communication with the wider world and are an integral part of humanity’s cultural diversity and heritage.”
He further added, “Through this award, we seek to emphasise the values that underpin Islamic arts and their role in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence.”
This year, the award invites entries in three categories: poetry (Classical and Nabati); Calligraphy (Classical and Modern); and Ornamentation. An award of AED210,000 will be disbursed in prizes for the first five positions in each category.
The deadline for participants to submit their work through the Al Burda website is from 1st to 30th September, 2023. Meanwhile, participants in the Calligraphy and Ornamentation categories must submit their works between 30th September and 15th October, 2023.
