In Turin since 1985 the centre intends to become part of the cultural reality of Turin, Piedmont and Italy, with a variety of activities and proposals representing a bridge between worlds which are differentiated only in their appearance but which in fact enjoy a wealth of analogies that have their roots in the many great philosophers, travellers and theologians in the long social history and customs of both cultures.

PURPOSE OF THE CENTRE
1. To increase knowledge of Arab and Islamic culture in Italy and of Italian and western culture in Arab countries.
2. To find areas of similarity and understanding, promoting effective study and research exchanges.
3. To offer adequate practical information services with emphasis on an orientation towards Italian culture and that of origins, with support for cultural integration while preserving the identify and culture of origin.
4. To achieve reciprocal, friendly awareness and understanding. To this end conferences, debates, round tables, Arab cinema and theatre festivals, auditions of Arab music will all be organised, together with exhibitions and every other kind of event which is useful in promoting this aim.
5. To offer the possibility of using a specialist library and video library and of exploiting the cultural availability of members of the Executive and its partners.
6- To organise courses in Arab language and culture: the teaching of Arab language and culture for Arab children and adults resident in Turin and the surrounding areas, oriented towards the preservation of their identity. The teaching in divulgative form of Arab language and culture for Italians, together with information that is useful for a knowledge of that culture and the development of exchanges, including of a tourist and commercial type; to communicate useful information to all relevant cultural organisations and entities.
The activities of the DAR AL HIKMA cultural centre do not include political propaganda or religious proselytism

The Cultural Centre was inaugurated in November 2000, while the inauguration of the Hammam is October 2001.

Cover of expenses in relation to cultural activities including:

• a contribution of 30,000,000 lire has been decided by the Board of Culture for the Province of Turin, to be paid when initiatives have been concluded.
• the Hamam cooperative has made available the sum of 10,000,000 lire to the Centre to implement initiatives.
• the Dar Al Hikma Cultural Centre has an income of 1,500,000 lire from membership fees.

The Association Executive comprises:
Younis Tawfik (President), Alfredo Luvino (Vice President), Silvia Fiore (Secretary), Fatah Abdul Ridha (Director), Tarek Awad Allah (Director).

The following have adhered to the Centre's initiatives:
1- The General Consulate of Tunisia in Genoa.
2- The General Consulate of the Hascemite Kingdom of Jordan.
3- The Embassy of Iraq.
4- The Science Archives of the University of Turin.
5- Centre Culturel Francais.
6- Institut du Mond Arabe in Paris.
7- VII Constituency Zone.
8- Council of Turin.
9- Province of Turin.
10- Piedmont Region.
11- Compagna San Paolo

CURRENT OPERATING YEAR ESTIMATED BUDGET:
Restructuring: Already spent approx. 1,000,000,000 (A billion lire) with figure expected to rise to 1,300,000,000 lire (One billion and three hundred million lire).
Library: Already spent 74,000,000 (Seventy four million lire) with figure expected to rise to 200,000,000 (Two hundred million lire).
"Extrainforma" Office: Already spent 24,000,000 (Twenty-four million lire) with figure expected to rise to 74,000,000 (Seventy-four million lire).
Cultural activities: Already spent 30,000,000 (Thirty million lire). To conclude the project, "Days of cultural integration", with the contribution of the Province of Turin, the figure is expected to rise to 160,000,000 (one hundred and sixty million lire).
Total investment for cultural activity and construction from private subjects:
Hamam Cooperative: £. 810,000,000 (Eight hundred and ten million) for restructuring.
Piedmont Region: £. 100,000,000 (One hundred million) for restructuring.
Piedmont Region: £. 140,000,000 (One hundred and forty million ) for the Library.
Turin Province: £. 30,000,000 (Thirty million) for cultural activities.
Turin City Council: £. 35,000,000 (Thirty-five million) for the Extrainforma Office. Dar al Hikma Arab-Italian Cultural Centre Services
As Sheherazade affirms in the "Thousand and one nights", a city, to be a true city, must have a great Hammam i.e. a great Public Baths, inspired by the Roman Thermae, a place for meeting, relaxation and entertainment, for social use during leisure time.
The Dar al Hikma Cultural Centre seeks to satisfy the need, in a varied and complex way, for cultural and social services which have for quite some time been noted and ardently expressed in our city by many of our associates and by the immigrant community of Arab and Middle Eastern origin, understood in its widest sense, as well as by immigrants of various origins together with interested Italians. The structure, provided with polyfunctional complementary spaces, will be able to promote for the whole city opportunities for cultural exchange, intercommunity friendship and social integration. The building which has been assigned for restructuring to the Arab-Italian Cultural Centre by the VII Constituency zone, will make it possible to concentrate those activities which are more directly cultural and informational (school, book library, newspaper and magazine library, meeting centre, office, etc.) with the most important opportunity traditionally offered in the Middle East world, the hammam, in turn completed by other important accessory elements. There will also be the provision of showers for those who do not use the hammam.
The integrated socio-cultural centre which is thus outlined will certainly have a significant role at a citizen level in encouraging reciprocal awareness of specific differences in the community that lives in Turin, finally expressed in constructive terms of openness, friendship, willingness to interact and everyday exchange.
The centre contains, on the ground floor (courtyard), a room for the cuisine workshop.
On the upper floor (first floor), passing through the small cafeteria which is based on a typical oriental café, with alcoholic beverages not served, there are all the rooms of the Arab-Italian Cultural Centre. The meeting centre also houses the "Extrainforma immigrants assistance service" as part of the Municipality of Turin Foreigners Office together with other offices of the VII municipal constituency zone. In addition to the book library, the newspaper and magazine library and the reading room a hall for lessons and small specialist meetings has also been created.
The hammam will be located on the second floor, designed in keeping with the most typical and functional layout, while bearing in mind all the hygienic standards and regulations in force and the most modern technologies.
The unit will be built to comfortably accommodate some 40 people.
The management of the hammam, the café and some services has been entrusted to the Hamam cooperative of expert personnel, for the most part of foreign origin.
The location of the centre has been appropriately chosen, in that it is near to Piazza della Repubblica, one of the areas in the city with a greater confluence of national and non-EU citizens as well as being near to the new car parks, constructed on corso XI febbraio.
This will make is particularly easy to access for those with private cars, including those travelling some distance.
THE DAR AL HIKMA CULTURAL CENTRE SPACES AND SERVICES
- Traditional oriental popular Hammam: "Hammam al-Bâb"
- Public showers.
- Massage and physiotherapy room.
- Oriental Cafeteria: "al-Hambra literary café".
- Reading room: "Asila".
- "Extrainforma" information and guidance office for foreigners.
- Information and employment office.
- Specialised multicultural library: "Alessandria"
- Computer stations and internet sites.
- Lecture hall for courses, seminars, specialist meetings: "Ibn Rushd"
- Polyfunctional room for exhibitions, conferences, debates, festivities etc.: "al-Azisa"
- Multiethnic cakes and pastries and cuisine workshop.
- Multi-ethnic restaurant: "al-Andalus".
CENTRE ACTIVITIES
- Courses in foreign cultures and languages.
- Courses in Italian culture and language.
- Courses in Egyptology.
- Courses in Archaeology.
- Courses in Islamic art.
- Courses in music.
- Courses in oriental folk dancing.
- Professional and training courses.
- Seminars on culture, literature and art.
- Seminars on ethics, thought and human behaviour.
- Debates on religions.
- Debates on current social and political problems.
- Cultural evenings and meetings.
- Poetry recitals.
- Exhibitions and expositions.
- Traditional products and craft exhibitions.
- Literary prize: Dar al Hikma.
- Bilingual cultural magazine: Dar al Hikma.
To Caliph al-Ma'mûn (813 to 833 AD) goes the merit for creating the Bayt or Dâr al-Hikma (House of knowledge) in Baghdad, a sort of academy where an intense translation activity was carried out from Greek, Latin, Syriac and other languages, providing a powerful impulse for the development of medical, scientific and philosophical studies.