Mystical creatures come to life in Qatar

On Tuesday, Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha launched a new exhibition, 'Marvellous Creatures: Animal Fables in Islamic Art'.

The exhibition will run from 4 March to July 11 2015 at the museum's special exhibitions gallery, and aims to shed light on both real and imaginary animals mentioned in fables and legends known throughout the Islamic world.

Divided into the four natural quadrants of fire, air, earth, and water, the creatures featured are all found in literary classics such as Kalila wa Dimna, the Shahnameh, and One Thousand and One Nights.

The wide variety of objects presented in the exhibition includes manuscripts, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, glass, and metalwork that date between the 10th and 19th centuries.

It highlights the appeal of these characters and stories across many diverse cultures and countless generations. Illustrations and motifs seen in the exhibition also reflect the diverse forms of Islamic art.

'Marvellous Animals' uses these elements to take visitors on a vibrant sensory experience, using storytelling in a variety of forms, from colourful illustrations to audio stories.

"The timeless tales of Kalila wa Dimna, the Shahnameh, and One Thousand and One Nights highlighted in the exhibition will appeal across the community and diverse cultures, including children, young people, and families,"  says Aisha al-Khater, director of the MIA.

The exhibition highlights the appeal of these characters and stories across many diverse cultures.

"We hope that this exhibition successfully introduces these stories to our audience who will carry the meaning of the tales into their own lives, and draw on their artistic and literary heritage to better understand the natural world and their place within it."

Also at the exhibition will be a series of child-friendly and family activities including interactive storytelling, late-night family tours, puppet shows and creative art workshops.

The MIA also has other activities and seminars to coincide with the exhibition. Opening 'Marvellous Creatures' will be a Shahnameh seminar will be delivered by renowned scholars Sheila Canby, and artist Hamid Rahmanian.

The seminar will explore the historic and artistic development of the Shahnameh, the famed epic poem that tells the stories of the heroes and rulers of ancient Persia.

Additionally, the MIA will also offer a Karagoz puppet show titled 'Garbage Monster' by the Istanbul Karagoz Puppet Foundation.

The MIA houses a collection of masterpieces of Islamic art, including metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, textiles and glass, collected from three continents, from Spain to India.

This article is an edited translation from out Arabic edition.