Al Burda
Al Burda
About
Al Burda is a multidisciplinary platform run by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, dedicated to celebrating diverse facets of Islamic arts and culture, through promoting creativity and experimentation in Islamic art practices and fostering critical discourse between experts, institutions and communities on the past, present and future of Islamic culture. The platform engages with the public through its Al Burda Award and Festival on a biennial basis, Al Burda Endowment which is held alternately, as well as public programming in the UAE and abroad including talks, workshops and exhibitions.
* The name itself, Al Burda, is derived from Qasidat Al Burda, or Ode of the Mantle, an epic poem for the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), authored by the 12th century Sufi mystic Imam Al Busiri.
The brand story
Al Burda’s brand identity was developed by Sharjah-based Fikra Design Studio in 2018. The logo direction, which reads “Al Burda” (البردة), is inspired by the formal structure of written Arabic poetry. The logotype utilizes a bold baseline to reflect the patterns created by the lines of poetry. The logo is dynamic, and can adapt to different formats by widening and shortening its length.
The varied color palette and application is inspired by old-school Arab printing press trends, in which the contents of the cover would be printed in one tone (black) on colored paper.
