The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha{credit}Mohammed Yahia{/credit}
Starting this October and running into January 2013, Doha will host two traveling exhibitions that showcase the rich scholarly tradition of the Golden Age of the Islamic civilization.
The two exhibitions celebrate science achievements and innovatiosn between the seventh and 17th century in the Islamic civilization, which spread from Spain all the way to China. The 15-week event will offer a diverse programme of interactive exhibitions, movies, live shows, cultural events and educational seminars.
The 1001 Inventions exhibition and the Arabick Roots exhibition premiered at the Royal Society in London in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The 1001 Inventions exhibition has since then traveled to Istanbul followed by New York, Los Angeles and Washington D.C, attracting well over a million visitors throughout. Interactive, fun and family-oriented, the exhibition won the title of Best Touring Exhibition of the Year at the Museums and Heritage Excellence Awards in 2011.
The Arabick Roots exhibition celebrates the cross-boundary research between Muslim scientists and early fellows of the Royal Society, painstakingly curated by Rim Turkmani, a fellow of the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC). The version that will open in Qatar mid-October has been specifically curated for the small country’s audiences.
“With the renaissance sweeping Qatar at this time, it is the ideal time for us to highlight the achievements of our forefathers, and remind ourselves and the world what we are capable of,” commented Mansoor Al Khater, CEO of the Qatar Museums Authority. “These two exhibitions will encourage Qatar’s younger generation to innovate and contribute towards a better future. Qatar is perfectly placed to be a leader in modern science and technological innovations.”
The two exhibitions will run at the iconic Museum of Islamic Art Park, an impressive building by the sea which features some of the most beautiful and impressive cultural and scientific pieces collected from across the Islamic civilization and spanning three continents over the past thousand years. The 1001 Inventions exhibition will start 16th October and run till 12th November. The Arabick roots exhibition on the other hand will run from 17th October 2012 to 19th January 2013.