Islamic Material Culture in West Africa

Islamic Material Culture in West Africa is a public humanities project funded by the Humanities EXPLORE Program 2025–2026 at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Bringing together archival research, curatorial practice, and community engagement, the project explores the histories and meanings of Islamic material culture in West Africa. Through a collaborative partnership between the National Ethnographical Museum and exhibition galleries at UCSC, the initiative supports the development of an international exhibition and catalog focused on objects, manuscripts, and artistic traditions connected to Muslim societies in the Senegambia region.

Building on ongoing research and teaching initiatives on Islam in West Africa, the project seeks to make African Islamic histories more accessible to both academic and public audiences. Students and collaborators participate in archival and object-based research, exhibition preparation, and public programming, gaining hands-on experience in research methods, curatorial work, event coordination, and public humanities practice. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-cultural dialogue, the project highlights the richness and diversity of Islamic traditions in West Africa and their global historical significance.