Treasure trove

Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art

Islamic art is a fast growing subject of study. Too many countries are involved for it to be categorised like French or Japanese art. In New York and London Islamic art tends to be confined to a section of an institution such as the Met, the British Museum or the V&A. Similarly, in the capital of United Arab Emirates, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will show art from all eras and regions, including Islamic art, when it opens in 2012. Meanwhile in Qatar, the peninsular state further up the gulf to the west and north of UAE, a more specialised institution has just opened its doors — namely the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, MIA for short. It’s not a disappointment.

The memorable opening ceremony of 22 November befitted not only MIA’s importance as a stand-alone institution with a wide-ranging collection of world-class Islamic artefacts, but also the greatness of its architect I.M. Pei, who in turn has benefited from the enlightened patronage of Qatar’s ruling family. It appears that Pei had to be coaxed out of retirement by the Emir’s daughter. Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani is the charming chairperson both of the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) and of MIA. MIA is unique but it is also part of a big Qatari cultural and educational build-up. In a short, but touching, speech the modest 91-year-old Chinese–American genius thanked members of the Qatari ruling family for giving him the chance to learn about ‘a new culture and a new religion’.

Pei, who studied under Walter Gropius in 1942, spent six months travelling across the Muslim world in order to discover an inspiring essence within the diversity of Islamic architecture, an essence that would be susceptible to re-expression using a modern vocabulary of forms, materials and techniques.