Venetia Porter

Ladan Akbarnia

Fahmida Suleman

Zeina Klink-Hoppe

Amandine Merat

This lavishly illustrated history explores the Islamic world, through superb art objects and cultural artifacts dating from the seventh century to the present. This illustrated introduction offers a fresh approach to the history of the Islamic world from its origins to the present day. Told in six chapters, arranged both chronologically and thematically, and richly enhanced with outstanding images, it provides an illuminating insight into the material culture produced from West Africa to Southeast Asia through art and artifacts, people and places. From pre-Islamic works that provided a foundation for the arts of Islam to masterpieces produced under the great empires and objects that continue to be made today, this expansive survey traces the development of civilizations at the forefront of philosophical and scientific ideas, artistic and literary developments, and technological innovations, exploring a wealth of cultural treasures along the way. Texts are accompanied by a wide variety of objects, including architectural decoration, ceramics, jewellery, metalwork, calligraphy, textiles, musical instruments, coins, illustrated manuscripts, and modern and contemporary art, all of which shed new light on the Islamic world both past and present. This book will inspire and inform anyone interested in one of the most influential and diverse cultures of the world. Table of Contents Introduction • 1. A history of histories • 2. Belief and practice • 3. Interconnected worlds (750–1500) • 4. The age of empires (1500–1900) • 5. Literary and musical traditions • 6. The modern world • 7. Glossary • 8. Selected bibliography • 9. Acknowledgements • 10. Credits • 11. Index

A History in Objects

The Islamic World

Dina Matar

Conflict does more than destroy physical spaces - it extinguishes lives, erases histories and disrupts the collective memory of entire communities. In Gaza, where genocide has brought unimaginable suffering, the destruction of cultural heritage adds another dimension of loss. Tangible and intangible legacies - the sites, artifacts and stories that anchor identity - are being destroyed alongside the people who create and preserve them. In such a context, the act of archiving becomes vital, a way to resist erasure and to preserve memory amid destruction. Archiving Gaza in the Present addresses this urgent crisis. Edited by Venetia Porter and Dina Matar, this interdisciplinary collection gathers voices from diverse fields - law, art, archaeology, journalism, architecture and more - who document the degradation of Gaza's rich cultural landscape and explore the ways in which we can preserve its memory and heritage. In essays, interviews, poems and visual materials, including more than one hundred photographs, maps and artworks, this invaluable collection emphasises the legal, emotional and cultural stakes of the preservation of Gaza and its culture. Archiving Gaza in the Present is a crucial resource for understanding the intersections of war, heritage and identity, and a call to action for intervention and preservation. Contributors include Selma Dabbagh, Salman Abu Sitta, Shareef Sarhan, Hazem Harb, Malak Mattar, Marc-André Haldimann, Nadia Yaqub, Omar Al-Qattan, Kegham Djeghalian, Caitlin Procter, Atef Alshaer, Shatha Safi, Yara Sharif and Nasser Golzar.

The Power of Bearing Witness at a Time of War and Destruction

Archiving Gaza in the Present

Annabel Teh Gallop

Heba Nayel Barakat

Seals from the Islamic World

Lasting Impressions

"Word into Art presents highlights of the contemporary art and culture emerging from the Middle East and North Africa today. The works illustrated, many published here for the first time, reflect issues of identity and politics, and the diverse artistic heritage of the region. Word into Art not only testifies to the strong calligraphic tradition of the Middle East, but also demonstrates the powerful and imaginative ways in which artists are using writing today"--Jacket.

Artists of the Modern Middle East

Word Into Art

Mariam Rosser-Owen

The material and visual culture of the Islamic World casts vast arcs through space and time, and encompasses a huge range of artefacts and monuments from the minute to the grandiose, from ceramic pots to the great mosques. Here, Venetia Porter and Mariam Rosser-Owen assemble leading experts in the field to examine both the objects themselves and the ways in which they reflect their historical, cultural and economic contexts. With a focus on metalwork, this volume includes an important new study of Mosul metalwork and presents recent discoveries in the fields of Fatimid, Mamluk and Qajar metalwork. By examining architecture, ceramics, ivories and textiles, seventeenth-century Iranian painting and contemporary art, the book explores a wide range of artistic production and historical periods from the Umayyad caliphate to the modern Middle East. This rich and detailed volume makes a significant contribution to the fields of Art History, Architecture and Islamic Studies, bringing new objects to light, and shedding new light on old objects.

Art, Craft and Text

Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World

"This publication accompanies the exhibition Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam at the British Museum from 26 January to 15 April 2012."

Journey to the Heart of Islam

Hajj

Laure Ghorayeb

Mahá Azizé Sulṭān

Cette monographie retrace l'évolution de la pratique de l'artiste libanaise Laure Ghorayeb, de l'écriture au dessin et à la peinture. Seconde publication dans la série de la Saradar Collection, l'ouvrage inclut des textes de Venetia Porter, Maha Azizé Sultan, un entretien avec l'artiste et une sélection de dessins, peintures et poèmes de l'artiste de 1960 à 2017. Reconnue pour ses dessins complexes et détaillés à l'encre, son œuvre représente des chroniques de sa vie, ainsi que des événements et des personnes qui ont eu un impact sur celle-ci, tels que les guerres civiles libanaises et les membres de sa famille.

Venetia Porter

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