Research Centre for Islamic History Art and Culture(IRCICA) Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC)

What Research Centre for Islamic History Art and Culture(IRCICA) Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) does

IRCICA (Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture) is an intergovernmental cultural research organization established in 1980 as the cultural subsidiary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Headquartered in Istanbul, Türkiye, within the historical Bâb-ı Âli complex in the Cağaloğlu district (relocated there in 2017 from the Yıldız Palace complex), the center conducts research, publications, training, and information services on Islamic civilization across topics including the history of Muslim peoples, geography, religion, science, philosophy, literature, art, and architecture. Its mandate explicitly extends to the 57 OIC member states, and it maintains active cooperation with cultural and academic institutions in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Uganda, Bahrain, Malaysia, and the UAE.

The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected digital platforms: the Al-Farabi Digital Library (library.ircica.org) and Open Access portal (openaccess.ircica.org) provide access to digitized manuscripts, rare books, and archival materials; IRCICA Arts (arts.ircica.org) delivers virtual training in Islamic calligraphy (twice weekly) and book illumination (weekly), with icazet certification awarded to participants; the publications shop (shop.ircica.org) distributes scholarly works; and the institutional website (www.ircica.org) coordinates conferences, competitions, exhibitions, and public lectures. As of December 2025, the collection comprises 530 manuscripts under 284 titles, of which 130 have been digitized.

As a non-profit intergovernmental body, IRCICA operates under OIC oversight through a General Assembly, a Board of Directors, and a Director General (Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç), and is supported by an Administration & Finance department and an Information Technology department. Its primary customer segments are the academic and research community (universities, scholars, and students), cultural institutions and museums (governmental cultural bodies in OIC member states), and individual artists and artisans learning traditional Islamic arts. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the only commercial stream identified is one-time publication sales, while library access, archives, and educational programs are provided free of charge.

Name

Research Centre for Islamic History Art and Culture(IRCICA) Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC)

Legal name

Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA)

Website

https://ircica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IRCICA is an intergovernmental cultural research organization and the cultural subsidiary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), founded in 1980 and headquartered in Istanbul, Türkiye. It conducts research, manuscript digitization, publishing, and training in Islamic history, art, and calligraphy, serving academic researchers, cultural institutions, and artists across the OIC's 57 member states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Cultural Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums (712110)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAKAH

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Institutional Governance & Administration (School/College/University Admin)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage research
• Islamic manuscript digitization
• Intergovernmental cultural cooperation
• Islamic arts training
• Scholarly publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Publications Sales: IRCICA publishes books, catalogues, and research materials on Islamic history, art, and culture which are sold through their online shop (shop.ircica.org). Revenue is generated through sale of publications to individuals, institutions, and libraries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IRCICA is an intergovernmental research and cultural institution under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that conducts research, publications, training, and information services on Islamic history, civilization, art, and culture. It operates digital library and archive systems providing access to digitized manuscripts and rare books, offers training programs in Islamic calligraphy and book arts, organizes international conferences and exhibitions, and publishes scholarly works sold through its online shop.

Product overview

IRCICA operates as a research and cultural institution under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), offering a portfolio of interconnected digital platforms and programs. The core offerings include the main institutional website for research activities and publications, the Al-Farabi Digital Library for accessing manuscripts and archival materials, the IRCICA Arts platform for Islamic calligraphy and illumination training programs, an online publications shop, and an open access portal for digitized scholarly works. Research activities span studies on the Holy Quran, history of Islamic civilization, cultural and architectural heritage, and Islamic arts and handicrafts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IRCICA Arts: Dedicated platform focused on Islamic arts, calligraphy, training courses, exhibitions, and competitions related to Islamic artistic heritage.

Products and services

• IRCICA Library & Archive (Al-Farabi Digital Library) Digital library platform providing access to IRCICA's collections of printed books, journals, rare books, manuscripts, and archival materials covering Islamic history, geography, religion, science, philosophy, literature, art, and architecture. Used by researchers, academics, and institutions worldwide.
• IRCICA Arts

Quantifiable outcome

• 530 manuscripts catalogued; 130 manuscripts digitized and made accessible online
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Manuscripts Institution of Türkiye (TÜYEK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 December 2025TÜYEK President Coşkun Yılmaz emphasized the importance of manuscripts for the history of thought. TÜYEK maintains constant communication and cooperation with IRCICA for manuscript cataloguing and preservation efforts.
• Veysel Bulut and Assoc. Dr. Emek Üşenmez (Catalogue Compilers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent scholars who compiled the Catalogue of Manuscripts in the IRCICA Library, containing 530 manuscripts under 284 titles.
• Imam Bukhari Research Center (Samarkand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint online seminars organized on 'Early dictionaries of the Qur'an in Central Asia' and 'Hadith Literature Sources from the Ashtarkhanid Period' in March and April 2026.
• Bilim Qazyna Foundation, AlmatyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of the Kazakh edition of the 'History of the Ottoman State and Civilisation'.
• International Turkic AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntroduction of International Turkic Academy activities to cultural-diplomatic circles at IRCICA meeting on 5 June 2026.
• Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan Academy of SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 21st Ubaydulla Karimov Conference for Orientalists along with Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies and IRCICA.
• Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) General SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRCICA is the cultural subsidiary of the OIC. The center operates under the OIC's organizational structure and serves its 57 member states.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Dar al-Maktaba (Bibliotheca Alexandrina - Islamic Heritage Collection): Modern Egyptian library with a dedicated Islamic and Arabic heritage collection, offering digital access and scholarly programs. Comparable as a MENA-region cultural-heritage library and research institution with digitization ambitions.

Regional players

• Topkapı Palace Museum Library (Türkiye): Historical Ottoman manuscript collection held within Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, with growing public digitization efforts. Comparable as a Türkiye-based Islamic manuscript heritage institution operated under state auspices.

Direct peers

• Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia: Southeast Asian museum dedicated to Islamic decorative arts, with scholarly publications and exhibitions. Comparable as a regional Islamic-heritage curator with museum-style exhibitions and educational programming alongside a manuscript/artifact library.
• Chester Beatty Library and Collections (Dublin): Major international collection of Islamic, East Asian, and European manuscripts, with strong digitization programs and public exhibitions. Comparable as a specialized manuscript library with active digital outreach and conservation focus.
• Aga Khan Documentation and Information Library Services: Aga Khan Trust for Culture's library and documentation arm cataloguing Islamic manuscripts and supporting cultural-heritage scholarship. Comparable as an Islamic-heritage focused library and documentation initiative under a major institutional backer.
• Qatar National Library: State-backed national library with major Heritage Collections of Islamic manuscripts and books, providing free digital access to researchers. Comparable as a Gulf-state-funded cultural institution combining digital library services with manuscript heritage preservation.
• King Abdulaziz Public Library (Saudi Arabia): Major Saudi governmental library, documentation, and translation center housing extensive Islamic manuscripts and rare Arabic texts. Comparable as a state-funded Islamic heritage institution serving both researchers and the wider Arabic-reading public.
• Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation: London-based charitable foundation dedicated to the study and publication of Islamic manuscripts, including manuscript catalogues and scholarly editions. Highly comparable as a specialist publisher-cataloger of Islamic manuscripts with deep academic output.

Broad incumbents

• Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF - Department of Manuscripts): National library of France with one of Europe's most important Arabic/Islamic manuscript collections under its Department of Manuscripts ( département des manuscrits). Comparable as a national library holding significant Islamic manuscript collections open to researchers globally.
• British Library (Qatar Digital Library partnership): National library operating one of the world's largest Islamic manuscript collections, including the collaborative Qatar Digital Library. Directly comparable as a manuscript digitization and scholarly access platform serving Islamic civilization researchers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ircica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5fEZ2XpygpvrN9XkpSh0GQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ircica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oic-ircica
• Instagraminstagram.com/oic.ircica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Research Centre for Islamic History Art and Culture(IRCICA) Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC)