The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, symbolizes Qatar’s pledge to become the capital of Islamic culture. Open, but not fully complete, the building already houses collections of manuscripts, ceramics, glassworks, and other priceless objects from Islam’s rich past. There are several floors of exhibits, each displaying objects pertaining to a particular period or country in the Islamic world.
There are hundreds of awe-inspiring exhibits on display, including several solid gold ceremonial weapons and even a jeweled falcon, but there are other less-flashy objects that should not be missed if you plan to immerse yourself in Islamic culture. Based on my own experience travelling through the Middle East, I cannot stress more the importance of tapestries and calligraphy to understanding the true nature of Islamic culture. Not only do these take much time and great skill to produce, but they also contain the personality of the artist and the context in which they worked. Essentially you are given a personal snapshot of a particular person and era. I love tapestries and calligraphy for this reason.
The museum, designed by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei, is itself a masterpiece. Opened in late 2008, the building is meant to act as a testament to traditional Islamic architecture. The structure features white, geometric walls not unlike those found throughout the ancient Islamic world. The effect is perhaps more striking, since the building is set on an island away from its modern counterparts and is surrounded by fountains and gardens. The building adds a traditional subscript to a city rapidly forgetting its past.
The next big event at the Museum of Islamic Art is its Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, which will be held at the end of the October 2011. The symposium, named this year "God Is Beautiful; He Loves Beauty: The Object in Islamic Art and Culture," will run for three days and feature a variety of speakers who will discuss specific items held at the museum. If you are studying or interested in Islamic culture, this event, and others like it, are those you do not want to miss.
