Qatar National Library has several events lined up for the month of May, also the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan. Running from 1 May to 1 October, the `Holy Kaaba Exhibition’ will display more than 50 curated items from the library’s Heritage Library collection. These will include photos, works of art, books and manuscripts offering insights into the history of the Holy Kaaba, the stages of its construction, its architectural features and adornment, and its religious and spiritual significance.
The second edition of the `Annual Beautiful Athan Contest’ will be held from 1 to 16 May. Members of the community may submit their recordings and the top three places will be awarded prizes. On 4 May, under the theme `Ramadan is here’, families can attend an informal gathering at the library to share their customs and traditions used in preparing their homes for this time of the year.
Emphasising the importance of reading and studying the Quran during Ramadan, a lecture and visual presentation, `Writing the Quran Through the Centuries’, will be held on 4 May. It l explore the history of the written Quran from the time of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) up to the print and digital eras. Dr Ahmed Khalid Shokri, Professor of Qur’anic Studies at Qatar University and Mahmoud Zaki, Information Services Librarian at the library, will make presentations..
A range of handicraft workshops will focus on using and exploring creativity to express faith. A workshop on 4 May will guide participants on how to make their own Ramadan lamps out of beads to decorate their homes. `Colouring for Adults: Islamic Patterns’, to be held on 15 May,isan open session for participants to use colouring as a form of meditation and to create focus and increase mindfulness. A `Clay Art: Islamic Art; workshop on 16 May will show participants how they can use clay to create Islamic art.
On 8 and 22 May, the librarywill explore stories of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Young adults aged 12–18 can take part in the `Ramadan Word Search Challenge’on 9, 11, 16, 18, 23 and 25 May. On 2 May, a lecture, `Leonardo Da Vinci as Seen by his Contemporaries: Remarks about the Mona Lisa and Other Portraits’, will be delivered by Carmelo Occhipinti, art historian and critic. An informal panel discussion on 3 May will discuss the role of the Indian education system and its progress in a talk, `Indian Schools: Their Journey in Educating the Indian Expat Community’.