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 the first translations in the Middle Ages? A special exhibition opening in autumn 2024 at the Weltmuseum Wien is dedicated to these questions. It will illustrate the diverse ways in which the Qurʾān has been experienced, read, and interpreted in Europe. With original historical artefacts, contemporary works of art, and media installations, the exhibition shows the significance of the Qurʾān in the lives of Europeans. It was 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).

The exhibition begins with the Muslim experience of the Qurʾān as holy scripture. Qurʾān recitations, calligraphies, and illuminated manuscripts contrast the understanding of the Qurʾān as God’s revelation to the Prophet Mohammed with its traditional Christian perception as a written text. The second part of the exhibition shows how and why the Qurʾān has been translated and printed in Europe; why it was used for learning the Arabic language and for arguments that were often polemical, but sometimes also fascinated and admiring. Finally, a third section examines the significance of the Qurʾān in the present day.

The idea is to stimulate reflection on the many ways in which the Qurʾān can be read in European societies of the present.

Research for this exhibition was undertaken within the framework of the project The european Qur’an. Islamic scripture in european religion and culture, which has received funding from the European Research Council (erc) Synergy Grant under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810141).