The origin of Cairo's outstanding Museum of Islamic Art dates back to the era of Khedive Ismail era (ruled from 1863-1879), when it was decided to start collecting examples of rare woodwork and plaster artefacts, as well as metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects of all periods, from throughout the Islamic world. This idea was provisionally implemented in 1881 during the reign of Khedive Tawfiq (1879-1892), when 111 items gathered from old mosques and mausolea of Egypt were first exhibited in the arcades of the eastern cloister of the mosque of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim, then named the Gallery of Arab Antiquities. Because of the rapid increase in the holdings, a more spacious area to display them was needed and a purpose-built structure was constructed facing the Fatimid city gate Bab al-Khalq and was renamed the Museum of Islamic Art. This strikingly elegant building was erected in the era of Khedive Abbas Helmi in 1899, built in neo-Mamluk style by an Italian architect Alfonso Maniscalo and is regarded as the oldest purpose-built edifice dedicated to the display of Islamic art and antiquities. The museum reopened three years ago after seven years of painstaking and sympathetic renovation of the fabric of the building, whose interior was redesigned, together with conservation work on exhibits, enhancing the appreciation of the visitor. Mohamed Abdel-Hakim, the museum curator, told the Egyptian Mail that it now houses more than 102,000 objects, of which 2,500 exhibits are on display with the remainder in store. The superb collection was accumulated from various sources: excavations, purchases, gifts and important Islamic monuments in Cairo. The wonderful piece which catches the visitor's eyes on entering the museum is the essence of Islam – The Qur'an – the Holy book of Islam. It dates back to the Umayyad period (7th - 8th century AD). The script is lettered in black with the diacritical marks in red. The Umayyad period is often considered the formative period in Islamic art. At first, even though Arabic became the official language and Islam the principal religion of the diverse lands unified under Umayyad rule, artists continued to work in their established traditional manner. The main artistic influence came from the late antique classical naturalistic tradition, which had been prevalent on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. This was also supplemented by the more formal modes developed by the Byzantines and Sasanians, which especially influenced affected metalwork, textiles, and the depiction of animal, vegetal, and figurative motifs. There are magnificent meshkawat (lamps) made of glass adorned with quotations from the Qur'an in blue and colourful decorative floral motifs. Astonishing pieces also include coins, which were Arabised in the Umayyad period and pictures and writings of Byzantine emperors, and Christian and even non-divine religions' artefacts with Islamic writings in Arabic, some quoting from the Qur'an. On display is a charming kettle with the shape of a crying cockerel on its spout that display belonged to the last Umayyad ruler and was found beside his tomb in Fayoum. In every corner in the museum, one can feel a surge in the artistry of the displayed antiques. From the Fatimid era for instance, the woodwork varies in its ornamentation some pieces being deeply incised while others are in relief. The diversity and dedication of the artisans are reflected in the beautiful works in wood hung on the walls. Here is a rectangular piece of wood that shows two people singing, others are dancing or hunting, and between each theme there is an engraved bird, all embellished by the delightful surrounding floral designs. In the 12th century, the Ayyubid dynasty work shows a progression. A kettle and accompanying basin copper are relieved with silver and gold ornamentation. A surprising ceramic piece tells the story of Jesus' birth in two parts; one part is displayed in the museum while the other is in the collection of a museum in Greece. The Islamic art flourished in the Mamluk era during the 16th century, represented in exhibits made from metal, glass, marble and ivory. A lovely square and tall stand for dinner, in which glasses of tea were placed, belonged to Sultan Mohamed Ibn Qalawun (the ninth Mamluk sultan of Egypt) and is so finely and richly decorated that the visitor needs a microscope to see all its subtle beauty. There is also a lunch box in three sections made of copper with written inscriptions. A door from the Bersbay Mosque has an ingenious Arabesque conceit such that when viewed from a distance it appears to bear floral designs but as one approaches the door shapes of birds and animals emerge. Examples are displayed of mashrabiya, the projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wooden latticework located on the second storey of a building or higher, often lined with stained glass, are displayed, extant now in only a few historic houses in Cairo. One can imagine how formerly the women of the household used to sit behind them, watching the world outside and the passersby, without people being able to see them. The museum has halls for Islamic works hailing from Iran, India and Turkey, including works in ceramic, metal, wood and stone and fabulous carpets. Other halls are dedicated to specific topics, such as astronomy and science. One exhibit is the sand hourglass, which can measure the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. As well there is the sundial, an horological device that tells the time of day by the position of the sun. Commonly, on the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. There is a hall devoted to medicine, which includes surgical tools for operations and an interesting paper that describes a prescription for the treatment of stomach pain. All this and so much more are on display at the Museum of Islamic Arts, Midan Bab al-Khalq, which is open daily from 9am to 5pm.
