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Contributions to the Arts
For nearly 1400 years, the world of Islam has produced some of the most extraordniary works of art the world has ever known. Below you will find links to a variety of websites which celebrate the artistic wonders of the Islamic world.
Museum With No Frontiers: Discover Islamic Art
Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF) is an organisation whose ground-breaking and visionary programme aims to establish a vast trans-national, online museum that presents works of art, architecture and archaeology in the context in which they were created.
Explore the Islamic Art section of Museum With No Frontiers by clicking on the link below.
The Burrell Collection
Based in Glasgow and housing over 8000 works of art including a celebrated collection of Islamic arts and crafts, the Burrell Collection is named after its donor, the shipping magnate Sir William Burrell and is one of the greatest collections ever created by one person.
Learn more about the Burrell Collection by clicking the link below.
The David Collection
A stunning online resource from one of the pre-eminent collections of Islamic art in the world. The collection covers virtually the entire classical Islamic world, from Spain in the west to India in the east, and spans the period from the 8th to the 19th century.
Art of the Islamic World
Featuring a large online catalogue of images showcasing the Freer and Sackler Galleries' beautiful collection of Islamic art.
The Islamic Arts Museum
The Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia houses more than 7000 artefacts. Visit the website to learn more about this Malaysian institution.
Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin
The Museum of Islamic Art is situated in the south wing of the Pergamonmuseum. Its permanent exhibition is dedicated to the art of Islamic peoples from the eighth to the nineteenth century. The works of art originate from the vast area stretching from Spain to India. The collection's main focus is on the Middle East including Egypt and Iran.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Met's collection of Islamic art ranges in date from the seventh to the nineteenth century. Its nearly twelve thousand objects reflect the great diversity and range of the cultural traditions of Islam, with works from as far westward as Spain and Morocco and as far eastward as Central Asia and India.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The new Jameel Gallery at the V&A houses over 400 objects, including ceramics, textiles, carpets, metalwork, glass and woodwork, which date from the great days of the Islamic caliphate of the 8th and 9th centuries to the years preceding World War I (1914-18). The area covered stretches from Spain in the west to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in the east, taking in important centres of artistic production in the Arab lands, Turkey and Iran.
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Including objects from the World of Islam, this website compliments a program produced jointly by the British Museum and the BBC.
The British Museum
The British Museum is home to a vast collection of Islamic and Middle Eastern art and artefacts. The Museum is currently hosting a special exhibition exploring the Hajj.
The British Library Qur'an
A digital version of one of the greatest examples of Islamic calligraphy.
Turkish Cultural Foundation
Promoting and preserving Turkish culture and heritage worldwide, through original programs and cooperation with like minded organisations.
Iran Heritage Foundation
The Iran Heritage Foundation is a non-political UK registered charity with the mission to promote and preserve the history, languages and cultures of Iran and the Persian world.
Archnet
ArchNet is an international online community for architects, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, conservationists, and scholars, with a focus on Muslim cultures and civilisations.
The Chester Beatty Library
Beautiful examples of Islamic art from the famous Chester Beatty Library collection in Dublin.
Minassian Collection of Qur'anic Manuscripts
The flowering of Arabic calligraphy has its origins in the efforts of Muslim societies to preserve and disseminate the scriptural verses of the Qur'an. This collection features 200 Qur'anic manuscript folios dating from the 9th to the16th centuries.
The Khalili Research Centre (Oxford University)
The KRC is the University of Oxford's centre for research and teaching about the art and material culture of the Islamic societies of the Middle East and of their non-Muslim members and neighbours.
Features three excellent image archives.
This article was published on Sep 14, 2012