About the Project

The project “Islamic Heritage Database” is a project of the Religions Studies of the Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias.

We present a survey list of Islamic heritage in Portugal (Including contemporary heritage of Islamic influence), both built and museological, with a methodically description in systematic records.

In Europe some projects focusing on "Master Pieces" have already taken place. But this is the first time that a country meets all this information in a systematic way, allowing knowing and correctly assess the extent of Islamic heritage and identity in national and European history.

Conscious that knowledge is the only way to build a society ruled by dialogue and respect, the project “Base de Dados do Património Islâmico” intends to be an instrument available to the entire Lusophone society, with the goal to enable the contact with the Islamic heritage, with the Islamic patrimony existent in Portugal.

Far from being the heritage of a minority, the Islam that developed to what is now Portuguese territory, was central and primal in terms of culture, science and society. That Islam cannot be linked with a mental space where the words curiosity or exotic reside. That Islam is part of the cultural womb and identity and must therefore be studied, understood and given reach to all citizens.

This is the role of this project that introduces, at this point, the first stage of the survey of the Tangible Heritage, which will be followed by the Intangible Heritage in both terms of language and tradition.

Note: this project integrated, in 2015 and 2016, the activities of the Al-Muhaidib Institute of Islamic Studies.