Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Yayasan) hosted an appreciation ceremony for participants of the Brunei Darussalam International Islamic Calligraphy Festival 2024 (BDIICF 2024) at a hotel in Gadong recently.
The event saw the presentation of souvenirs to the winners and judges of the Khat competition and to the presenters and facilitators of BDIICF 2024.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, in his capacity as Chairman of the Yayasan Board of Directors was the guest of honour.
The event was attended by Yayasan board members, officers from Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB), a delegation from Turkiye’s Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) and sponsors of the BDIICF 2024.
The winners and judges of the Khat Competition Asia Region Level 2024, an event co-organised by IRCICA, Turkiye and Yayasan, as well as presenters and facilitators of the festival were also present.
The ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, followed by welcoming remarks from Rector of Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, the Co-Chairperson of the BDIICF 2024 committee.
BDIICF 2024 was organised for the first time through a collaboration between Yayasan, UNISSA, KUPU SB and Turkiye’s IRCICA.
The festival aimed to promote knowledge on Islamic calligraphy, both regionally and internationally, raising awareness of the significance of Islamic calligraphy in various aspects.
It also provided a platform for local and international experts to share their insights contributing to the development of calligraphy and Islamic art. – Lyna Mohamad
