The Egyptian Museum of Islamic Art is the world's biggest and most
famous museum of its kind. This world-class museum specializes in Egyptian
Islamic civilization, and the Islamic world houses more than 104,000
informative displays. It shows how civilization has developed and altered
throughout the centuries.
Most of the artifacts
on display at the Museum came from the lands of Muslims, Azeris, and non-Arabs.
There's also art sourced from individuals or families who donated their
property on behalf of the museum and contributions from people. In the museum,
you will find a collection of the oldest art in Islamic history, from
Muhammad's reign to that of his grandchildren.
The Islamic Art Museum provides visitors access to a diverse array
of historical art, such as metalwork, woodcarvings, rugs, ceramics, glass,
crystal, coins, shrines, and much more.
In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about
the museum of Islamic art in Cairo.
The idea for an Islamic art museum was first proposed in 1880.
Egypt's authorities took the valuable area out of various mosques, other
buildings, and structures. They stored it in the Al Mui'z Street area near the
Mosque of Al Hakem in Cairo.
As a result of this short collection, a museum was constructed
within a courtyard of a mosque in the Arabian Antiquities House area. At the
time, they installed the displays at a museum at this location, but it was not
yet open to the public as it opened on December 28, 1903. The museum's name was
changed to Islamic Art Museum after the 1952 Egyptian Revolution.
When it comes to how many displays are in the museum in Cairo,
there is no definitive answer. The Museum of Islamic Art's exhibits has
multiplied and increased since its formation. The art gallery had about 7000
displays in 1903. By 1978, there were around 78,000 displays, 96,000 by now,
and more than 100,000 today.
There is a Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo whose collections were
taken from many locations in Egypt. It consists of the foundation of the towns
Askar and Fustat, the first Islamic towns of Ancient Egypt before Cairo was
founded. Besides Aswan, Tanis, Rashid, and Luxor, many other displays were
brought from those places. The traveling
exhibits were donated or sold to the museum, and contributions from people
worldwide also helped bring this exhibition to life.
The museum also acquired Turkish and Persian pottery in the 1945
purchase. The Islamic Art Museum currently houses numerous rare exhibits that
cannot be found in any other museum, including textiles, jewelry, fossils, and pieces of ceramics.
Many wooden objects in Islamic Art Museum demonstrate early
Muslims' skills in crafting and carving wood. Woodcarving art thrived
extensively in the Fatimid period because of the decorations and patterns
carved into the material. Several traditional decorations can be seen at Sultan
Qalawun in El Muizz Street, which was originally taken into the city of Cairo
from the Palace of Fatimid Caliphs in the traditional part of Cairo.
Eventually, the exhibitions assembled during the Fatimid time became a show at
the museum, exhibiting to the public just how creative and innovative the
artists and craftsmen were.
Over the years, ivory and pearls were inlaid into wood objects
during the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk era.
The Fatimid period in Cairo was a golden age for the arts. The
Fatimids were great patrons of the arts and encouraged artists to create works
depicting their unique cultures and traditions. As a result, the art of the
Fatimid period is very diverse and includes many different styles and genres.
The Islamic Museum of Art features relics of significant cultural
significance from the Fatimid era. It contains some stunning jewelry, including an innovative ring made of gold, another ring
decorated with plant motifs, as well as a beautiful bronze antelope sculpture.
The Mamluks held power over Egypt for a
significant period. They were responsible for shaping the heritage and
historical development of Egypt. The huge number of exhibits at the Islamic Art
Museum effectively demonstrates the aesthetic refinement of Mamluk art and
architecture. Many lamps are in collections at the Museum of Cairo. They are
designed to provide for the lighting of historic mosques. This light fixture
has 3 layers embellished with domes and a sphere-shaped top. They took this
illuminating lamp from the mosque of Sultan Hassan, built in 1362.
Museums at the Islamic Art Museum showcase
exhibits from the Mamluk period. Among the various treasure,
boxes are pencil boxes rich with silver and gold decorations containing Sultan
Al Mansur Mohamed's name. Sultan Qaitbey also created an excellent candleholder
during their 1473 reign. Candle holders with spectacular Islamic designs made
from a plant's tendrils. Aside from metal weapons acquired during the invasion
of Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and other Muslim countries, they discovered many
sensitive objects from these countries.
This Museum features an exceptionally
comprehensive collection of traditional Arabian rugs brought to the Museum from
various locations throughout Egypt. The collection of carpets at the Museum
continued to expand enormously after the Museum chose in 1949 from the Ali
Pasha Ibrahim carpet collection, which was known to be one of the greatest of
its kind back then.
One of the most distinguishing features in the Islamic Museum is
the tomb cover that was uncovered in 652 A.D., 12 years after Muslims captured
Egypt.
Islamic Art Museum exhibits ceramic pieces
related to the early years of Islam's development. In particular, the most
precious among these is a collection of Abbasid ceramics. The Artisan Gallery,
or garden courtyard, was set up in the metropolitan museum to display ceramics.
This event has been ongoing for a long time. You will generally find Andalusian
courtyards with beautiful artwork, ceramics from Iran, Chinese porcelain, and
other antiquities.
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