About
A record of voices already in the world
Ṣawt began as a listening project: an attempt to gather, describe and share recordings of women reciting the Qur'an — in homes, halls, courtyards and studios — that had never been held in one place.
The soundscape of recitation is public and always has been. Yet the recorded history of that soundscape is uneven: it privileges broadcast over household, institution over lineage, and a narrow set of voices over the many. This project works against that unevenness — not by argument, but by collection.
We work with reciters, families, teachers and local collectors. Every item is deposited with explicit, revocable consent, described in the depositor’s own words where possible, and published bilingually in English and Arabic.
How we work
- Consent first
- Nothing is published without a signed agreement from the reciter or their family, and any deposit can be withdrawn.
- Described in context
- Place, date, occasion, maqām and lineage of transmission are recorded alongside the audio.
- Open where possible
- Streaming access is free. Reuse is negotiated case by case with depositors.
- Built to last
- Preservation masters are stored separately from the site, with checksums and multiple copies.