Cultural Foundation

In English, the institute is referred to as the Cultural Foundation. The Arabic name, Al Mujama' Al Thaqafi, takes on a different tone. To translate Al Mujama' Al Thaqafi from Arabic to English, we first refer to its morphology by deconstructing the word to its three-letter root. The root of Al Mujama' is jama' — a verb meaning "to assemble". Al Mujama' therefore means "the gathering place". The second word, Al Thaqafi, simply translates to "the cultural". With Mujama' and Thaqafi combined, the Arabic name literally translates to "the cultural meeting place" — a name that carries a welcoming, people-centred tone quite different from the institutional weight of "foundation".

Dr. Reem El Mutwalli, previous exhibition manager of the Cultural Foundation, explains that the Arabic name was derived from the fact that several entities were gathered in the same location — an assembly of departments with different functions, all related to culture. According to the building's architect Hisham Ashkouri, the institution was initially named The National Library and Cultural Center. It was in the early 2000s that the name Cultural Foundation came into existence. "The original name of National Library and Cultural Center implied that the main function of the complex was a National Library and the cultural activities were part of the project but not the main principles of the building," Ashkouri noted in a 2019 interview. The shift in name reflects a shift in vision — from a library with cultural activities, to a cultural gathering place in its own right.