Rare coins in Capital speak of Islam’s tolerance

Rare coins in Capital speak of Islam’s tolerance

An extraordinary gold coin minted during the reign of Abdul Malik B. Marwan and the first to bare the Islamic expression of faith, the Kalimah, is among the most precious collections on display for visitors of a rare exhibition at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi.. The Coins of Islam - History Revealed exhibition, which was inaugurated last week, has brought together more than 300 rare and precious coins dating from the time of Alexander, tracking the emergence of the Islamic empire from just after the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to the emergence of the Caliphates in Syria and its subsequent spread across North Africa into Al Andalus.. In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Swiss expat Dr Alain Baron, founder of Numismatica Genevensis SA who is also the curator and organiser of the exhibition, said it took him almost 10 years to collect the coins from different parts of the world. ". The idea was to get the very best coins of every civilisation,"' said Baron.. We realised that creating a narrative between Islam and the rest of the world was a very powerful message and there was no better way to