Wrapping up CS14•Launching CS15•TOW in St. Petersburg•
Bareed ad-Dar, Newsletter of the Friends of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Year 11, Issue 3. 2009
Dear Friends,
We were very busy over the summer and, as a result, you could be very busy this cultural season. In addition to a stellar line-up for the Cultural Season 15 lecture series, we are adding a community-based programme on Wednesday nights called “DAI Forum”. We have also expanded the children’s programme, doubling the schedule for 8 – 12 years olds and adding a monthly activity for 6 – 8 year olds. Welcome back!
Bader al-Baijan
Treasury of the World in Russia …Now At the Hermitage
Situated on the Baltic Sea, famous for its white nights, the city of St. Petersburg is home to the Hermitage Winter Palace, evidence of the city’s golden era of culture, literature and arts. Two decades ago, DAI was invited to this fascinating city to share masterpieces created in the lands of Islam. This exhibition, Islamic Art and Patronage, brought a “display of human creativity and ingenuity, invoking a message that is far above the political and educational ones”, said Sheikha Hussah.
After the success of Islamic Art and Patronage, a new invitation was issued. Treasury of the World: The Jewelled Arts of India in the age of the Moghals opened on 7 August 2009. Sheikh Ahmad al-Abdullah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Minister of Oil and Minister of Information, representing His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, officiated at the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Russian Deputy Culture Minister Andrey Busygin, Dr. Alexander Prokhorenko, vice-governor of St. Petersburg and chairman of the International Relations Committee. The Hermitage was represented by Professor Mikhael Petrovskey, director of the Hermitage Museum; the DAI was represented by a group of friends of the DAI, headed by Sheikha Hussah. A large number of international and local media outlets were also present to cover the event.
Sheikh Ahmad al- Abdullah recalled with affection, the unforgettable Russian support of Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion in 1990. He said also that visiting museums is a special joy, as art and culture nourish the soul and ease heart and mind.
In the press conference held before the inauguration of the exhibition, Sheikha Hussah highlighted the close cultural relationship between Kuwait and Russia, expressing her thanks to the Hermitage team for their work hosting Islamic Art and Patronage
twenty years ago and gave special thanks to Professor Petrovsky and his team for protecting the Kuwait artifacts from seizure by the Iraqi government at that time. Speaking about Treasury of the World, Sheikha Hussah again thanks Professor Petrovsky and also curators Dr. Olga Deshpande and Dr. Anatoly Ivanov. Later, she led a tour in the exhibition galleries, explaining the techniques and the craftsmanship of the masterpieces, and answering many questions from press.
A few months ago Treasury of the World was exhibited at The Kremlin State Museums in Moscow, where it proved to be a great success thanks to the concerted efforts of Kremlin team, the DAI team and the Kuwait Embassy staff headed by HE Ambassador Nasser al Muzayen. The exhibition of Treasury of the World in two such prestigious museums confirms that cultural relations between Kuwait and Russia are at the highest levels.
Besides the TOW exhibition the DAI guests seized the opportunity of being in St. Petersburg to visit the different galleries of the Hermitage and enjoy the masterpieces gathered during the age of Tsars. They also visited the many cathedrals and monuments for which the city is famous. Dr. Marina Tolmachëva, President of AUK, a friend of DAI and native of St. Petersburg, led a tour in the city, sharing the history of the city, including the three year siege of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) during World War II.
Visiting Russia is always incomplete without attending a Russian ballet. To wrap up the trip, Sheikha Hussah made sure that her guests enjoy one before they left, so she invited them to the ballet Giselle at the Hermitage Theatre where Katherine II was entertained by masterpieces of music, ballet and theatre. With that, the three day trip came to an end and left the city with beautiful memories of St. Petersburg and of Treasury of the World.
LNS
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Like the artisans whose words are
preserved on our iconic scroll, the
professors and doctors and musicians
and filmmakers participating in Cultural
Season 15 understand that writing brilliant
treatises is only half the job. The words
have to be read and heard and discussed.
In short, they have to be shared before the
discourse is complete.
From 5 October to 10 May, words will
abound at the al-Maidan Cultural Centre.
Words that introduce new ideas and
explain culture in old cities; colourful
words about ancient manuscripts
and descriptive words about colour.
Thoughtful words about a leader of
Kuwait and lyrical words about the music
of Kuwait. And music, with a melodies so
expressive that only glorious words dare
describe it.
Cultural Season 15, outlined on pages
8 and 9, continues the DAI tradition of
sharing ideas. This season we are bringing
some of the world’s leading scholars
to Kuwait to start a discussion that will
continue for seasons to come.
Cultural Season 15
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEEDFriends of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah
Photo 1: Sherin Antaki, Myriam Antaki, Michael Rummelein, Bettina Rummelein and their son Florian Rummelein
Photo 2: Sheikha Intisar Salem Ali al-Sabah and Dr. Bettina Rummelein
Photo 3: Sheikha Modhy al-Sabah, Ma’asouma al-Habib, Aurora Luis, Ahmad Khajjah, Sheikha Hussah, Shiekha Mona Mashari al-Kulaib and Munira al-Khubazi
Photo 4: Dr. Marina Tolmachëva, former American University of Kuwait president, and Irina Popova, Institute of Oriental Manuscripts director at the Russian Academy of Science
Photo 5: Director of the State Hermitage Museum Professor Mikhael Petrovsky, DAI director general Sheikha Hussah Sabah Salem al-Sabah, Kuwait Minister of Oil and Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and translator Maher al-Salama at the opening of Treasury of the World in the Hermitage
Photo 6: Kuwait Minister of Oil and Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (centre), his wife Sheikha Mona Mashari al-Kulaib and their children
Photo 7: Sheikha Hussah, Director of the State Hermitage Museum Professor Mikhael Petrovsky and
Russian Deputy Culture Minister Andrey Busygin at the press conference
Photo 8: Iman Abdel Meguid, Mona Mashari al-Kulaib, Jihad al-Tukhaim, wife of the Kuwait Ambassador to Russia, and Sheikha Modhy al-Sabah
Photo 9: Ahmed Alhajeri, minister plenipotentiary Embassy of Bahrain, admiring the exhibition
Photo 10: Abd al-Aziz al-Duweesh, Sue Kaoukji, Mazen al-Ansari, Sheikha Bibi Nasser al-Sabah
Photo 11: St. Petersburg vice-governor and chairman of the Committee of International Relations Alexander Prokhorenko and Sheikha Hussah
Photo 12: Director of the State Hermitage Museum Professor Mikhael Petrovsky, Sheikha Hussah, and Russian Deputy Culture Minister Andrey Busygin
Photo 13: Sheikha Hussah, Dr. Ali al-Samman, and The al-Sabah Collection curator Sue Kaoukji
Photo 14: Dr. Amar al-Farouk, Sheikha Sarah, and Sheikha Hussah crossing Palace Square in St. Petersburg
Photo 15: Alexander Column with the Hermitage in the background
Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of
India in the Age of the Mughals (TOW)
opened at the The State Hermitage
Museum on Friday, 7 August 2009. This
is the first Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah
exhibition at the Hermitage since 1990,
when Islamic Arts and Patronage opened
there just days after the Iraqi invasion of
the Kuwait.
TOW and Friends in
St. Petersburg
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Photo 16: Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and his wife, with Kuwait’s Ambassador to Russia Nasser al-Muzayen in the center
Photo 17: It was all smiles when the Kuwait delegation, led by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, met their Russian colleagues
Photo 18: Sheikha Alia al-Sabah reflecting on some of the art pieces
Photo 19: Visitors to the exhibition, including Munira al-Khubaizi and Ahmed Khajjah, were suitably impressed by what they saw
Photo 20: Sheikha Hussah shares a moment with George Antaki
Photo 21: Sheikha Mariam N. al-Sabah and Osama al-Balhan with Henri Matisse’s “Dance (II)” in the Matisse Room at The State Hermitage Museum
Photo 22: Mr. Mark Netchaev led Kuwaiti guests on a private tour of The State Hermitage Museum’s treasures
Kitab Al-Tabeekh (Cook
Book) is the title of one of
the rare and valuable books
in a collection of books and
research papers recently
acquired by The al-Sabah
Collection. Originally
published 33 years before
the fall of Baghdad, the
book includes all kinds
of recipes popular during
the Abbasid period. It was
written by an Iraqi cook
called Mohammed bin al-
Hassan bin Mohammed,
on a thick paper in archaic
Arabic Naskh script and
demonstrates the luxury
and fine lifestyle of the
people at that time.
The first batch of the rare books collection
acquired by The al-Sabah Collection was
examined and evaluated last year. This
year the second batch, consisting of rare
material of great historical value books,
research, maps from the 19th century, and
handwritten letters in French dating back
to 1860 -1880, underwent scrutiny and
evaluation by Mr. Rami Mohammed el-
Gamel in order to develop the necessary
conservation plan.
Mr. el-Gamel, head of the Department of Academic Activities and Specialised
Translation at Manuscript Center in the Library of Alexandria is a graduate of the
English Language Department at Alexandria University. He is a qualified specialist in
assessing old and rare books and studied ancient Latin, Greek and German.
The collection of books and material examined by Mr. el-Gamel is mainly related
to Egyptology, and Classical and Semitic studies. It is his opinion that most of the
collection is quite rare and of great value. Because of the historical value, Mr. el-
Gamel recommended a plan for conservation, restoration and cataloguing. Specific
to the maps, Mr. el-Gamel recommended that they be restored and framed with
explanatory captions.
This collection of rare books, research papers, maps and letters was sent to the Library
of Alexandria in order to be studied and cared for under the supervision of Professor
Yousif Zaidan, head of the library’s Manuscripts Centre. This is the second major
collaboration between DAI and the Library of Alexandria in their effort to preserve
Arab Islamic heritage.
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Rare Booksat the DAI
3Year 11, Issue 3. 2009
More than 300 Friends of the Dar al-Athar
al-Islamiyyah (DAI) and VIP guests gathered
at the new Al Americani Cultural Centre
for the DAI Annual Cultural Evening held
Wednesday, 13 May 2009. In a departure
from previous years, DAI organised a
series of mini-exhibitions that presented
the activities of the organization and the
plans for development of the new cultural
centre and the restoration of the national
museum.
“As people explore this historic building
they will discover where the DAI has
been – figuratively and, in the case of our
cultural trips, literally,” explained Sheikha
Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, DAI
director general. “They will also see where
we’re going. The full implementation
of the plans for this facility as a cultural
and education centre will result in a new
venue for arts and culture in Kuwait. The
progress being made on the national
museum is also exciting, as we can now
see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Twelve easily accessible spaces in the
historic American Hospital building were
set aside to highlight aspects of the
DAI. In addition to the Al Americani
Cultural Centre and Kuwait National
Museum rooms, guests visited rooms with
presentations dedicated to excavations,
exhibitions, musical evenings, cultural trips,
publications, history, the children’s art
workshop, and visiting exhibitions. One
1. Sheikha Bibi al-Sabah and Sheikha Miriam al-Sabah
2. Sheikha Hussah welcoming Fatma, a young friend of the DAI
3. Mrs. Lee Nhyun Sook, wife of the Korean ambassador Sheikha Hussah, Ambassador Moon Young Han from South Korea, Sheikha Bibi Nasser al-Sabah
4. Dr. Laila Kamel, Sheikha Paula al-Sabah, Sheikha Hussah
5. Sabah al-Reyes, Mona Bourslee, and Hayat Mustafa
6. Sheikha Hussah, US Ambassador Deborah K. Jones, and Sheikha Intisar Salem al-Sabah
8. Designer Lina Lawand listens as Marzia Cataldi Gallo, curator of the Mezzari and Mandilli: The Cotton Route from East to West, explains some of the finer details of a mezzaro
9. Sheikha Sheikha Abdallah al-Sabah and Sheikh Hamed Nasser al-Sabah
10. Dr. Mashael A. Alhajeri, Yasmine al-Ahmadi, and Lateefa al-Hajery
11. Sheikha Iman Fahad al-Sabah, Abdullah Al-Awadi, Sheikha Bibi Nasser al-Sabah
12.Ma’asouma al-Habib, Nadia Abdulsalam and Huda Zahim
13. Conservator Sophie Budden and Huda Zahim find themselves in the group picture from Yemen
14. Aydah J. Mirza and Sheikha Hussah with friends
15. Maren and John Wynton
16. Dr. Laila Kamel, Dr. Nabeelah Abtullah, Suhal al-Fulaij
17. Guests enjoying an exhibition of old photographs
18. A quiet moment . . .
19. LeNotre provided a lovely buffet . . .
Friends of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah
Gather to Celebrate Cultural Season 14
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very special room featured a stunning
display of old photographs, artistically
arranged on the floor by Alia al-Sabah, a
member of the DAI creative design team.
The exhibition titled Mezzari and Mandilli:
the Cotton Route from East to West,
organised in cooperation with the Italian
Ambassador and exhibition curator
Ms. Marzia Cataldi Gallo, admirably
represented the DAI’s objective of bringing
relevant works of art to Kuwait. This
visiting exhibition features late 18th century
– early 19th century textiles with designs
inspired by those witnessed by Genoese
sailors and traders as they traveled the
cotton route between Europe and the
east.
“This building has been part of our
community since it opened as a hospital
in the early 1900s and for many of our
friends this incarnation, as a cultural and
education centre, will provide a second set
of experiences. It’s amazing how many
visitors tonight mentioned that they’d
been treated and/or born here,” said Mr.
Ahmad Khajjah, member of the Friends of
the DAI steering committee. “And every
one mentioned how happy they were to
be back and to see the building full of life
again.”
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Sheikha Hussah would like to thank the DAI team for their efforts in creating the different rooms and welcoming guests during the Annual Cultural Evening.
5Year 11, Issue 3. 2009
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TOW To Move East
After an incredible showing at The State
Kremlin Museums in Moscow and the
Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Treasury
of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in
the Age of the Mughals say farewell
to Europe and set off for the Far East.
From February through December
2010, this exquisite collection will be on
display in Singapore and Malaysia.
The collection opens at the Asian
Civilisations Museum (ACM) in
Singapore on 11 February 2010 and
runs four months. The ACM is located
in a neo-Palladian building separated
from the Singapore River by a beautiful
expanse of vivid green grass. Built to
house government offices in the 1860s,
a major conversion was carried out
in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to
make the building suitable for use as a
museum. The work was completed and
the Asian Civilisations Museum opened
in 2003.
From Singapore, the collection moves
across the Straits of Johar to Kuala
Lumpur and the Islamic Arts Museum
Malaysia (IAMM). Treasury of the World
will be on exhibition in KL from 28 July
until 12 December 2010. In contrast
to the colonial feel of the ACM, the
IAMM is a modern building, constructed
specifically to house the Islamic art
museum. Calligraphy, repeating
geometric patterns and turquoise domes
(an integral part of the city’s skyline)
provide traditional accents that give the
building its Islamic feel.
� � �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
Corporate Benefactorsكبار الرعاة - الشركات
بار�شونز برينكرهوف �إنرتنا�شيونال
Parsons Brinkerhoff Int. Inc.
Arab Center for Commerce & Real Estate�ملركز �لعربي للتجارة و�لعقار
Kuwiat Shell Ltd.�شل �لكويتية �ملحدودة
Anwar Y. Al-Qatami�أنور �لقطامي
Corporate Donorsالرعاة املتبرعون - الشركات
6
DAI’s Treasury of the World exhibition took
Russia by storm, both in Moscow and St.
Petersburg. The clippings are still pouring
in, but here’s a look at just some of the
coverage from Moscow . . .
Mariam Nasser al-Sabahمريـــم نـــا�شر �ل�شبـــاح
Shafiqa Ali Al-Mutawa�شفيقــة علي �ملطـــوع
Intisar S.A. al-Sabah�نت�شار �شامل �لعلي �ل�شباح
Benefactorsكبار الرعاة
عادل م�شاعد �جلار�هلل �خلر�يف
Adel Musaed Al-Jarallah Al-Khorafi
نادية حممد �لبحر
Nadia M. Al-Bahar
�شر�ر يو�شف �لغامن
Dirar Y. Alghanim
علي في�شل حمود �خلالد
Ali Faisal Hamoud Al-Khaled
پوال �ل�شباح
Paula Al-Sabah هند حمد �أحمد �لبحر
Hind Hamad Ahmad Al-Bahar
جميل �أ. و�فا
Jamil A. Wafaبثينة م�شاعد �ل�شالح
Buthainah Musaed Al-Saleh
Patronsالرعاة املساهمون
حممد غازي �ل�شدير�وي
Mohammad Ghazi al-Sedairawiفريدة �حلبيب
Farida Al-Habib
Ahmed Abdallah Al-Sarraf Dr. Abdulaziz al-Sultan �أحمد عبد�هلل �ل�شر�ف د. عبد�لعزيز �ل�شلطان
Donorsالرعاة املتبرعون
Rachad Habib Tabiat
�شباح حممد �أمني �لري�سر�شاد حبيب طبيات
Sabah Mohammed Amin Al-Rayees
Kholoud Abdulrida Al-Feeliخلود عبد�لر�شا �لفيلي
Dr. Ali Ashour Al-Jaffarد. علي عا�شور �جلعفر
Nasser Duaij Al-Sabahنا�شر دعيج �ل�شباح
Munira Al-Khubaiziمنرية �خلبيزي
Enass Al-Marzouk�إينا�س �ملرزوق
Philip F. Bardawilفيليب باردوير
Mona Al-Khonainiمنى �خلنيني
Suad Al-Arfaj�شعاد �لعرفج
Tareq Bader Al-Mailemطارق بدر �مليلم
Mohamed Mahmoud Rasheedحممد حممود ر��شد
Margaret Al-Sayerمارجريت �ل�شاير
Hilal Al-Sayerهالل �ل�شاير
Eric Kuhne�إيرك كون
Afrah Mubarak Al-Sabah
�أفر�ح مبارك �ل�شباح
Basemah M. Al-Sabahبا�شمة مبارك �ل�شباح
Brigit Al-Mutawaبريجيت �ملطوع
Hind Abdulla Al-Jaber Al-Sabahهند عبد�هلل �جلابر �ل�شباح
Munira Khaled Al-Mutawaمنرية خالد �ملطوع
Khalifa Dhiraar Al-Ghanimخليفة �شر�ر �لغامن
Yasser Ashour Al-Jaffarيا�شر عا�شور �جلعفر
Fadeela al-Sabahف�شيلة �ل�شباح
Marzouk Dhiraar Al-Ghanimمرزوق �شر�ر �لغامن
Altaf Al-Essa�ألطاف �لعي�شى
Sponsorsالرعـــاة
Lina AbouDheirلينا �أبو دير
Hana al-Abdulmughniحنان �لعبد �ملغني
Dalia Faisal Thunayan al-Ghanimد�ليا في�شل ثنيان �لغامن
Adbulla Akil Zamanعبد�هلل عقيل زمان
Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Fraihحممد �إبر�هيم �لفريح
Manuel Gomez De Valenzuelaمانويل غومز دي فالينزويال
Rakan al-Ghanimر�كان �لغامن
Nasrallah S H Behbehaniن�شر�هلل بهـبـهــاين
7Year 11, Issue 3. 2009
DAI in the Russian Media
This season we are celebrating words.
Words as beautifully depicted in the
season’s iconic scroll and words that
share ideas and histories. What’s exciting
this season is the diversity of words and
subjects, as lecturers and performers touch
on aspects of art, culture, science and
history.
As is tradition, Professor Géza Fehérvári
will give the inaugural lecture on the
subject of “Why Ghazni? The Roots of
Islamic Art in Central Asia”. The lecture
elaborates on a question Professor Géza
raised when talking about the magnificent
metalwork of Ghazni in last year’s lecture.
Discussions of other aspects of art from
the Islamic world continue throughout the
season. Dr. Marianna Shreve Simpson
looks at the use of red in Islamic art, from
an artistic and commercial perspective.
Later, Dr. Barbara Brend focuses in on
blue in her lecture entitled “Sky in Islamic
Painting”. Dr. Irina Koshoridze’s lecture
on the relationship between Late Persian
Easel painting and the Georgian school of
painting will also address the traditions that
developed between the two countries.
Dr. Alain George also will speak on
Islamic art, taking a look at the importance
of Islamic calligraphy in the genre.
Staying on subject, but shifting the focus,
Professor Asok Kumar Das will present
Ustad Mansur’s nature images, as found in
Mughal India.
While Mansur’s nature images are largely
birds and animals, Professor Valentina
Colombo will be discussing al-Jahiz’s
Book of Animals, a tome dedicated to the
science of the animal behaviour. Science
Cultural Season 15:
Celebrating Words
is also the key theme for Professor Yahya M. Michot who will discuss the apparent
contradictions between Avicenna [Ibn Sina]
the scientist and Avicenna the astrologer.
Dr. Elaheh Kheirandish is one of five
lecturers that will be exploring the scientific
contributions of the Islamic world. She
will concentrate on the scientific traditions
of the Arab and Persian communities.
Speaking in Arabic, Dr. Ahmad Foaad Basha and Dr. Mustafa Moualidy will
review the contributions Islamic scientific
heritage on the both the local community
and humanity at large. Professor Osama Abu-Talib, coming from a background in
theatre and dialetics will look at the “Arab
mentality” and achievements over time
in his Arabic lecture. Finally, under the
heading of science, Dr. Saad al-Suwayan’s presentation, in Arabic, specifically
addresses the theme of this season – as he
reviews written and verbal communication
and how they impact thought and art.
Verbal and visual communications literally
take centre stage for a performance
of “Hasib Kareem”, a play based on
traditional stories from 1,001 Arabian
nights. On the big screen, Ms. Faiza Ahmed Khan’s award-winning
documentary Supermen of Malegaon
shows the true power of carefully chosen
words. Professor Steven C. Caton
embraces the region’s poetic performances
and the role they played as historical
chronicals, with special emphasis on
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Professor Jean During and Dr. Lisa Urkevich mix presentation with
performance, looking at music from
western Pakistan, southeastern Iran and
the Arabian peninsula. Professor During’s
lecture, which will include rare video,
presents Baluchi healing and trance music,
focusing on the role of both the musicians
and the shaman. Dr. Urkevich will present
the Ameeri Sea Band with music from a bit
closer to home in her lecture concentrating
on Gulf songs of the past.
8
Pure music lovers will have several
special evenings this season. Organist
Christian Schmitt will open the concert
season playing Mendelssohn, both
Bachs, and the less familiar Jürgen Essl;
seven months later, pianist Katarina
Peers will close the concert schedule
with a piano recital featuring the works
of Chopin. In between, the audience
will be spoilt for choice. Countertenor
Razek-François Bitar and pianist
David Simonacci will present arias from
classic George Frideric Handel operas to
contemporary Rahbanies compositions.
The Egyptian Philharmonic Society
(EPS) Philharmonic Piano Trio, led
by Ahmed El Saedi, will perform
compositions by the maestro himself,
as well as selections from Piazzolla
and Mendelssohn. Kuwaiti composer/
conductor/musician Sulaiman
Ghannam al-Dikan and the Sawt
Al-Kuwait Symphony will present
Shamiylat, an amalgamation of music
from Kuwait’s past.
In an Arabic lecture, Dr. Nawaf al-
Juhma will take the audience on a
journey through the Arab world of the
past, introducing Abi al-Hassan al-Herwi
– a traveler who left his signature on
surfaces he encountered during his travels.
Dr. János Hóvári will cover many of the
same destinations in his lecture on 16th
and 17th century Ottoman trade routes.
Dr. Derek Kennet’s lecture on Sasanian
and Islamic archaeology in this region
will allow the audience to travel between
the past and present by explaining how
these discoveries impact on today. Dr. Agnes Stillfried moves the conversation
to 16th century Tunis, presenting tapestries
depicting the war efforts of Emperor
Charles V. Finally, Dr. Olivier Callot will
transport the audience back to the days of
Alexander, when Pre-islamic coins struck in
his name were the coin of the realm.
Professor Gilles Kepel provides an
overview of the past and the present in his
lecture concentrating on the Middle East’s
place in world – yesterday and today.
Dr. B.J. Slot will look at Kuwait in the early
20th century, before, during and after
Sheikh Salim Mubarak al-Sabah’s tenure
as Amir.
Yesterday and today; lectures and music;
philosophy and science; art and letters:
Cultural Season 15 will celebrate words
and the impact they have on the past,
present and future.
From 13 – 16 September, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) hosted a workshop
titled Beauty, Sincerity, and Devotion: The Basics of Islamic Faith and Practice.
More than two dozen people, non-Muslims and Muslims, participated in the
workshop, led by Ph.D. candidate Abbas Barzegar.
“This workshop is designed to give participants of all backgrounds an in-depth
introduction to the basic elements of Islamic faith and practice shared by
Muslims around the world,” said Barzegar. “It will revolve around three major
themes: Beauty, Sincerity, and Devotion.”
Barzegar explained how intrinsic the religion is to every aspect of Muslim life,
noting that it first serves Allah, then the community and then the individual.
Accepting that the community is more important than the individual,
following Islam requires Muslims to demonstrate a remarkable level of intent
and devotion.
He explained that devotion (‘ibada) is seen by Muslims as the practical and
common sense application of beauty and goodness (ihsan), which is in
keeping with the importance of the community, and the Islamic worldview
assumes that a sense of complete devotion be naturally extended to as many
aspects of life as possible – from praying to washing to relationships. The
necessity for sincerity and proper intention (niyya) in the practice of Islam is
understood by Muslims as the final step in achieving a healthy spiritual life.
Throughout the workshop, which was developed for a non-Muslim audience,
Barzegar presented theory, religious doctrine and practical information. He
explained, for example, the stages of prayer and the meaning behind the call
to prayer. In several places he played recordings so the audience could hear
some of the common prayers and follow a translated text on the screen. The
discussion of Sufism included several Dhika recordings that were absolutely
amazing.
Abbas Barzegar, an early career fellow at the American Council of Learned
Societies, is a Ph.D. Candidate in Religious Studies at Emory University in the
US. His current research focuses on the formation of sectarian identities in
early Islam with a particular emphasis on Sunni narratives of Islamic origins.
With Richard Martin, Barzegar is co-editor of the volume, “Islamism:
Contested Perspectives on Political Islam” available from Stanford University
Press in November. His article “The Persistence of Heresy: Paul of Tarsus, Ibn
Saba, and Historical Narrative in Sunni Islam” will be published in the Spring
2010 edition of the journal NUMEN based in Leiden.
9Year 11, Issue 3. 2009
DAIRamadan
Workshop: Beauty, Sincerity, and Devotion in Islam
This season the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah
(DAI) launches the DAI Forum, an
umbrella organisation that integrates and
expands some existing programmes and
introduces new cultural opportunities.
The community-based programmes,
which will be held on Wednesdays
at the al-Maidan Cultural Centre in
Maidan Hawalli, include music, lectures,
documentaries, a book club, travel
opportunities, and more.
“DAI activities on Monday nights feature
experts and scholars on some aspect of
art and culture from around the world,”
said Sheikha Hussah Sabah Salem al-
Sabah, DAI director general. “The DAI
Forum will provide opportunities for
Kuwait-based specialists to share their
unique gift or talent with Friends of the
DAI. For example, Farah Behbehani,
an exceptional female calligrapher and
creator of the new Conference of the
Birds book, will talk about how she
went from art student to published
author/illustrator and Kennedy Center
installation artist. Naif al-Mutawa
will discuss how he’s made “The 99”
a successful comic book and, more
important, an ambassador for Islam
around the world. Faisal Khadjeh will be
presenting traditional Kuwait and Arabic
music live in our theatre. And that’s just
three of the almost three dozen events
and activities that the DAI Forum will
present.”
The DAI Forum gives the DAI Music
Circle (DMC) double the number of
performance opportunities. Having
completed two seasons, the DMC
Committee, led by Dr. Usama Jamali, is
successfully providing gifted musicians
in Kuwait the opportunity to perform
for enthusiastic audiences. This season,
Cultural Season 15, the first and third
Wednesdays of each month have been
allocated to DMC performances.
NewDAI Forum
14 October 2009The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, Ross Dunn
10 November 2009Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, N.J. Dawood(Translator)
9 December 2009Unfortunately It Was Paradise, Mahmoud Darwish
13 January 2010The Crusades through Arab Eyes, Amin Malouf
10 February 2010Sons of Sinbad,Alan Villiers
10 March 2010The Ornament of the World, Maria Rosa Menocal
14 April 2010The Faith Club,Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, Priscilla Warner
12 May 2010In the House of Silence: Autobiographical Essays by Arab Women Writers (Arab Women Writers Series - Paperback), by Fadia Faqir (Author, Editor), Shirley Eber(Editor)
Translucent yellowish greenish glass cupPossibly Mesopotamian region9th – 10th century
Dimensionsh 7.8 cm, max. diam. 8.5 cmth. 0.39 cm wt. 180.2 gramscapacity 346 ml
ColourTranslucent yellowish greenish colorless
TechniqueBlown; impressed with tongs; tooled; worked on the pontil
DescriptionThis cylindrical cup has a flat base and curves slightly inward near the opening. The decoration consists of six panels created with a rectangular tong; each includes a circle inscribed in the centre of a rhomboid and two clusters of three small circles above and below. The lateral edges of the tong appear as vertical lines formed by short horizontal indentations that run from the base to the rim.
ConditionThe object was broken and repaired; it is complete except for a small fill. The surface is partially weathered, resulting in milky white and pale brown coatings and abrasions. The glass includes scattered small bubbles and a few large ones.
