Above all else, this initiative was conceived as a civic project at a time of strained relations with Islam in Europe and beyond. With that in mind, this touring exhibition – which has won recognition as a major European cultural project – strives to ease understanding of the Other and the foundations of civilisation. Knowing that fear is the enemy of peaceful coexistence, Islam – It’s Our History Too! works to promote knowledge and understanding as they alone can bring people together.

The exhibition aims to raise visitors’ awareness of the strong links that have been forged between two civilisations, Islam and Europe, over the course of almost 13 centuries. While its content may be complex, its goal is simple: showing Europeans that Islam is part of their history too.

Islam – It’s Our History Too! is structured around one key message: Muslim settlement in Europe is as old as Islam itself and goes through cycles of expansion and retraction. The exhibition highlights the shared spiritual and intellectual origins of Muslim and European civilisations (i.e. their Abrahamic heritage) and demonstrates that while relations between them have been conflicted over the centuries, the two civilisations have influenced and enriched one another. At the end of the day, Europe and Islam have a real shared history, with each stage of their journey together having both a light side (mutual understanding, artistic inspiration, reciprocal influences) and a dark side (conflicts, boundaries, integration problems).

The exhibit revolves around four periods and three legacies: the Arab legacy handed down by mediaeval Europe, the Ottoman legacy, the colonial legacy, and Europe and Muslims today.

The exhibition’s contemporary, accessible approach opens the door to a rich emotional and intellectual experience that marries museum artefacts with everyday objects, ancient art with contemporary works, and multimedia displays with more conventional backdrops.