The 38th International Holy Quran Recitation Competition was held on October 17 at the Bielefeld Stadthalle. The event, which featured young participants from various parts of Europe who qualified for the finals, was attended by guests from across Europe, as well as from Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye. Originally launched approximately 41 years ago as the “European Holy Quran Recitation Competition,” the event was held this year with an international scope. The program, which drew an audience of 2,500, opened with a recitation of the Holy Quran by Bedirhan Şahin, the winner of the 14–18 age category in the previous competition.
Eight finalists from different regions of Europe competed in two separate age categories. In the 10–13 age category, the results were as follows: Ahmed Malik Ayan (Hesse region) took 1st place, Musab Ağdere (Eastern France region) took 2nd, Muaz Sever (Ruhr-A region) took 3rd.
For the first time, “Service to the Quran” awards were presented during this year’s event. The awards were given to Hafiz Imam Abdullah Demir, who has served in the *mihrab* (prayer niche) for over 40 years, and to Gürsel Turhan, who played a key role in initiating *hafiz* (Quran memorization) programs.