Syria Matters

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha will present a major exhibition entitled Syria Matters opening on 22 November 2018 as part of the MIA ten-year anniversary celebrations as Qatar’s first world-class international museum.  Syria Matters takes as its subject the extraordinary cultural heritage of Syria, illuminating Syria’s key role in the artistic and intellectual history of the world. So much of this precious heritage has been tragically lost through the destruction of its fabled cities of Palmyra and Aleppo, as well as countless other cultural heritage sites, during a bitter civil war, almost unprecedented in recent history. This exhibition will bring to life the multifaceted layers of Syria’s architectural and cultural history going as far back as the country’s early pre-Islamic past and will explore its many contributions to world history. The exhibition, draws on MIA’s own spectacular collection, shown alongside loans from other world-renowned international museums, The works include pre-Islamic artefacts, Orientalist paintings and photographs, as well as precious works of Islamic art from Syria’s rich history: early Qurans, medieval manuscripts, glass, ceramics, textiles and tiles. It will also show rarely-seen elements of the former wooden interior decoration from a private Damascus house. As part of the exhibition installation, there will be a specially-designed immersive experience of several key sites such as the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus and the Citadel of Aleppo, giving visitors a unique experience of these remarkable locations.

Museum of Islamic Art

Qatar Museums Authority

Doha. Qatar