DOHA, Qatar (AP) — An emerald inscribed for a Mughal emperor. A knotted wool rug from the Safavid period. An Ottoman-era curtain, intricately embroidered with metal threads, that formed part of the covering of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca that Muslims consider the metaphorical “house of God.”
Like tiles in a mosaic, the Doha Museum of Islamic Art, or MIA, collection offers visitors a glimpse into various aspects of Muslim heritage, art and crafts with items spanning three continents and many centuries.
In a capital where there is so much new, the museum exhibits a variety of the old and historical. And with soccer fans from all over the world pouring into Qatar, the story the museum tells now has more listeners.
On a recent day, visitors, some wearing soccer jerseys or scarves, stopped to take photos, inspect an item, read a label or browse shelves lined with books and memorabilia.
“The architecture itself is very good. Also, I like the indoor displays; the pieces are very impressive,” said Bert Liu, who lives in the United States. “I knew very little about Islamic history before, but after seeing many objects, I feel like I learned more.”
Qatari officials say they hope the tournament will help visitors better understand their culture and that of the wider region. The World Cup host has faced intense criticism over rights issues, including its treatment of migrant workers, and accusations of “sportswashing” or trying to use the prestige of the event to redo its image.
Qatari officials have argued that the country’s progress and achievements are being overlooked. The ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said some of the attacks against the first Arab and Muslim country to host the World Cup included “fabrications and double standards”.
Sport is not the only area in which Qatar, a small country with big ambitions and great wealth to match, has sought to make its mark as part of a quest for global influence. He has also aimed to make a name for himself in the realms of culture and the arts, including with museums like MIA.
“Qatar has invested heavily in terms of establishing itself as a Middle Eastern hub for culture and the arts, and soft power aspirations are a key factor driving these efforts,” said Giorgio Cafiero, chief executive of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based geopolitical risk consultancy. , DC “Museums in Doha have done much to help Qataris promote their culture, tell their stories, and share their unique perspectives with global audiences.”
And now, he noted, many soccer fans may be visiting the region for the first time.
Qatar is far from alone in these large and well-funded cultural endeavors, with other Gulf countries also competing for tourists in their effort to diversify their economies.
“We have the ambition to show Islamic culture in all its diversity and also show regional differences,” said Julia Gonnella, director of MIA. “The idea is really for education, for diversity, also to build a society beyond oil and gas.”
The museum attracts both Muslim and non-Muslim visitors, he said, adding that MIA’s “first audience” is people living in Qatar.
Designed by renowned architect IM Pei, the MIA complex has a commanding yet simple presence, with its beachfront location, light-colored exteriors, and crisp, clean architectural lines. Inside there are geometric shapes and Islamic motifs. The windows flood the surrounding area with sunlight and provide a view of the modern-looking buildings jutting into the sky across the water.
The museum’s collection includes goldsmiths, ceramics, woodwork, and textiles. Items on display include jewelry, Quran manuscripts, the Muslim holy book, armor, and weapons.
Gabriel Petersen, who visited from Australia, said he was impressed by the age of some of the objects and enjoyed seeing exhibits from different parts of the world.
“It’s just a different culture,” he said. “You don’t get much of that in Australia.”
The museum also offers insights into religious beliefs and rituals. Visitors can read about the five pillars of Islam: the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and the hajj, or pilgrimage, or learn about hajj rituals and different funeral practices in the Islamic world.
Initially opened in 2008, the museum closed in April 2021 and reopened a month before the World Cup with expanded interpretive materials to help provide more context for the items on display.
A temporary exhibition titled “Baghdad: Eye’s Delight” celebrates the Iraqi capital as one of the “most important and influential cities in the Islamic world” and highlights its role as a city “of power, scholarship and wealth,” according to the museum. The exhibition features objects on loan from world-renowned institutions, says MIA.
Rob Humphreys, who was visiting from Wales, said he particularly enjoyed seeing Baghdad from a different angle.
“At least in Europe, we tend to associate Baghdad with…war etc. and the invasion,” he said. “Learning about the importance of Baghdad as a cultural, scientific and commercial city…it was really interesting.”
Catrin Evans, his wife, admired the quality of the centuries-old craftsmanship in MIA’s collection and thought the calligraphy, jewelery and Quran renditions “impressive”.
“We tend to think of everything from a European and a Western perspective,” he said. “This definitely opened my eyes to the background of Islam and also the culture here.”
At one point, the couple considered not going to Qatar for the World Cup due to their doubts about rights issues, including those of LGBTQ people.
“We’ve come to learn, but that doesn’t mean we put our values aside while we’re here,” Humphreys said, adding that cultural exchanges are also important to them.
“Museums are always good places to generate new, often controversial ideas,” he said. “But it is a space to express them, explore them, talk and dialogue.”
___ Associated Press writer Luis Andrés Henao contributed to this report.
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Associated Press religious coverage is supported through the AP partnership with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.
