The European Qurʾān

What role does the Holy Scripture of Islam, the Qurʾān, play in the history of European thought? How has it been read and understood in Europe since it was first translated in the Middle Ages? A special exhibition the Weltmuseum Wien developed in collaboration with the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant Project The European Qurʾān. Islamic Scripture in European Culture and Religion 1150–1850 (EuQu) explores these questions.

This exhibition examines the perceptions and uses of the holy text of Islam in Europe’s religious and intellectual landscape from the Middle Ages to the present, and illustrates the diverse ways in which the Qurʾān has been experienced, read, and interpreted in Europe. With historical artefacts, contemporary works of art, media installations and facsimiles of manuscripts and books, the exhibition documents the significant role played by the Qurʾān in the lives of Europeans. The special exhibition hopes to stimulate reflection on the many ways in which the Qurʾān can be read in modern European societies.