Celebrating the importance of women leaders in history, and marking International Women’s Day on 8th March, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), has been gifted an exquisite and unique commemorative gold medal, struck by Numismatica Genevensis, to honour her Patronage of the exhibition, Coins of Islam: History Revealed at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC). The medal was gifted by the Curator of the exhibition, Dr Alain Baron, Founder of specialist coin auction house and research institution, Numismatica Genevensis, to mark the exhibition opening.
The exhibition itself, launched on 28th February, and inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, presents one of the world’s most significant collections of Arab and Islamic coinage ever assembled, through the unique perspective on that history afforded by coins and currency.
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Curator Dr Alain Baron at the inauguration
of the exhibition ‘Coins of Islam: History Revealed’ at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre
One of the many unique aspects of this exhibition is a dedicated pavilion celebrating the achievements of great women throughout various Islamic eras, as seen through the history of coins. As Patron of the exhibition, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bin Mubarak’s stated that the title, ‘Coins of Islam: History Revealed’, indeed fits this exhibition’s context which explores the extended history of the Islamic nations, in all its details. It allows both men and women to learn about the flourishing of early Islam across various successive eras, whilst revealing its hidden gems and vast impact.
Her Highness expressed how impressed she was by the many coins engraved with images of influential women who left their mark on Islamic history. One example is the Silver Dirham from AH183 (799/800 CE), depicting the Abbasid Princess Zubayda bin Jafar ibn Mansur, who was particularly remembered for the series of reservoirs and artificial pools that provided water for Muslim pilgrims along the route from Baghdad to Mecca and Medina, said to be financed by Princess Zubayda herself, with the route being subsequently renamed the “Darb Zubayda” in her honor.”.
Striking coins, carrying the names of these great women, is an authentic display of appreciation towards them and highlights how Islam honored women throughout history by situating them at the core foundation of societies.
The exhibition also sets a historical context, additionally displaying examples of great women celebrated across the span of history, represented on coins since the earliest times. They are inarguable evidence of the important role women played in earliest civilization, both from the physical domain as well as the spiritual and mythological. Examples include both protecting goddesses, such as Athena, depicted on a Silver Tetradrachm from Ancient Greece (c. 450-400 BCE), or great women from history, such as Mary or Maryam. Other examples include Cleopatra of Egypt, Catherine II of Russia, and Queen Victoria of Great Britain.
