Who We Are

The Institute of Islamic Art & Architecture is a nonprofit educational and cultural initiative dedicated to introducing new generations to Islamic art and architecture through a contemporary language of beauty, knowledge, and identity.

The Institute was founded in New York by architect Imad Darouich, based on the belief that art is not a luxury, but a powerful means of education, character development, and aesthetic awareness.

We want children and young people to discover that behind calligraphy, ornament, domes, courtyards, and geometric proportion lies a story, an idea, and a civilization.

Youth at the heart of the mission

Children and young people are at the heart of this initiative. We seek to provide them with a safe, beautiful, and inspiring environment — a place where they can draw, design, experiment, and ask questions.

We want to place modern technology beside heritage, not against it.

• From pencil drawing to Arabic calligraphy
• From Islamic geometry to SketchUp
• From traditional drawing to three-dimensional design
• From studying the historic mosque to imagining the mosque of the future

The journey begins in New York

We begin in New York, a city where the cultures of the world meet, and we want Islamic art to have a meaningful presence within it as a language of knowledge, dialogue, and beauty.

Our vision extends beyond a single workshop and beyond a single exhibition. We seek to build a program capable of growing and expanding into other schools, centers, and communities — becoming an educational platform for Islamic art and architecture.