In recent years Qatar has emerged as a significant player on the world stage. On the political front, for example, Qatar has made important contributions in supporting the popular uprisings in Libya and Syria, as well as a highly important visit by the country's Emir earlier in the year to Gaza, the first Head of State to do so since Hamas were elected to power there. This small Gulf nation, still benefitting from the oil revenues that propelled it into the twentieth century, has also used its riches and its influence to make significant contributions in the world of the Arts. The vision of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has been to make his nation a capital of culture. Not the least way he has managed to do this has been by the creation of the magnificent Museum of Islamic Art in the country's capital, Doha. If one were to be given a blank cheque and given the commission to design a stunning museum to showcase some of the world's most beautiful Islamic treasures, the Islamic Museum in Doha would be the result. Ninety-one year old architect I.M. was coaxed out of retirement to take on the project. He travelled extensively for six months throughout the Muslim world gathering inspiration for his final design from over fourteen hundred years of Islamic history. In his glass pyramids at the Louvre Museum and the new East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Pei was inspired by buildings from the past. For his Qatar commission Pei took inspiration from North Africa, Syria and Southern Spain, but a key moment came when he visited Cairo's mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun. Anyone who has seen the ablution fountain in the centre of that mosque's courtyard will recognise at once the inspiration for Pei's masterpiece. Connected to the mainland by three 215-foot long bridges, the Museum of Islamic Art stands on its own artificially created island. It is approached through a new 68-acre park, running along the Doha Waterfront, which is itself a splendid place to visit. With three kilometres of lighted pedestrian pathways, shaded by palm trees, the park is itself the venue for film screenings, sports events, storytelling programmes and art workshops, thus linking Islam's past, seen in the museum, with Islam's present, seen in the vibrant and thriving nation of Qatar. Pei suggested an island so that no other buildings could encroach upon the museum in the future. From the Corniche it now rises from the shimmering waters of the Persian Gulf. Once across the bridges, the Museum of Islamic Art, opened in 2008, is stunning, an artifact in itself. Those who have visited the mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, and even Cairo's Opera House, will recognise at once where the inspiration for this museum came from. Consisting of a series of plain, yet inter-connected cube-shapes, the five storey-high atrium is crowned by a stainless steel dome. There is a perfect fusion of both ancient and modern as the honey-coloured limestone catches the sun from all angles. The central stainless-steel chandelier, for example, pays homage to the craftsmanship of the Mamlukes. With more than 40,000 square feet of gallery space, the museum makes the best use of light and space. A glass curtain wall, for example, runs the entire length of the building, allowing light to stream in from the North. As in many of the mosques which Pei studied, the simple exterior gives way to exquisite craftsmanship and decoration inside. In the galleries themselves there is a world class display of Islamic treasures, gathered since the 1980's, which includes metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, textiles and glass. Along with Cairo's own Islamic Museum or the Museum of Islamic Art in Kuala Lumpur, 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. Muslims read in the holy Qur'an: “Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens And on earth do celebrate, and the birds (0f the air) with wings outspread!" 24:41 In our modern age, when Islam is often portrayed by its detractors as backward, Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art tells a different story. Not only does it showcase the elegance and refinement of Islamic culture of over fourteen hundred centuries, but it does so in praise of Allah in a building of great beauty which stands an equal to anything the West can achieve. As countries across the region begin to rise once more, free from the domination of foreign powers and ruled by their own chosen countrymen, Qatar has managed to show the world that Islam is far from backward. In addition to the Museum proper there is a study and library. As well a Museum of world renown it has also given us a centre of education and information in the field of the arts of the Islamic world. Inshallah, it will continue to inspire men and women, both Muslim and not, to recognise that the source of all beauty is the One who created beauty itself: Allah Alone. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, teaches at Al-Azhar University. The author of nine books about Islam, he divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com and join him on Facebook at Idris Tawfiq Page.
