Qatar, officially the State of Qatar,
is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the small Qatar Peninsula on the
northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and shares its sole land border
with neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council monarchy Saudi Arabia to the south,
with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of
Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby Bahrain. The
capital is Doha, home to over 80% of the nation's
The Museum of Islamic Art is a museum
on one end of the seven-kilometer-long (4.3 mi) Corniche in Doha, Qatar. As per
the architect I. M. Pei's specifications, the museum is built on an island off
an artificial projecting peninsula near the traditional dhow harbor. A
purpose-built park surrounds the edifice on the eastern and southern facades
while two bridges connect the southern front facade of the property with the
main peninsula that holds the park. The western and northern facades are marked
by the harbor showcasing the Qatari seafaring past.
The museum hosts the restaurant IDAM
led by the head chef Alain Ducasse. The restaurant is inspired by French
Mediterranean cuisine. IDAM also offers master classes in cooking artisanal
bread and raw foods. The museum has a park, workshops for schools and the
general public, and a library that provides information about Islamic Arts in
both English and Arabic. The library also has nine study rooms.
The museum is influenced by ancient
Islamic architecture yet has a uniquely modern design involving geometric
patterns. It is the first of its kind to feature over 14 centuries of Islamic
art in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf.
Occupying an area of 45,000 m2
(480,000 sq ft), the museum is on an artificial peninsula overlooking the south
end of Doha Bay. Construction of the building was done by a Turkish company,
Baytur Construction, in 2006. The interior gallery spaces were designed by a
team of Wilmotte Associates. The museum was opened on November 22, 2008 by the
then-emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad. It opened to the general public on December
8, 2008.
At 91 years of age, the museum's
architect, I. M. Pei had to be coaxed out of retirement to undertake this
enterprise. He traveled throughout the Muslim world on a six-month quest to
learn about Muslim architecture and history and read Muslim texts to draw
inspiration for his design. According to Pei, the light fountain in 9th century
Ibn Tulun Mosque of Cairo was the inspiration.
Declining all proposed sites for the
museum, he suggested a stand-alone island for the structure to avoid
encroachments by other buildings in the future. It was built off an artificial
peninsula, approximately 60 m (200 ft) off the Doha Corniche and surrounded by
a somewhat crescent-shaped 290,000 m2 (3,100,000 sq ft) park. Pei requested
that the museum spaces be designed by his collaborator on the Louvre project,
Wilmotte & Associates, who then assembled a design team including Plowden
& Smith (conservation consultants), Isometrix Lighting + Design (lighting consultants),
and SG Conseil (AV Consultants) under Turner Projacs. Along with this design
team, Leslie E. Robertson Associates was the structural engineer for the
project.
The main building consists of the
five floors, the main dome, and the central tower. It is connected with the
education ward via a large central court. Pei utilized creamy limestone for the
outer facades to emphasize the various shades during the different times of the
day. The five floors are covered by a glass facade to the north, and it
provides a panoramic view of the Persian Gulf. The interior of the building is
decorated by several Islamic arts, and the large metallic chandelier hung over
the main staircase of the lobby. Many elements found in Ibn Tulun Mosque are
represented in the building as an abstract form. This enables the agreement
with values and principles of the postmodern architecture historical trend
which synchronize the modernity and the historical Islamic architectural
identity.
The Museum of Islamic Art represents
Islamic art from three continents over 1,400 years. Its collection includes
metal work, ceramics, jewelry, wood work, textiles, and glass obtained from
three continents and dating from the 7th to the 20th century.
The museum houses a collection of work
gathered since the late 1980s including manuscripts, textiles and ceramics. It
is one of the world’s most complete collections of Islamic artifacts, with
items originating in Spain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, India, and Central Asia.
Sources :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Islamic_Art,_Doha
https://qm.org.qa/en/visit/museums-and-galleries/museum-of-islamic-art-mia/
Comments
Post a Comment