The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has released the first volume of the Directory of Museums in the Islamic World, entitled “Museums of African Region,” which features an overview of museum institutions in sub-Saharan African countries that are ICESCO members. It is the first publication of the Center of Heritage in the Islamic World at ICESCO’s Sector of Culture and Communication.

The 178-page guide aims to promote cultural tourism by highlighting museums for students, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs in the cultural field.
The publication includes a preface by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, wherein he highlights the importance of this volume as a document that catalogs 194 museums, which is updated every two years, in cooperation with the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture of Member States.

“The database will allow the creation of a platform to facilitate exchange between museum specialists aimed at facilitating remote access to information, promoting cultural tourism, and establishing a network of museums in the Islamic world,” added Dr. AlMalik.

This new cultural publication of ICESCO is part of its efforts to support its Member States in promoting their cultural heritage, strengthening the cultural economy, developing cultural industries through incubators, and inscribing cultural monuments and elements on the Islamic World Heritage List to turn the cultural sector into a strategic hub for development and a mean to provide employment opportunities.