Saudi Arabia has launched a museum that is dedicated exclusively to Islamic art.
The House of Islamic Arts, located in Jeddah Park, houses more than 1,000 artefacts from across the Muslim world. It contains six galleries, each of which highlight a distinct facet of Islamic heritage.
Ceramics and glassworks from the first to the 10th century AH (7th to the 16th century CE) make up the first gallery, highlighting how artisans in the Islamic world elevated pottery into an art form. The second gallery, meanwhile, displays intricately-etched metalworks crafted between the first and 13th century AH (7th to the 19th century).
The economic network in various Islamic societies is exhibited in the third gallery, through 500 coins spanning from the time of the Prophet Mohammed to the modern age. Meanwhile, the fourth gallery is a testament to cross-cultural exchange, exploring how Islamic art influenced other civilizations between the second and 13th century AH, with a a particular focus on how European cultures incorporated Islamic artistic traditions.
The fifth gallery is dedicated to rare Quranic manuscripts dating back to the 2nd century AH. It also includes examples of calligraphy and wooden tablets that were once used by students memorising the Quran.
Textiles take centre stage in the final gallery of the museum. These include interior and exterior coverings of the Kaaba and a rare Shammi Gate curtain from the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The curtain was produced during the Ottoman era in the 13th century AH.
The House of Islamic Arts also includes a library with a curated selection of Arabic and English books that cover Islamic heritage, history, culture and literature.
The museum’s opening in Jeddah is significant, particularly due to the city’s importance to Muslims. As the gateway to Makkah, the birthplace of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, the city has been a welcoming port to Muslim pilgrims for centuries.
