The International Qur'an Festival will take place in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow on 8 September.

The final stage of the 18th Moscow International Qur'an reciting competition will take place during this festival. It is well known that the chairman of the Russia Muftis Council and the Religious Board of Muslims of Russia, mufti sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, has been the president of the Contest for the last 18 years. According to foreign international organizations involved in the Qur'anic research, the Moscow contest is one of the three best contests in the world.

The contest was held in 2000 for the first time, and since then the best reciters of the Qur’an come to Moscow every year to participate in this prestigious event and to get their skills assessed by experts.

This year the contest is taking place under the patronage of His Majesty the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The event’s sponsor is the Safmar charity fund whose activity is aimed at promoting cultural and moral principles and  common values in the modern world.

This year recognized Qur’an reciters from more than 30 countries will participate in the contest and compete in the Tilawah (beautiful recitation of the Holy Scripture). Russia is represented by Barakatullo Zarifi, a graduate of the Moscow Islamic University, who won the first prize at the all-Russian Qur’an reciting competition, which took place this year.

The organizers are planning to arrange a 3-hour programme in the concert hall including a different workshops and a bazaar where the designers of modest clothes can present their collections.

The programme starts at 12-00 in the lobby. The official part of the festival starts at 15-00.