Global Arab Network | Egypt - Museum of Islamic Art to Reopen in September

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Egypt - Museum of Islamic Art to Reopen in September

Global Arab Network - - Maha Karim

Sunday, 02 August 2009 00:39

The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo is having its final touches of restoration before officially reopening next month, said minister of Culture Dr. Farouq Hosni, in statements to reporters on Saturday.

Over 100,000 artistic relics from the Islamic era have been restored and the museum has been equipped with the latest methods of lighting and security, he said, adding that new display areas have been set up, showcasing the relics and pieces of art in a sumptuous manner.

Housing relics and artifacts made of wood, plaster, glass, metal, pottery, and fabrics from many parts of the Islamic world (India, Iran, Arabian peninsula, Egypt, North Africa, Al-Andalus) and from various eras of Islamic history. The museum is a treasure trove of Islamic art whose beginnings go back to the era of the Mamluk dynasty during the reign of Khedive Ismail. Ismail was fond of collecting Islamic art pieces and handicrafts which he ordered housed in a museum in 1881 he called House of Arabic Art.

In 1952 the name of the museum was changed to Museum of Islamic Art since many of its contents were not made by Arabs but Muslims of non-Arab origin.

The museum has many Halls:

Hall_no 1

Devoted to display the newly acquired objects of arts by purchasing, gifting or through excavations attributed to different dates and countries. The objects are temporary displayed in this hall for a term of time then allotted to their respective halls in the museum according to style or material.

Hall_no 2

Umayyad Style objects of arts ( 658-750 A.D.) representing the first style in Islamic art.The Umayyad decorative arts are relatively few. The marble pavement of the hall and the narrow arcaded shelf to the left are Ottoman.

Hall_no 3

Abbasid and Tulunid art: The Abbasid art second style in Islamic art originated in Iraq where the Abbasids established their dynasty and built their Capital Baghdad. This Islamic style was practiced in Egypt with the rise of the independent Tulunid dynasty ( 868-905 A.D. ) is characterised by abstracted and stylized decorative motifs within a pure Islamic spirit. The stucco,wood panels, metalwork’s, textiles, glazed and luster-painted ceramics, represent in depth this reach Islamic style.

Hall_no 4

The Fatimid Style, 3rd Islamic style, originated and developed in Egypt and Syria ( 969-1171 A.D.). On display a selection of ceramic objects decorated in luster glass according to the same technique, and rock crystals. A unique collection of Fatimid textiles rare in technique and decorations. The Fatimid woodworks richly decorated in sunk carved arabesque as well as molded and hammered metalwork are beautifully exhibited.

Hall_no 5

The Mamluks art( 1250-1517 A.D.). The Islamic art achieved a high degree of perfection along the 14th century in Egypt and Syria. On display are a selective choice of metalworks inlaid with gold and silver, plaited doors, lanterns, candlesticks, labels, Koran boxes, pen cases, vessels and vases bearing the sultans' names and titles, the artists and dates of making. Glassware, mosque lamps, enameled and gilded phiols are displayed together with woodworks with floral and geometric designs inlaid with ivory and bone. Unique fountain of marble mosaics lies in the middle of the hall. Marble and stone architectural elements and blazons are exhibited on the walls of this hall. The Mamluk art began to decline in the mid 15th century.

Hall_no 6

An exquisite door originating from Al Azhar mosque 1010AD. is displayed at the hall entrance where lye early Islamic period planks, furniture units and panels reffered to the Abbassid and Tulunid periods. Three unique transportable mihrabs used to fix the direction of the holy Koaba in Mecca are on display.

Hall_no 7

A collection of mashrabiyyas,of turned wood originally from an Ottoman wekala in Rosetta ( Caravanserai ), a big conical brass lantern from the Mamluk period bearing the name of the judge Adel-Basit and suspended in the hall ceiling are adorming the hall.

Hall_no 8

A rich collection of wood and ivory Ayyubid and Mamluk are on display with wood decorative panels mostly with calligraphic, floral and geometric carved designs. Wood panels with precise details inlaid with ivory and bone , as well as pure ivory panels and beauty aids such as wood and bone combs, Kohl containers and cosmetic ivory boxes. Qoran boxes and two pulpits ( minbars ).

Hall_no 9

Woodworks dating to the later Mamluk period 15-16th cent. A.D. and the Ottman period in Egypt, doors with geometric and inlaid panels and cupboard fronts. On display a good collection of wood trinket boxes (caskets) inlaid with ivory and mother of pearl, a variety of Persian metalworks including different vessels, ewers, oil-lamps, incense burners, mirrors, and beauty aids. A lot of these metal products are inlaid with silver. These objects reveal the developement of metalwork industry in Persia during the Islamic period.

Hall_no 10

Against the wall of this hall are exhibited some cupboards and fronts with floral decorat ions and panels inlaid with bone in geometric forms. Collection of mashrabiyyas in turned wood. In the middle of the hall a marble fountain with a vertical column in the center allowing water to escape from its top through tiny holes. On the column rests a big wood ceiling with three small domes originally from a cairene house from the 18th cent. A.D.

Hall_no 11

The splendors of Islamic metalwork mostly Mamluk 1250-1517 A.D. are on display.A huge wooden door at the entrance plated with brass on one side was originally from the mosque of the Fatimid minister al-Saleh Talaei built in 1161 A.D. Brass vase inlaid with gold and silver in the name of the Mamluk emir Tuquztumur ( The Sharabdar ), a brass pen case inlaid with gold and silver in the name of the celebrated historian Abu al-Feda who got the sultan title and died in 1331 A.D. Also on display a brass rosewater sprinkler inlaid with gold and silver in the name of sultan Hassan who died in 1361 A.D. In the name of emir Qushtumur exhibited a brass tray inlaid with silver in the name of the sultan al-Malik al_Muayyad Dawoud of Bani Rasoul in Yemen died 1362 A.D. on exhibit a unique brass basin bearing the name of Khond the wife of the Mamluk sultan Qaitbey 1468-1496 A.D. and a unique collection of brass magic bowls ( cups of terrors ), astrolabes and lanterns.

Hall_no 12

This hall is devoted to exhibit arms and armours. Damascus, Anatolia and Persia were the main centers of swords making in the Islamic period on display a unique sword of Persian origin, the hilt of horn, the safe guard of steel, and a gilded scabarred. It is said that Ibrahim Pasha son of Mohamed Ali carried this sword in the battle of Nazib in 1839. An Anatolian origin sword, Qalij type, inscriptions inlaid with gold in the name of the Ottoman Sultan Solaiman al-Qanouni, dated 931 A.H. 524 A.D. A unique sword, Qalij type in the name of Soliman Khan ibn Selim Khan 1519-1566 A.D. Golden sword Qalij inscribed in the name of the Mamluk Sultan Qansuh al-Ghouri 1501-1516 A.D. and a Qalij sword in the name of the last Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Tumanbay 1516-1517 A.D. Showcases display a collection of big siege guns mostly of Persian origin in the 17-18th cent. A.D. articles of iron and steel used by the Mamluk Anatolian gun bearing the monogram of the Ottoman Sultan Selim Khan 1788-1807 A.D. lye in the middle of the hall.

Hall_no 13

Established in 1983 the hall including a unique selection of the splendors of Islamic art, is aiming to show the evolution of techniques and decoration on different materials in Islamic art. A tombstone with simple Kufic inscriptions recording the death of Abd al-Rahman ibn Gaber al-Hagry 31 A.H. 651 A.D. is the most ancient memorial with Arabic inscriptions. Small selected fragments of Islamic carpets dating to the Abbasid period 9th cent. A.D. excavated at al-Fustat. The largest collection of luster-painted ceramic masterpieces from the Fatimid period 11-12th cent. A.D. are on display. The luster-painted ceramic and glass represent an original and pure technique innovated by muslem potters. Two brass hexagonal tables inlaid with calligraphic, geometric, floral and bird designs bearing the name and titles of the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Mohamed (died 1341 A.D.), and the craftsman name Mohamed ibn Sunqur, the table dates back to 327 A.H. 1328 A.D. Ayyubid and Mamluk glass. Turkish, Persian, Andalusian ceramic. On the walls a collection of Turkish carpets and rugs.Brass lanterns in the ceiling suspended .

Hall_no 14

Collections of ceramics from different Islamic regions and periods. The two showcases display Persian luster-painted ceramic, glazed pottery from Bukhara, Persian ceramic of the so-called sultanabad type, and Persian ceramic . To the right of the entrance of the hall Turkish ceramic tiles made in Iznik in Anatolia, Rhodes ceramic A.D. and a collection of Iznik tiles, Damascus type. On display in this hall ceramic tiles Diyar Bakr type, and ceramic tiles made in Kutahya in Anatolia A.D. collection of ceramic tiles originating from from Syria, Tunisia and Persia

Hall_no 15

Ceramic fragments and tiles excavated at al-Fustat imported, from Alexandria, Tunisia, Anatolia, some fragments are of Italian or Dutch origin. Two big slabs of ceramic tiles with floral decorations mostly in yellow color, made in Tunisia 16-17th ce A.D. Persian ceramic plates and ewers with carved decorations 11-12th ce. A.D, plates, ewers and tiles of early Persian luster-painted ceramic, Persian ceramic objects with high relief decorated glazed in dark blue or turquoise blue 13-14th ce. A.D. and stone moulds used to cast gold and silver beauty aids.

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