Sharjah's Museum of Islamic Civilisation

The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is a museum in

Sharjah Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Sharjah is the capital o ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

(UAE). The museum, opened in 2008, covers

Islamic culture Islamic culture and Muslim culture refer to cultural practices which are common to historically Islamic people. The early forms of Muslim culture, from the Rashidun Caliphate to the early Umayyad period and the early Abbasid period, were predomi ...

, with more than 5,000 artifacts from the Islamic world. Objects include calligraphy, carvings,

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

, coins, glass, manuscripts, metalwork, and scientific instruments. It was formerly known as the Islamic Museum and opened in 1996 before being moved and re-housed in the current building.

Location

The museum is located on the Corniche Street in the Al Majarrah area, on the opposite side of the street from Sharjah Creek. It is openly visible because of its large size and characteristic golden dome. The museum is situated in the historical centre of Sharjah on the Majarrah Waterfront, in a building originally constructed as a souq (indoor market). Sheikh

Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi ( ar, سلطان بن محمد القاسمي; born 2 July 1939) is the sovereign ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah and a member of the Federal Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates. He has ruled Sharjah conti ...

, a member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and ruler of

, inaugurated the museum on 5 June 2008. It celebrated its tenth birthday in November 2018, with an exhibition titled "Crossroads: Cultural Exchange between the Islamic Civilization, Europe and Beyond", mounted in co-operation with the

Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin The Museum of Islamic Art (german: Museum für Islamische Kunst) is located in the Pergamon Museum and is part of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Collection The museum exhibits diverse works of Islamic art from the 7th century to 19th centur ...

Displays

The museum displays over five thousand Islamic artifacts which have been collected globally and displayed in seven thematic galleries, six of them dedicated to housing permanent exhibitions. A gallery dedicated to the history and nature of Islam, the Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith, displays, among other objects, a copy of the

Koran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...

of the third Caliph,

Uthman ibn Affan Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic prop ...

, who ruled from 644–656 AD. Alongside rare objects such as this and a ''Kiswa'', the covering used for the

Kaaba The Kaaba (, ), also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah ( ar, ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, lit=Honored Ka'bah, links=no, translit=al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah), is a building at the c ...

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...

, are early black and white images of Sharjah citizens embarking on the then arduous Haj pilgrimage. A gallery devoted to the history of Islamic science, technology and innovation, the Ibn Al-Haytham Gallery of Science and Technology, includes displays showing Islamic scientific advancements, including complex early clocks, navigational aids and weapons. Four further galleries display Islamic art through the ages, as well as displays of modest fashion and contemporary pieces. Displays along the central boulevard include cases of Islamic coins as well as clocks and other items. A seventh gallery houses temporary exhibitions, with a regular roster of displays co-curated with other museums, ranging from Ottoman Masterpieces from the Museum of Applied Arts in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

to Persian calligraphy from the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia.

Facilities

The museum features prayer rooms, a cafeteria, a souvenir shop, spacious parking, rest rooms and has facilities and wheel chair access for the disabled.http://www.sharjahtourism.ae/en/heritage/museums/sharjah-museum-of-islamic-civilization

References

External links

Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization website
{{authority control Art museums established in 2008 Art museums and galleries in the United Arab Emirates Museums in Sharjah (city) Decorative arts museums History museums in the United Arab Emirates Islamic culture Islamic museums Domes 2008 establishments in the United Arab Emirates Arab art scene

Location

Displays

Facilities

See also

References

External links