With the support of Sharjah Book Authority and in collaboration with the Arabic Cultural Institute in Milan
Bodour Al Qasimi launches a scientific initiative to document one of the rarest and largest Islamic coin collections in Europe
The collection comprises 1,103 gold, silver and copper coins preserved at Italy’s Sforzesco Castle and amongst them is the oldest Arab-Islamic dinar dated to 77 AH
- Ahmed Al Ameri: The study brings Islamic heritage back into focus and provides evidence of Islamic civilisation’s impact on human history
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi
Sharjah, March 10, 2025
Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has launched a scientific initiative to document a rare collection of Islamic coins preserved at Sforzesco Castle in Milan. The collection comprises 1,103 coins spanning multiple historical periods, led by the oldest known Arab-Islamic dinar dated 77 AH. The project re-examines the economic and cultural transformations that shaped the identity of Islamic civilisation and underscores its enduring impact on human history.
The initiative is supported by the Sharjah Book Authority in collaboration with the Arabic Cultural Institute at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. It aims to revive Islamic heritage in Italy and make it accessible to researchers and specialists. Considered one of the rarest Islamic coin collections discovered outside the Arab world, the trove has drawn international scholarly attention as a unique reference for the evolution of Islamic monetary and administrative systems. Despite its historical significance, the collection remained preserved for decades in a museum within the castle, largely outside academic research circles, and did not receive documentation and study proportionate to its importance.
A rare collection
The collection includes coins originating from diverse Islamic regions across different historical periods. It is considered one of the largest of its kind, compared with similar collections in Arab and European museums, making it a key scholarly foundation for documenting the history of monetary and administrative systems, alongside the economy and trade during the Islamic civilisation’s golden age. It also supports broader research into how the Islamic cultural legacy extended across cultures and continents.
Historical and archaeological significance
Among the highlights is a dinar dated 77 AH, minted under Umayyad Caliph Abd Al-Malik Ibn Marwan, following the Arabisation of coinage in Damascus, then the capital of the Islamic Caliphate — an inflection point in the economic and cultural identity of the Umayyad state and Islamic civilisation.
Weighing one mithqal (4.25 grams) of pure gold, the dinar marked a decisive shift from Byzantine coinage to a currency bearing a distinct Arab identity, reflecting the maturation of Islamic economic life in that era. The collection demonstrates the diversity of minting centres and offers a lens for understanding trade routes, cultural diffusion and civilisational exchange across different Islamic periods.
ACI: Documenting a long-overlooked heritage treasure
The ACI in Milan is playing a central role in documenting and studying this cultural treasure, which remained largely unknown for decades, if not centuries. The institute commissioned Dr Roweida Al Nabarawy, a specialist in Islamic numismatics, to undertake the academic study and documentation of the collection, and to photograph each coin at high resolution.
The resulting publication is expected to bring this heritage to a wide academic and cultural audience, strengthening its value as a comprehensive reference for the study of Islamic coinage while presenting Islamic heritage to global audiences through an academic, methodical approach supported by visual narrative.
The role of Arab cultural institutions in reviving civilisational legacy
Commenting on the significance of the initiative, H.E. Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, said: “This effort reflects the commitment of the SBA and the ACI to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, towards the pivotal role of Arab cultural institutions in reviving and transmitting civilisational legacy to new generations. This study brings Islamic heritage back into focus and provides scholarly evidence of the impact of Islamic civilisation on human history and its contributions to the global economy and culture.”
Al Ameri added: “The study will inspire researchers as well as culture, history and economy experts to explore their civilisation’s achievements and encourage younger generations to take pride in their identity and culture. This is one of the core objectives that guided the SBA under the supervision of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority in supporting and establishing the ACI in Milan. Through this study, the institute offers a scholarly record of Islamic coinage history and the evolution of administrative and economic systems, an important reference for understanding relationships between regions of historic Islamic civilisation and the various medieval minting centres.”
Presenting Arab civilisational heritage to new generations
For his part, Dr Wael Farouq, Director of the ACI at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, said: “As part of our work to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to document Arab civilisational heritage and present it to new generations so they are more aware of their history and more connected to their roots, we observed that the vast majority of Italians are entirely unaware of this heritage held in their own libraries and museums. Only a handful of specialists in Italy have seen this rare collection of Arabic coins and recognise its importance. I believe this verification and publishing project will help broaden awareness among Italians of the historical ties between Arabs and Italy, and of the Arabs’ historical contribution to the European Renaissance, which becomes clearer every day.”
About the Arabic Cultural Institute
The Sharjah Book Authority established the Arabic Cultural Institute in collaboration with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy, last year. The inauguration marked a step towards launching a series of Arabic cultural institutes in global capitals of knowledge and creativity, aimed at building bridges of dialogue and strengthening cultural relations between Arab and Western civilisations, while highlighting the contributions of Arabs and Muslims to human scientific and creative achievements.
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