Artefacts from Portugal to China chart history of Islam

07 June 2008

Sharjah: About 5,000 priceless Islamic artefacts went on display at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, the first of its kind in the UAE.

The museum was opened on Friday by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Some of the objects are on public display for the very first time.

The museum's collection displays treasures from the advent of Islam till the present day.

Manal Ataya, Director of the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), said the museum is significant as it contains interesting and rich displays charting Islam's history from a vast area of the world extending from Portugal in the west to the borders of China in the east.

Islamic art and science have greatly influenced other civilisations and have a special beauty rooted in Islamic traditions, she said.

"Opening of the museum is part of the department's strategic plan to open many museums. Over the past few months openings have included the the Sharjah Old Cars Museum, the Botanical Museum, and a special exhibition at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum called 'Al Buhais18: Life and Death in the Stone Age', which provides a rare glimpse into the way of life and burial rites of the ancient people of this region. In addition [to these] the Sharjah Aquarium is also opening," said Manal.

A visitor to the museum will find objects representing all the periods of Islamic history from its beginnings in Arabia and the Umayyad era until the Ottoman and Mamluk eras with distinctive features of each period.

Architecture

Manal said: "The special exhibition of priceless Islamic masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, much of which has never been displayed before, is a good example of Shaikh Sultan's determination to ensure that the Sharjah Museums Department works with the best museums in the world. The exhibition will be open for four months. The museums have a diversity and richness in their varied collections that cover the full range of culture, science, arts and heritage."

Aisha Rashed Deemas, Curator of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, said the museum site is called Souq Al Majarrah, the first market of its kind in the Gulf area with architecture that has Islamic, Arabic and traditional design elements and also a central dome with an intricate mosaic depicting the night sky and the astrological star signs.

She said the Souq, now converted into a museum, will be an advanced cultural centre containing over 5,000 unique Islamic artefacts from all over the world and arranged into seven spacious galleries.

Aisha said a gallery is dedicated to Islam and contains collections, including the holy books of Islam such as the Quran, and Islamic calligraphies.

The gallery also displays some historic photographs of pilgrimages to Makkah.

"The museum will allocate a whole section to Islamic art in which pottery, metallic and glass works will be displayed. Metal currencies and coins that show the development of Islamic art are also displayed.

"Another gallery displays the different activities of Muslim craftsmen, weapon makers and potters and demonstrates the success of integrating styles from the east and the west," she said.

By Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.