As part of my ongoing love affair with museums, I recently lost myself for a few hours in the fabulous Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.
The building is a work of art in itself – a beautiful collection of lines and shapes and angles on the outside and modern bright spaces on the inside.
I love the British Museum and its is eclectic collection of bits from all over the world. This was very different. This museum is devoted to a single culture, giving a much greater insight into its diversity and depth.
On my first visit to Qatar nearly 15 years ago, their museum was just a single small building with a few local handicrafts on display. This new museum opened in 2008 and is world class.
I love bright shiny things – and Oh My! There were plenty of them from places as diverse as India and Mongolia.
The glassware was equally ornate. The workmanship simply amazing especially for something more than 800 years old.
The ceramic work was equally impressive, much of it decorated with the most beautiful calligraphy.
Astrolabes were invented by the Greeks, but medieval Islamic scholars further developed it – not just in technical terms, but they also made devices of quite breath-taking beauty.
I thoroughly enjoyed the few hours I spent in the museum – and not just inside. As I emerged just after dark, I was treated to a lovely view of one of my favourite modern buildings anywhere in the world.
