Aims and Objectives

For fourteen centuries, the art and architecture of the Islamic world has represented a pinnacle of achievement for some of the world's greatest civilizations. Today, the art of the Muslim world extends a bridge of understanding to all cultures and a path to self-knowledge for Muslims. Despite the pressing need for the culture of the Islamic World to be better understood, this cultural heritage remains largely unappreciated and understudied. Severe restrictions on academic funding have resulted in the neglect of a great artistic tradition and threaten to undermine attempts to nurture interest in the culture of the Islamic World.

The Barakat Trust is responding to this urgent need by supporting and facilitating opportunities to study, conserve and preserve an extraordinary artistic heritage. The Barakat Trust was founded as a UK charity in 1987 and operates exclusively for educational purposes, providing scholarships and grants for study and research projects at the world's most respected academic and cultural institutions at post-graduate and post-doctoral level.

Since its inception, The Barakat Trust has supported projects, students and scholars — in various ways, each has contributed to a greater understanding of the culture of the Muslim lands. The grantees have come from over thirty countries and their grants have covered academic research, archaeological excavations, architectural conservation, major exhibitions, scholarly publications, surveys and documentation, lectures and conferences, and travel grants.