When you are an Islamic art and architecture enthusiast living in Omm El-Dunia (the ‘mother of the world’), it is easy to forget that there is life east of the Arabian Peninsula, artistically speaking. You might even make the cut-off at Baghdad, which gave us Ahmed Ibn Tulun and his namesake mosque. The vast desert-filled instep of the peninsula was not usually regarded when contemplating contributions to Islamic art.
Until December 2008, that is. That’s when Qatar opened a brand-new Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha. So when Cairo’s Museum of Islamic Art finally re-opened in late 2010 after a seven-year renovation project, comparisons naturally arose with its Gulf compatriot.
In a sense, it is unfair to compare the two. Cairo has had an Islamic art museum since the mid-19th century, with the current building open since 1903. The building itself is a royal-era tribute to the Mamluk era, with impressive arches framing the doors and windows, and crenellations adorning the roof.
The Cairo MIA claims to have the largest collection in the world with more than 80,000 items, most of them originating right here in Egypt. About 2,500 items are displayed in the 25 halls distributed across two wings — one presenting a chronology of Egypt’s Islamic dynasties and the other exhibiting thematic displays, including two sections dedicated to the craftsmanship of Iran and Turkey.
Conceived and built over the past decade, the Doha MIA started with a completely clean slate in terms of its design and collection.
Renowned architect I. M. Pei was tapped to design the building, and after traveling the world to study Islamic architecture in situ, he created an abstract geometric shape largely inspired by the ablution fountain in Cairo’s Ibn Tulun Mosque, with an Islamic-style garden fountain lining the causeway leading up to the building. The museum sits on its own island, and the atrium and arch-lined courtyard overlook the Dhow Harbor and West Baydistrict.
Doha’s museum has several thousand artifacts collected from around the world and showcased in 18 galleries over two floors — one for thematic exhibits and the other for a chronology of the major Islamic dynasties including Iran’s Saljuqs, Egypt’s Mamluks, India’s Muhgals and Turkey’s Ottomans, among others.
That global diversity is the Doha MIA’s strength, with intriguing artifacts from India’s Muhgal’s empire, the Caucacus tribes of Central Asia, and Andalusia’s Ummayad era - representing art styles almost completely missing from the Cairo MIA exhibits. Among the more stunning pieces are a 14th-century Timurid war mask from Central Asia, a complete set of cavalry armor from 15th-century Turkey and a jewel-inlaid gold falcon from 17th-century India.
The Cairo MIA is exceptionally strong at showcasing the art of Islamic architecture. For every Islamic monument frequented by tourists today, dozens more buildings did not survive intact, and the museum walls are adorned with some of the better preserved friezes, plaques and other decorations. Look for the restored Mamluk-era fountain with an onyx fountainhead, a collection of Mamluk inlaid wood furniture, and my particular favorite, an inlaid wood ceiling with stalactite trim from the 12th-century Ayyubids, an era made famous by Salah El-Din.
The Cairo museum also boasts one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic-era textiles from around the world, with two halls dedicated to carpets and tapestries.
This is not to say that the Cairo MIA lacks ‘bling.’ The Fatimid exhibit includes a well-explained sampling of gold filigree jewelry. More impressive, however, are the gilded Qur’ans from Turkey with intricately illuminated pages. The collection also includes a seventh-century Qur’an believed to be one of the first to use diacritical markings. Like much of the Islamic art from the Ummayad era, it is elegant with its simplicity and strong, bold lines.
If you really must pit the two museums against each other, Doha gets the points for the ‘wow’ factor, with its showpiece artifacts and a serene, beautifully landscaped waterfront location. Cairo gets the ‘living museum’ award: After a few hours among the exhibits, you can step outside and better appreciate the many monuments still standing around you — something that Doha as a city lacks. Better yet, add both to your list of must-see museums, as they offer very different insights into a visually rich history and culture.
CAIRO
| Museum of Islamic Art • Bab El-Khalk Square • Tel: +2 (02) 2390-1520 • Open 9am- 4pm • Tickets: LE 2 for Egyptians, LE 50 for foreigners • Website: islamicmuseum.gov.eg |
DOHA
| Museum of Islamic Art • Doha Harbor Corniche, next to the dhow harbor • Tel: +973 4422-4444 • Open 10:30am - 17:30pm except Friday (14:00-20:00 pm) and Tuesdays (closed) • Free admission for the main galleries, but temporary exhibits may charge an entrance fee. •Website: mia.org.qa
|
|
Comments
Leave a Comment