Strengthening Comparative Islamic Acculturation in Museum Heritage across Asia and Europe
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20013901Keywords:
Islamic acculturation, museum heritage, comparative Islam, Indonesia, Egypt, PortugalAbstract
Background: Islamic acculturation has developed as a dynamic process through which Islamic values interact with diverse cultural systems across different regions. However, most studies remain geographically limited and lack a comparative intercontinental perspective that connects material culture and museum heritage across Asia and Europe.
Methods: This study employs a qualitative comparative approach using interpretative analysis of museum-based cultural heritage in Indonesia (Ronggowarsito Museum), Egypt (Ismailia cultural heritage context), and Portugal (Algarve Islamic legacy). Data are derived from secondary sources, museum documentation, and relevant scholarly literature, with a focus on material culture, architecture, and symbolic representations of Islam.
Results: The findings reveal distinct patterns of Islamic acculturation across regions. In Indonesia, Islamic values are strongly integrated into symbolic and ritual material culture. In Egypt, Islamic heritage reflects a synthesis of social practice, historical continuity, and colonial interaction. In Portugal, Islamic presence is primarily preserved through architectural remnants, toponymy, and linguistic traces of the Andalusian legacy.
Discussion: The study demonstrates that Islamic acculturation is not uniform but context-dependent. In Asia, it tends to be adaptive and symbolic; in Africa, it is historically layered and socially embedded; while in Europe, it is largely residual and materialized through heritage fragments. These differences highlight the flexibility of Islam in engaging with diverse civilizational environments.
Conclusion: Islamic acculturation operates as a transregional cultural process shaped by historical interaction, material heritage, and local reinterpretation. Museums and heritage sites function as critical spaces for preserving and interpreting these diverse Islamic cultural expressions.
Novelty: This study offers a strengthened comparative framework of Islamic acculturation across Asia and Europe by integrating museum heritage analysis, providing a transcontinental perspective rarely addressed in Islamic Studies literature.
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