Date: Friday, October 30, 2026
Start: 16.45 PM
Location: Erasmusstraat 137
On Friday, October 30 at 4:45 PM, we celebrate the return of the artwork. Erasmus & Rumi to Erasmusstraat at number 137. In 2008, a mural was installed here depicting Erasmus (1466, 1467 or 1469-1536) together with the Persian poet-philosopher and Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273). The work was commissioned by BKOR and created by the Iranian-Dutch artist Ahmad Haraji to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Rumi's birth.
In Erasmusstraat, Haraji wanted to connect a Western and an Eastern representative of religiously inspired humanism. Erasmus and Rumi – although originating from very different philosophical traditions – both strongly longed for (religious) tolerance. And that remains a very important and relevant message, especially in the context of modern, multicultural, and multireligious Rotterdam. Consequently, a calligraphed Persian poem has been added to the mural. In translation: 'We have come to create a sense of unity. We have not come to sow division.' On the accompanying facade inscription next to the Gültepe Mosque located in Erasmusstraat, it reads concisely as: 'We have come to unite, not to divide.'
Unfortunately, the painting was so severely damaged by a storm in the autumn of 2024 that the work could no longer be restored. In consultation with and in accordance with the artist's wishes, the work is now returning in the form of a print of the original painting, made possible in part by a public fundraising campaign. The celebration of the work's return marks the conclusion of Erasmus Week. The theme of Erasmus Week is: Building Bridges. Erasmus and Rumi fit this perfectly: as bridge-builders in their time, with a call for open-mindedness, respect for one another's views, and tolerance that is highly relevant even today.
More information about the program and accompanying publication will follow.
With thanks to the Erasmus Icon of Rotterdam Committee, Elise Mathilde Fund, Erasmus Foundation, Gültepe Mosque, Havensteder, Platform for Philosophical and Religious Organizations Rotterdam (Platform L&R), Remonstrant Congregation of Rotterdam, Rotary Club Rotterdam-Noord, and Rotterdam City Archives.