Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1462882
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 4 HERITAGE Maimūnah Stone exhibited at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization in the UAE MALTA'S Maimūnah Stone will be on display for the next three months at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is the first time that the unique tombstone is being ex- hibited in a foreign museum and the first exchange of a cultural artefact between Malta and the United Arab Emirates. Last December, a replica of the Maimūnah Stone was pre- sented by Heritage Malta to be exhibited during the Dubai Ex- po. This was one of the initial outcomes of the first memo- randum of understanding con- cluded between Malta and the UAE with the aim of promot- ing cooperation in the fields of culture, research and profes- sional exchanges. The Maimūnah Stone is one of the most important Islamic artefacts from the Arab peri- od in Malta and dates back to 1174 AD. Its surface is beau- tifully carved in Kufic script citing a memorial prayer about the passing of a young Muslim woman named Maimūnah, to- gether with Qur'anic verses on the subject of death. According to oral tradition, the tombstone – the only one of its kind in the Maltese Islands – was found in an area between Xewkija and Ta' Sannat, Gozo. The location is still known as Ta' Majmuna. In her remarks at the exhi- bition's inauguration, Malta's Ambassador to the UAE, Ma- ria Camilleri Calleja, said that the Maimūnah Stone is repre- sentative of an era when Malta and a good part of the Western Mediterranean were part of the Berber Emirate known as Al Moaheddin (the people who believe in one God). However, today it is putting on a differ- ent kind of attire: one as the centre piece of a relationship between two museums, two peoples and two countries. The Embassy is pleased to have had the opportunity to work with two professional bodies as are Heritage Malta and the Shar- jah Museum of Islamic Civili- zation, where the Maimūnah Stone will stand as an ambas- sador for the strong bonds of intercultural and interfaith un- derstanding that exist between the two countries. Joyce Dimech, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, underlined the importance of the MOU between Malta and the UAE in the field of culture and heritage, since it opens up a myriad of possibilities for cooperation in the near- and long-term future. She stressed that culture is an important aspect in the dialogue be- tween different countries, and the Ministry pledges to give its full support to future col- laborations. Heritage Malta's Chief Executive Officer, Noel Zammit, said that the agency is striving to make the national collection accessible not only to the local publicbut also to international audiences, and the exhibition in Sharjah is a case in point. Such initiatives help to understand the multi- cultural value of our artefacts and enrich our knowledge of these treasures, while provid- ing a perfect example of how different national entities can work together to further enrich each other's national identity. The Maimūnah Stone will be exhibited at the Sharjah Muse- um of Islamic Civilization until the end of June. The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization in the UAE