Doha: This November, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) will present "Splendours of the Atlas: A Voyage Through Morocco’s Heritage," a major exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through the rich legacies of Morocco, highlighting the forces that have shaped the country’s unique identity.
Organized as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, the exhibition features over 200 objects, including artifacts, manuscripts, instruments, jewelry pieces, and photographs, to narrate the multifaceted story of Moroccan history, society, and artistic expressions, and their ongoing influence on the nation’s culture today.
"Splendours of the Atlas" includes loans from Moroccan institutions such as the National Foundation of Museums and the National Library of Rabat, marking their first exhibition in Qatar. Additionally, previously unseen works from the collections of Qatar Museums, MIA, and the future Lusail Museum will be showcased. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya, MIA Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs.
H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Years of Culture and Qatar Museums, stated, “We are extraordinarily fortunate to partner with institutions across Morocco for our Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, which will greatly expand the ability of Qataris and those living in Qatar to gain insight into the grand Islamic traditions of our neighbor in North Africa. Our shared commitment to scholarship, scientific discovery, and artistic excellence has created a fertile basis for this year’s rich Year of Culture program.”
The Years of Culture initiative fosters long-lasting cultural partnerships between Qatar and other nations, promoting respect and understanding among diverse cultures and serving as a catalyst for bringing people together.
MIA Director Shaika Al-Nassr remarked, “I can think of no better venue for this remarkable presentation than MIA, which is dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and publishing on the Islamic cultures of the world. When designing the exhibition, we sought to illuminate the intricate layers of Morocco’s cultural identity, offering visitors a chance to explore its rich heritage. This exhibition serves as a bridge connecting past and present, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the timeless beauty of Moroccan culture and its enduring global legacy.”
Organized thematically into five sections, "Splendours of the Atlas" highlights Morocco’s diverse and interconnected cultures and their lasting influence on contemporary life.
The sections include: “Faces of Morocco: Landscapes and Society,” an introductory gallery that will immerse visitors in a mosaic of photographs by Bruno Barbey, Irving Penn, Lalla Essaydi, Mous Lamrabat, and Mounir Raji. The images, depicting Morocco’s ecologically diverse landscape and its contemporary inhabitants, offer a glimpse into the everyday lives of Arab and Amazigh communities and the terrains they navigate.
“The Soul of Morocco: Kings, Saints, and Scholars” delves into Moroccan dynastic history, which cultivated theological scholarship and scientific advances in the cities of Fez and Marrakech, two major centers of learning. This section demonstrates how Morocco’s rulers, whose lineage stems directly from the descendants of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), created fertile ground for pursuits in astronomy, mathematics, and medicine, among other fields. Special attention is given to institutions of higher learning, such as the famed University of Al Qarawiyyin, founded by the female scholar Fatima al-Fihri in 859 and regarded as the world’s oldest continuously operating degree-granting university.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication featuring short essays on each of the show’s key themes. It will also include photographs and detailed object entries of each work on display. Notably, many of the objects from Qatar Museums’ collections will be published for the first time.