A Muslim History of Oxford Walking Trail

Discover the wide-ranging histories of Muslims who settled across the city of Oxford from the late nineteenth century to the present.

This trail is an output of 'A Muslim History of Oxford', a community history project in partnership with the University of Oxford's Community History Hub and Everyday Muslim. The trail was developed in consultation with Uncomfortable Oxford, an Oxford-based social enterprise and tour guide organisation.

Image credit: POX0562439, Notices displayed at Central Oxford Mosque in Bath Street, 2009, Courtesy of the Oxfordshire Historical Centre.

1
Somerville College

Somerville College houses archival materials related to the Oxford Majlis, which was a student society modeled after the Cambridge Majlis...

3
Al Shami

Al Shami restaurant was the site of Oxford's first halal butchers, and was established in the 1960s. Prior to its...

4

Founded in 1921, City of Oxford Motor Services Limited was an important site of employment in the 1950s and 1960s...

6
Oxford Union

On 3 December 1964, Malcolm X addressed the Oxford Union when he partook in the 'Queen and Country' debate. He...

7
Balliol College

In trying to identify some of the earliest Muslim students to matriculate at the University after the enactment of the...

8
Trinity College

Brothers Wasif Ali and Naseer Ali Mirza became the first racialised minority and Indian students to be enrolled at Trinity...

9
Oxford Martin School

The Oxford Martin School was the sity of of the Oxford Indian Institute, which provided training to Indian civil servants....

1678

Ashmolean Museum

Author:

EMHAI

Founded in 1678, the Ashmolean Museum features an Islamic and Middle East Gallery which exhibits a selection of artifacts made in the Islamic world during a period of more than 1,000 years. Museums are not neutral spaces and it is critical it analyse the long-lasting effects of Oxford as an imperial centre and site of knowledge production. What is the significance of having historical materials related to the history of Islam in Oxford? How do locals and scholars interact with them?

Tags

Sources and Attribution

Aleena Din - Aleena is a historian of gender, class and race in modern Britain. Her DPhil research, which was completed at Balliol College and the Faculty of History in 2022, focuses on the migration, settlement and labour experiences of working-class British-Pakistani women who settled in Middlesbrough and Oldham between 1962 and 2002. Aleena is the co-investigator of the community history project 'A Muslim History of Oxford', in collaboration with the national heritage organisation 'Everyday Muslim'. In addition, she is a postdoctoral research associate for the digital humanities project, 'Remaking Britain: South Asian Connections and Networks, 1830 to the Present' at the University of Bristol (2025).

Spotted an issue Report this record

Loading please wait