WHEN: Sunday 7th March (8th week), 2:30-4pm
WHERE: Ashmolean Museum, Headley Lecture Theatre

Though Experience Islam Term 2010 will be coming into the final week of term, the OU ISoc will not be slowing down! Teaming up with Oxford University’s Ashmolean Museum, the OU ISoc is proud to invite you to one of its most original and exciting events to date. Set in one of the world’s most prestigious settings, which holds the most valuable of Islamic art collections, this event will be a rare opportunity to learn about Islam’s exquisite cultural tradition.

Dr. Bilal Badat will talk to us about the felicities of some of the artefacts in the Ashmolean Islamic collection itself, as well as looking at broader symbolic and artistic themes. Guiding us through a presentation that will consider the architecture of mosques (including the Great Mosques of Makkah, Madina and Jerusalem), calligraphy, paintings, textiles, ceramics and cultural motifs, Dr. Badat will consider how Muslims have historically appropriated meaning to their rich artistic tradition, all the time considering how we can make this symbolic quality relevant to us today.

So come and join us for what promises to be a fascinating lecture in the most inspiring setting! For more info please look at page 16 of the Ashmolean guide: http://www.ashmolean.org/assets/docs/WhatsOnCurrent.pdf )

Dr. Bilal Badat is a freelance artist and archaeologist, and holds a PhD from Oxford University in Islamic Art and Archaeology.

(Please note that there will be a laid back Sunday lunch followed by a group tour of the Ashmolean for the gentlemen before this event – see below for details!)