JEDDAH: The internationally renowned 1001 Inventions exhibition, which is touring the world in partnership with ALJ Community Initiatives, was crowned "Best Touring Exhibition" of the year at the annual Museums and Heritage Excellence Awards at a gala ceremony in central London. The project won the title among competition from many prestigious international exhibitions. Hundreds of professionals from the museums and exhibitions industry attended the function, as well others who are interested in museums around the world. The awards ceremony recognized the achievements of the exhibitions industry over the past 12 months. Also nominated in the Touring category were exhibitions by the British Library, Imperial War Museum and the National Museums Liverpool. Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, chairman of 1001 Inventions, said: "Our whole team is humbled by this recognition. The Museums and Heritage Excellence Awards are considered the “Oscars” of the exhibitions industry and we are delighted to have been named Best Touring Exhibition by our peers. Hundreds of people were involved in bringing this project to fruition, headed by ALJCI, and they all deserve our thanks. We've already catered for English-language and Turkish-language visitors, and we are in the process of translating the exhibition into other languages too, including Arabic." Fady Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, president of ALJCI, said: "Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives is delighted that 1001 Inventions has been given this great honor by the Museums industry. Undoubtedly, this shows the interest of ALJCI to support the project, which highlights the astounding contribution that Muslim civilization has made in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and how those advances still affect our lives today. ALJCI is seeking to maximize beneficiaries of the project and to turn in into an inspiration for young males and females around the world, and motivate them to follow the steps of Muslim scientists during that period. More than a million people have already visited the 1001 Inventions exhibition during the first year of its global tour and that is the greatest endorsement we could ever hope for." The 1001 Inventions exhibition is currently on a five-year global tour, in partnership with ALJ Community Initiatives. Following blockbuster runs in London, Istanbul and New York, it will open this month at the prestigious California Science Center. The exhibition reveals the forgotten history of men and women, from a variety of faiths and backgrounds, whose contributions to the advancement of scholarship and technology during the Middle Ages helped pave the way for the European Renaissance. This period of history from the 7th century to 17th century is commonly - though erroneously – referred to as the "Dark Ages." 1001 Inventions is a global educational initiative that promotes awareness of scientific and cultural achievements from the “Golden Age” of Muslim civilization and how those contributions helped build the foundations of our modern world. This period lasted approximately 1000 years from the 7th century onwards. The 1001 Inventions global touring exhibition and the educational products that accompany the exhibition all highlight the scientific and technological achievements made by men and women, of different faiths and cultures, who lived in or were connected with broader Muslim civilization.
