Virtual tour

Demonstrating the contribution of Muslim soldiers in WW1, including the 89,000 who died fighting for the allies.

Conflicts took place from Asia to The Western Front, involving thousands of Muslim soldiers.

Much of the recruitment, particularly as the war prolonged, took place via noblemen and recruiting officers in India.

Although a key aspect of the war was its new reliance on technology – from aircraft to poison gas – animals were still an essential part of the war effort.

During the war, millions of letters were sent back and forth each week, allowing great insight into personal feelings and experiences of soldiers during the war.

As the war took its full toll, British newspapers began to praise their heroic Muslim soldiers, particularly as German anti-British propaganda was targeting Muslims in particular.

Some Muslim soldiers were subject to conversion attempts by the YMCA (The Young Men’s Christian Association).

Letters and records reveal the experiences of Muslim soldiers practicing their faith, such as regular prayer and fasting.

Exploring the experiences of Muslim soldiers while at sea, through letters and diary entries.

Some propaganda aimed at Muslim soldiers was orchestrated by the German authorities in an attempt to undermine the Muslims’ allegiance to the Allies.

The famous football matches that took place in no man’s land during the 1914 Christmas Truce have received lots of attention recently, but their historical accuracy has also been disputed.

After conflicts in Egypt around the Suez Canal, the revolt began when Hussein’s supporters attacked the Ottomans in Mecca in a battle that lasted over a month.

In 1916, the British and French made this secret agreement in order to decide on who would take control of the Arab territories of the Ottoman Empire once the First World War was over.

Revealing experiences of the Arab world through letters and diary entries.

The Woking Burial Ground, not too far from the Shah Jehan Mosque, was the first cemetery for Muslims who died in the war.

Exploring a symbol of the Muslim presence in World War One: the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking.

The Indian Order of Merit was a significant decoration in British India, and hundreds of soldiers received the honour for their efforts in the war.

Exploring some of the hundreds of thousands of individual stories about Muslim women in the war.

A number of Muslim soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross.

When it came to desertion, the cause was often due homesickness or depression, though faith did play a role in response to certain conflicts.