Under the umbrella of the 'Al Shabab Al Banie' programme and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre Organises a Series of Cultural Workshops for School Students

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre held two cultural workshops at the Mosque Library, attended by 39 male and female students from schools across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, these sessions form part of a broader series of four cultural workshops hosted by the Centre for school students throughout April and May 2025.

The cultural workshops organised by the Centre for school students fall under the umbrella of the “Al Shabab Al Banie” programme, which focuses on youth and younger generations—whom the late Founding Father regarded as the true wealth of the nation and the architects of its renaissance. As part of this commitment, the Centre regularly organises and hosts educational and interactive activities that target various age groups, enriching their intellectual and cultural awareness.

These efforts aim to help shape a promising generation of young people by offering an engaging environment that fosters creative and innovative thinking. They also seek to attract younger audiences and establish the Mosque Library as a cultural haven for them. Each of the workshops began with an introductory tour of the Mosque Library, during which students explored its collections, sections, and the range of services it offers to its visitors.

The cultural workshops organised by the Centre covered various cultural and artistic topics, highlighting the importance of reading in building linguistic proficiency, approaches to cultivating children's passion for reading, and the criteria and methods to help readers choose suitable books. Additionally, the sessions examined the historical significance of maps, their interpretation and practical uses for navigation, as well as diverse forms of ornamentation and calligraphy.

The cultural workshops also included guided tours for students at the Light & Peace Museum and the Diya – A Universe of Light immersive experience , where they explored the museum’s collection of books and artefacts that reflect the richness of Islamic civilisation and its dialogue with other world cultures.

It is worth noting that the Mosque Library, inaugurated in 2010, was established as a gateway through which researchers and enthusiasts may explore the finest contributions of Islamic civilisation in the fields of art and knowledge—treasures that have long served as bridges connecting diverse cultures. The library is home to a rich collection of rare books and manuscripts, made possible through the continued support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court.

Notably, His Highness graciously donated nearly 3,000 valuable and rare books and periodicals written in 14 living languages, in a gesture that reflects both a commitment to documenting the sciences and arts of Islamic civilisation, and a dedication to preserving and revitalising its legacy for future generations.

The library also houses the Centre’s 27 publications, which focus on Arab and Islamic culture and highlight the core values of tolerance, coexistence, and fraternity—principles that the United Arab Emirates proudly upholds. A dedicated section within the library features its exceptional collection of some of the world’s rarest books, comprising approximately 500 titles.

Among the most notable is A Description of an Arab Celestial Sphere Inscribed with Kufic Script – Preserved at the Borgia Museum in Padua (1790), the oldest volume in this rare collection. Authored in Latin by Simon Assemani and Giuseppe Toaldo, the book was printed in 1790.

In addition, the library preserves an invaluable collection of Arabic manuscripts in the form of over 50,000 microfilm copies, providing researchers with a wealth of material in various Islamic sciences, including biographies, Hadith studies, and Islamic arts.