QF Member Hosts Exhibition to Promote Intercultural Dialogue and Respect for Environment

The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has launched its ‘Gardens of Al-Andalus’ exhibition at the College of Islamic Studies of Hamad in Khalifa University at Education City.
Launched under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, QBG will stage the Garden of Al-Andalus from April 15 to May 31.
Created by the Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI) in Madrid, the Garden of Al-Andalus exhibition falls within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between QBG and FUNCI earlier this year to preserve Islamic cultural history for future generations.

The exhibition is an expression of the peaceful coexistence among different cultures, showing respect for the environment and historical heritage through the display of achievements of a stage in the past, Al-Andalus, which constitutes a scientific and cultural milestone and a reflection of one of the most fertile periods of history.
Fatima Al-Khulaifi, Manager QBG, said: “The Qur’anic Botanic Garden is a worldwide centre of excellence and knowledge, inspiring appreciation of nature and fostering responsibility for our environment. This exhibition highlights the importance of gardens in Islam and the extent of Muslim interest in this area. This is achieved through presenting the tools that were used by Muslims in Andalusia for agriculture, and in motivating audiences to take care of the environment to protect our culture.”

The exhibition, which has successfully toured several Spanish cities and Arab countries, arrives with a modernized feel. In addition, Gardens of Al-Andalus has added three new scale models that represent the various types of Andalusian garden. In short, it is a modern, interactive exhibition comprising explanatory panels, photographs and illustrations, ethnographic objects relating to farming in Al-Andalus, treatises on medieval farming, audio-visual elements, olfactory devices reproducing the aromas of the different products used at the time, and artistic and plant displays.
Professor Cherif Abderrahman Jah, president of FUNCI, said: “The Garden of Al-Andalus exhibition is enjoyable, informative, and offers ‘the keys to a civilisation that loved nature and respected its surroundings’. It addresses the general public, especially young people, inviting them to discover the values of this natural and historical heritage.”
The Qur’anic Botanic Garden is a member of Med-O-Med, a program that provides a framework for research, education, and preservation of the environment, as well as the recovery of historic, botanic, and acclimatisation gardens in the Mediterranean and Middle East.

QBG seeks to promote student and community participation, and to raise public awareness of the importance of agriculture in Qatar to support QF’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental responsibility.