Forty-five metres long and two metres high, this mural depicts the story of the Prophet Mohammed’s journey from Mecca to Madina, from darkness to enlightenment; from pre-Islam to the modern-day. It decorates one wall of the bridge that connects two parts of the museum, one half containing pre-Islamicexhibits and the second half containing treasures from Islam in the modern-day. Whilst the work contains all of the key events of the journey, it does so using abstract imagery, texture, colour and scale to tell the story. One of the key criteria was to ensure the work was accessible to a broad spectrum of visitors – from school children through to academics, local people and those from around the world.

The mural’s design, to be read from right to left in this illustration, follows the prophet’s journey to enlightenment and begins on the right with the Bismillah etched into the clay. A golden thread dissects the mural across its full length, representing Islam – bright, strong and eternal