‘Aşk-ı Nebİ’ exhibition travelling the world

The "Aşk-ı Nebİ" (Love of the Prophet) exhibition, which displays calligraphic works by renowned calligraphy and ornamentation artists, is receiving much attention from Muslims in Latin America. According to a statement released by the Islam Culture and Arts Platform (ICAP), the "Aşk-ı Nebi" exhibition made its Latin American debut during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Cuba. The display was opened by Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik and his Cuban counterpart, Manuel Marrero Cruz, at the country's biggest museum, Servando Cabrera Moreno. Stating that they place great importance on the "Aşk-ı Nebi" exhibition in their country, Cruz advised people, especially students and art lovers, to view the exhibition, which features the finest examples of classic Islamic art.

Following the opening of the exhibition, Yahya Pedro, the president of the Cuban Islam Association, expressed his happiness to host "Aşk-ı Nebi" in Havana. Stressing the intense attention that the display draws, he said, "Muslims in Havana commemorate Prophet Muhammad once again through this exhibition. I express my gratitude to everybody who worked hard for this exhibition. Muslims all over Cuba are coming to Havana to view the exhibition."

Abdülkadir Özkan, Secretary-General of the Islam Culture and Arts Platform, which prepared the exhibition's Latin American program, said that "Aşk-ı Nebi" will be displayed in Brazil soon with a different collection as well as in Argentina and Australia as part of the Sacred Birth Week celebrations.

Özkan said that the relationship between Cuba and Turkey, which started in the 18th century, should focus on cultural development. "We believe that the culture and arts protocol that our Minister of Culture and Tourism signed with his Cuban counterpart is an important step for the relationship between the two countries," Özkan stressed, adding that introducing Prophet Muhammad to other people around the world is important for humanity. "As Islamophobia is on the rise around the world, the duty of each Muslim is to read about Muhammad, try to understand him better and tell other people about him. With these kinds of artistic events, we hope to tell other people about Prophet Muhammad," he said.

Organized by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Turkish Religious Foundation, the Cuban Islam Association and the Islam Culture and Arts Platform, the exhibition first opened at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul as part of the Sacred Birth Week celebrations marking the 1,443rd birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Following the exhibition in Turkey, the display was showcased in New York and Washington, D.C. in the U.S. The art collection, which features 41 works of Turkey's master and junior calligraphers along with international names and female artists, showcases hadiths, verses from the Quran and quotes written in various calligraphy styles such as kufic, muhaqqaq, thuluth, diwani, rayhani, naskh and ta'liq.