This is a traditional international event that connects Zagreb every year with Qur\u2019an reciters from different parts of the world. This year, around 50 contestants<\/strong> took part, in the categories of tilawah, 15 juz\u2019 and hifz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For MinbarLive, this competition was a special experience. We had the opportunity to take part in its program and technical delivery through the use of our system for real-time Qur\u2019an recitation recognition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the competition, MinbarLive tracked the contestants\u2019 recitation, automatically recognized the part of the Qur\u2019an currently being recited, and displayed the corresponding Arabic verse text and its translation<\/strong> to visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was especially important to us that the technology did not distract from the recitation itself. The idea is exactly the opposite: to help the listener follow more easily what they are already hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each visitor could independently choose the language in which they wanted to follow the meaning of the Qur\u2019an, from more than 40 languages for which official translations are available in the system<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means the same performance, at the same moment, can be accessible to people from different language backgrounds \u2014 without the organizer needing to choose a single common translation language in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most demanding parts of such a system is speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With regular speech, the system can follow a continuous sequence of words. With Qur\u2019an recitation, it is additionally necessary to understand where the reciter currently is within the Qur\u2019anic text<\/strong>, identify the verse, and maintain synchronization even when reciters have different pacing, recitation styles, and performance approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the competition, recognition happened within just a few seconds<\/strong>. The system enabled near real-time word-level tracking, while tracking and synchronization at the verse level proved very reliable in practical use<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the screen, it was therefore possible to follow the Arabic text currently being recited, the position within the verse, and the selected translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This kind of Qur\u2019an competition tracking is still very rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automatic recognition of Qur\u2019an recitation itself is a demanding technical problem. When you add near-instant verse identification, text tracking, and simultaneous availability of translations in dozens of languages, you get something that until recently was hard to imagine in a real-world setting and in front of an audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why we see this experience primarily as one of the pioneering examples of how modern technology can be used to make access to and understanding of the Qur\u2019an easier<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we are especially glad that such an example was realized right here in Zagreb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For almost four decades, the Islamic Centre Zagreb has been a venue for numerous international meetings, programs, and initiatives. This year\u2019s competition showed that this space can also be a place where traditional content and new technologies meet in a natural and meaningful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For MinbarLive, working on the competition was much more than a technical demonstration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working in real conditions, with a large number of reciters from different countries, with different qira\u2019at and performance characteristics, and a multi-hour program, gave us valuable experience for the further development of Quran Mode and the way users can follow the Qur\u2019an live<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal remains simple: the technology should be almost unnoticeable, while enabling the listener to connect as easily as possible with the text being recited at that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are grateful to the organizers of the 32nd International Qur\u2019an Recitation Competition<\/strong> and the Islamic Centre Zagreb for the opportunity for MinbarLive to be part of this year\u2019s program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For us, it was especially meaningful to see the technology we are building used exactly where it finds its true purpose \u2014 while the Qur\u2019an is being recited live, and people can simultaneously follow its text and understand its meaning in their own language.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In recent days, the 32nd International Qur\u2019an Recitation Competition was held at the Islamic Centre Zagreb, also marking the 39th anniversary of the ceremonial opening of the Zagreb Mosque. This is a traditional international event that connects Zagreb every year with Qur\u2019an reciters from different parts of the world. This year, around 50 contestants took part, in the categories of tilawah, 15 juz\u2019 and hifz. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-studies","category-minbarlive-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cms.minbarlive.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/a24084e1-b155-4b0f-b796-709838079486-1024x768.jpeg\")
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Qur\u2019anic text and translation followed the reciter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Recognition in just a few seconds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When technology serves understanding the Qur\u2019an<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An experience that will support further development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n