Reposted from the web

Summary: This article shares 106 different visual styles for writing the Tasmiya, the phrase used by Muslims before beginning an act in the name of Allah. The English version preserves the source order, labels, and images while keeping the text simple and direct.

Happy Eid al-Fitr. I am sharing 106 styles of the Basmala that I have photographed before.

Jiangsu

Plaque at Jingjue Mosque in Nanjing



Plaque at Shanxiang Mosque in Zhenjiang



Brick carving at Shanxiang Mosque in Zhenjiang



Stele head at Gurun Mosque in Zhenjiang (formerly located at Siyaowo outside the South Gate of Zhenjiang)



Henan

Brick carving at the women's school of Dongda Mosque in Kaifeng



Plaque at Dongda Mosque in Kaifeng



Plaque at Beida Mosque in Zhengzhou, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Beida Mosque in Zhengzhou, Henan



Plaque at Xiguan Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Wood carving at Xiguan Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Beida Mosque in Qinyang, Henan



Stele head at Beida Mosque in Qinyang, Henan



Plaque at Erxianmiao Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Erxianmiao Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Wood carving at the West Mosque in Daxinzhuang, Bo'ai, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Dongda Mosque in Daxinzhuang, Bo'ai, Henan



Shandong

Brick carving at Dangdong Mosque in Jinan, Shandong



Minbar wood carving at Dangdong Mosque in Jinan, Shandong



Niche (yaowo) at the West Mosque in Liaocheng, Shandong



Calligraphy at the East Mosque in Linqing, Shandong.



Wood carvings at the North Mosque in Linqing, Shandong.



Brick carvings at the North Mosque in Linqing, Shandong.



Stele head at the South Great Mosque in Jinan, Shandong.



Stele head at the South Great Mosque in Jinan, Shandong.







Calligraphy at the South Great Mosque in Jinan, Shandong.



Brick carvings at the Taicheng Mosque in Tai'an, Shandong.



Kiln pit (yaowo) at the Taicheng Mosque in Tai'an, Shandong.



Beijing.

Plaque at the Niujie Mosque in Beijing.



Glazed tiles (liuli) at the Niujie Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Dongsi Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Shahe Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Xiguanshi Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Dewai Fayuan Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Funei Zhengyuan Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Xihui Mosque in Beijing.



Tianjin.

Plaque at the Yangcun North Great Mosque in Wuqing, Tianjin.



Plaque at the East Great Mosque in Tianjin.



Plaque at the North Mosque (Beidasi) in Tianmu, Tianjin



Hebei.

Plaque at the Zhuozhou Mosque in Hebei.



Plaque at the Zhuozhou Mosque in Hebei.



Sichuan

Plaque at the mosque in Langzhong, Sichuan



Stele head at the Shanghe Street Mosque in Guangyuan, Sichuan



Stele head at the Shanghe Street Mosque in Guangyuan, Sichuan



Kiln site at the Ma Family Mosque in Yankou, Wusheng, Sichuan



Kiln site at the West Mosque in Xichang, Sichuan



Shaanxi

Plaque at the Shuhe Mosque in Shaanxi



Stele head at the Shuhe Mosque in Shaanxi



Stele head at the Shuhe Mosque in Shaanxi



Calligraphy at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the North Mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Calligraphy plaque by Imam Ma Qianyi at the Great Mosque on Huajue Lane in Xi'an, Shaanxi



Kiln site at the Nancheng Mosque in Xi'an, Shaanxi



Stele head at the Xiaopiyuan Mosque in Xi'an



Plaque at the Great Mosque on Huajue Lane in Xi'an



Liaoning

Plaque at the mosque in Lingyuan, Liaoning



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Kaiyuan, Liaoning



Plaque at the mosque in Beizhen, Jinzhou, Liaoning



Plaque at the mosque in Dalian, Liaoning



Calligraphy at Fengcheng Mosque in Dandong, Liaoning



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Xinmin Mosque in Shenyang, Liaoning



Plaque at Xinmin Mosque in Shenyang, Liaoning



Jilin

Plaque at Changtong Road Mosque in Changchun, Jilin



Heilongjiang

Brick carving at Bukui Mosque in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang





Restaurant entrance in Harbin, Heilongjiang



Plaque at Acheng Mosque in Harbin, Heilongjiang



Macau

Wood carving at the mosque in Macau



Guangdong

Stele head at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou



Stele head at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou



Stele head at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou



Plaque at Haopan Mosque in Guangzhou



Stone pillar at Chengxi Mosque in Zhaoqing, Guangdong



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Chengdong Mosque in Zhaoqing, Guangdong



Yunnan

Kiln niche (yaowo) at Shang Mosque in Yangbi, Dali, Yunnan



Calligraphy in the main hall of the Ma Ruqi courtyard in Donglianhua Village, Weishan, Dali, Yunnan



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Donglianhua Mosque in Weishan, Dali, Yunnan



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Fengyi Mosque in Dali, Yunnan



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Binchuan Mosque in Dali, Yunnan



Inner Mongolia

Stele head at the North Mosque (Beidasi) in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia



Singapore

Calligraphy by Chen Jinhui in the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore



Zhejiang

Mosque kiln niche (yaowo) in Lishui, Zhejiang





Fujian

Main gate of the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou



Stone carvings at the Ding Family Ancestral Hall in Chendai, Quanzhou



Wood carving of an auspicious bird from the Ding family of Chendai, held at the Quanzhou Maritime Museum



Tombstone of the 'Master Huang and the Hundred Clans' from Quanzhou, held at the Fujian Museum; the person buried died in 1315



Song and Yuan dynasty tomb roof stone at the Lingshan Holy Tomb in Quanzhou



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the collection of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum for Shams al-Din ibn Nur al-Din ibn Ishaq al-Shahristani, who died in 1325 and came from Shahristan, Iran



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum for Fatima bint Naina, who died in 1306



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum for Mansur ibn Haji Qasim Jajermi, who died in 1277 and came from Jajarm in the North Khorasan province of Iran



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the collection of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum



Song and Yuan dynasty tomb roof stone in the collection of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum





Quanzhou Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the collection of the Xiamen University Anthropology Museum



Quanzhou Song and Yuan dynasty tomb roof stone in the collection of the Xiamen University Anthropology Museum



Gansu

Mosque kiln niche (yaowo) in Qinan, Gansu



Xinjiang

Wood carvings on the door panels of the Shaanxi Grand Mosque in Urumqi



Thailand

Yao Wo at the Jingzhen Mosque in Chiang Mai, Thailand



Wanyang Restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: Islamic Art Guide: Quanzhou Maritime Museum Song-Yuan Stone Inscriptions (Part 1) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear, natural English. The account focuses on Quanzhou, Islamic Art, Stone Inscriptions while preserving the names, places, food, photos, and historical details from the Chinese source.

The Quanzhou Maritime Museum was built in 1959. The Quanzhou Islamic Culture Exhibition Hall opened in 2003, and the 'Arabs and Persians in Quanzhou' exhibition launched in 2008, featuring over 200 stone carvings from the Song and Yuan dynasties. I visited the 'Arabs and Persians in Quanzhou' exhibition in 2017. Returning seven years later, the layout has not changed much, but some of the most iconic stone tablets, such as the tombstone of 'Consul Pan,' have been moved to the 'Quanzhou: World Maritime Trade Center in Song and Yuan China' exhibition, with replicas now in their place.









Tombstone

The largest category of Song and Yuan dynasty Islamic stone carvings in the museum's collection is tombstones.





The tombstone in the picture below was once used as a stone tabletop under the eaves of Yuanshan Hall (later renamed Fentuoshi) on Zhongshan Middle Road in Quanzhou. It is said to have been moved there in 1952 when building materials were purchased from the city's East Gate wall foundations for construction. Ms. Wu Yuanying donated it to the museum in 1965.

The person buried is named Husayn b. Muhammad Khalati. Khalati refers to the ancient city of Ahlat in what is now southeastern Turkey. Historically, Ahlat was part of the Armenian Kingdom, was occupied by Arabs in the mid-7th century, and developed into an important trade hub in southeastern Turkey by the 10th century. Ahlat was captured by the Seljuk Empire in 1071 and later became the capital of the Turkmen beylik known as Shah-Armens.

Because the inscription is written in a very irregular way, there are still many questions about how to read it. If we read the date as 567 in the Islamic calendar, which is 1171 in the Gregorian calendar, this stone would be the oldest Arabic inscription found in Quanzhou.



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1939 when the North Gate (Chaotian Gate) of Quanzhou was torn down. The person buried there was named Nuransa Ibn Khwaja Balad-shah b. Khwaja Haji Harbk Khorazmi, who died in 1322.

In his name, Nuransa is his given name, and Balad-shah is his father's name, which means leader in Persian. Harbk is his grandfather's name, Khwaja shows his noble status, Haji means his grandfather had been on the Hajj, and Khorazmi shows his family came from the Khwarezm region of Central Asia.

The Khwarezmian Empire was destroyed by the Mongol Empire in 1221 and was later divided between the Chagatai Khanate and the Golden Horde. In the 14th century, Khwarezm was an important trade center in Central Asia until it was destroyed by the Timurid Empire in 1388.



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1936 at Jintoupu Village outside the East Gate (Tonghuai Gate) of Quanzhou. The person buried there died in 1358 and was named Banan b. Ghasim Isfahani, who came from the famous Iranian city of Isfahan.

Isfahan became the capital of the Seljuk Empire in the mid-11th century and reached its peak in the late 11th century. Isfahan declined after the fall of the Seljuk Empire in the 13th century. It suffered a massacre by Timur in 1387 and did not revive until the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century.



The tombstone in the picture below was unearthed in 1931 at Jintoupu outside Tonghuai Gate in Quanzhou. The person buried there was Sihab al-dunya sa l-din b. Daghab, the son of a garrison commander from Balashaghun. He died in 1301, and the inscription includes a verse from the Quran (3:185).

Balashaghun is located on the banks of the Chu River in Kyrgyzstan. It was once the capital of the Kara-Khanid Khanate and the new capital of the Western Liao dynasty. It is the hometown of Yusuf Khass Hajib, the author of Wisdom of Royal Glory (Kutadgu Bilig). Balashaghun was captured by the Mongol Empire in 1218 and gradually became a ruin by the 14th century.



The tombstone in the picture below was unearthed in 1933 from the city wall of Renfeng Gate in Quanzhou. The person buried there was Muhammad b. Su'ud Yahya, who died in 1326.



The tombstone in the picture below was unearthed in 1939 from the city wall of Tonghuai Gate in Quanzhou. The person buried there was Khwaja Ali b. Uthman al-Jilani, who died in 1357.

Gilan is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in northwestern Iran. It was ruled by locals until the 11th to 16th centuries. It was occupied by the Ilkhanate in 1307 but regained its independence in 1336.



The tombstone in the picture below.

This was unearthed in 1978 on a street in Houhai Road Village, outside Tonghuai Gate in Quanzhou, and it is carved with verses from the Quran (21:35, 28:88).



The bottom half of the tombstone in the picture below was found in 1934 on a field path outside Tonghuai Gate in Quanzhou, while the top half was found in 1942 while digging for city wall foundation stones at the East Gate of Quanzhou. The person buried here was named Shaikh Aklab Umar, who passed away in 1303, and the inscription also features verses from the Quran (55:26-27, 3:185).



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1938 while digging for city foundation stones at Renfeng Gate, the East Gate of Quanzhou; the person buried here was named Granto Takin b. Sultan Husayn, who passed away in 1308. Takin is a Turkic title for a prince or noble.



The tombstone in the picture below is a replica, and the original is on display in the main hall of the Maritime Museum. It was discovered in the summer of 1934 within the city foundations at the East Gate of Quanzhou. The top is carved with scripture (28:88) and also Chinese characters: 'General Manager Pan died on the first day of the fourth lunar month.' According to the History of Song, Volume 7 on Official Positions, the position of General Manager was created during the Jianyan era of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1130) to manage money, grain, and taxes. By the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, the General Manager could directly participate in military and political affairs and held great power. However, the Yuan Dianzhang records that the title of General Manager was used for minor officials in the prisons of various prefectures and counties.



The tombstone in the picture below was found in April 1958 in the city foundation near Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou. The tomb owner was named Haji Khwaja b. Hasam al-Din b. Yalaki Siraf, who passed away in 1362.

Siraf is also translated in historical records as Shiluowei, Shilafu, Sanawei, Shilafu, or Siluofu. It is located in southern Iran and was the largest trading port in the Persian Gulf between the 9th and 13th centuries. Most Persian merchants traveling to Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan dynasties set off from here.



The tombstone in the picture below was discovered in 1926 by the famous archaeologist Chen Wanli on South Street in Quanzhou (now Zhongshan Road). He asked the Quanzhou government to move it to the Construction Bureau for safekeeping, but it was lost during a flood in 1935. In 1955, residents digging at the old Construction Bureau site found a stone tablet, but the bottom part with the date was broken. The person buried there was the daughter of Sayyid Burtumi b. Sayyid Muhammad al-Hamdani.

Hamadan is located southwest of Tehran and serves as an important commercial center and transport hub in northwestern Iran. Hamadan became the capital of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century, but it was destroyed by the Mongol army in 1220 and again during the Timurid invasion in the 14th century, only recovering during the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century.



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1929 when the Renfeng Gate wall at the East Gate of Quanzhou was torn down. It broke into three pieces and was stacked into a house wall, then rediscovered in 1950 after the wall collapsed. A corner of the tombstone was lost in the late 1960s. The person buried there died in 1337, and the inscription is a verse from the Quran (21:34-35).



The tombstone in the picture below was found in September 1958 next to a field in Huazhou Village outside the South Gate of Quanzhou. Local villagers said it was a city stone dug up from the Quanzhou South Gate wall over 20 years earlier. They originally planned to use it to build a house, but after realizing it was a tombstone, they used it to pave a path in the field instead. The person buried there was named Abu Masman Ghath, and the inscription is a verse from the Quran (55:26-27).



The tombstone in the picture below was found on the road surface of West Street in Quanzhou in 1932. It was originally taken from the city wall to pave the road. The person buried there is named Khadija bint Fanshah.



The tombstone in the picture below was unearthed in 1981 at a villager's home in Jinputou, outside Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou. The person buried there is named al-Hamd Suad.



The tombstone in the picture below was found in a resident's home near the South Gate factory area in Quanzhou in 1945 and was recovered for preservation in 1953. The inscription is a verse from the Quran (29:57).



The tombstone in the picture below was excavated from the city wall at the East Gate of Quanzhou in 1930. The center features a full moon carved in Arabic script, with a swirling cloud on each side, creating a cloud and moon pattern. The top center of the tombstone features the Shahada, surrounded by dua.



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1940 while digging city foundations near Jiaochangtou, close to Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou. The tombstone features a cloud and moon design, with a full moon in the center and swirling cloud patterns on both sides. The person buried here died in 1350, and the inscription is a verse from the Quran (55:26-27).



The tombstone in the picture below was found in June 1959 in Xiawei Village, outside Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou. According to local villagers, this stone was dug up from the city wall many years ago and used to pave a small path in the fields. It was dug up again during road construction and kept in an ancestral hall because the writing on it looked unusual. The inscription consists of verses from the Quran (39:4, 55:26-27).



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1947 in the city foundations of Deji Gate at the South Gate of Quanzhou. That same year, it was used to build a pier for the Shunji Bridge at the South Gate, but it was later discovered and moved. The inscription is a verse from the Quran (55:26-27).



The tombstone inscription in the picture below is a verse from the Quran (55:26-27). The lower part of the tombstone is damaged, so we only know the person was a "pure servant who died on Saturday, May 2nd, in the year..."



The tombstone in the picture below was found in a field near East Lake outside the Small East Gate of Quanzhou in April 1962. Local villagers say it was dug up from the city wall years ago to pave the road. The inscription is a verse from the Quran (3:85).



The tombstone in the picture below was found in a pond outside Renfeng Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou in 1939. The tomb owner's title is Sayyid al-Ajall al-Kabir, which translates to "the first, the respected, the important." The other side is carved with Chinese characters reading "Fengxun Dafu, Darughachi of Yongchun County..."

Darughachi was a government position during the Yuan Dynasty, held only by Mongols or powerful Semu people. Yongchun County is under the jurisdiction of Quanzhou. According to the Yongchun Prefecture Records, there was once a darughachi named Tuohuanshaduoluoboer, who might be the same person as the tomb owner.





The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1931 when the East Gate of Quanzhou was dismantled. The tomb owner was named Khwaja Jalal al-Din b. Muhammad b. Ibrahim, who passed away in 1305. The back is carved with verses from the Quran (89:28-30).



The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1942 at a stone shop on Renfeng Street outside the East Gate of Quanzhou. It had been dug out from the city wall. The tomb owner was named Amir Tughasun Amir Ali b. Hasan b. Ali al-Ghazwini, who passed away in 1371 (some say 1273). Amir, also translated as Yimi, originally meant commander and was later used to refer to a lord.

In his book Religious Stone Inscriptions of Quanzhou, Wu Wenliang speculates that this Amir was the imam of the foreign quarter in Quanzhou at that time. In the early Ming Dynasty, the government briefly followed the open policies of the Yuan Dynasty, encouraged foreign trade, and established a Maritime Trade Office in Quanzhou. This policy did not last long. In 1371, the Ming Dynasty issued a maritime ban, and in 1374, it closed the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office. The once-thriving foreign quarter in Quanzhou quickly declined.

Qazvin is located in northwestern Iran, south of the Caspian Sea. In 1220, the Mongol army massacred the population of Qazvin. Afterward, many Turkic-speaking people moved to Qazvin to settle. In 1295, Qazvin suffered heavy damage during the turmoil of Ghazan Khan's struggle for the throne of the Ilkhanate, and many people left the city.





The tombstone in the picture below was discovered in 1940 when the Renfeng Gate at the east gate of Quanzhou was demolished. The person buried there was Shams al-Din b. Nur al-Din b. Ishaqan Shahristani, who died in 1325 and came from Shahristan in Iran. The back features a verse from the Quran (3:19).





The tombstone in the picture below was found in March 1963 in the home of a farmer at Ruifengling outside the east gate of Quanzhou. The family said it was discovered when an old wall that had stood for a hundred years collapsed. Several gravestones belonging to the faith were found near Ruifeng Ridge, marking it as one of the burial sites for Muslims in Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The person buried there was named Fatima bint Naina, who passed away in 1306. The back of the stone is carved with verses from the Quran (55:26-27).



The gravestone in the picture below is broken into several pieces, with two parts remaining today; they were unearthed in 1953 and 1956 at Jintoupu, outside the Tonghuai Gate of Quanzhou's East Gate. The person buried there was named Abu Bakr b. Husayn Sinan, who passed away in 1319.





The gravestone in the picture below was excavated from the city wall at Quanzhou's East Gate in 1929; the person buried there was named Haji b. Agfar Beg b. Haji al-Malighi, who passed away in 1387 (though some say 1290). If the date is 1387, it is a rare gravestone from the Ming dynasty. The back is carved with a verse from the Quran (2:156) and a hadith stating, 'Whoever dies in a foreign land dies a martyr.'





The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1930 when the East Gate of Quanzhou was demolished. The person buried there was named Mansur b. Haji al-Qasim al-Jajarmi, who died in 1277. The back features the Shahada and a verse from the Quran (28:88). This Mansur and the previously mentioned Qutb al-Din Ya'qub both came from Jajarm in the North Khorasan province of Iran.

In 1276, the Yuan army captured Lin'an, and Wen Tianxiang and others supported Emperor Duanzong as they fled to Quanzhou. The Song army seized 2,000 of Pu Shougeng's ships (some say over 400) and confiscated his property. This led Pu Shougeng to carry out a retaliatory massacre of the Southern Song royal family members living abroad and to hunt down Emperor Duanzong. In 1277, the Yuan army arrived in Quanzhou, and Pu Shougeng surrendered the city, marking a new chapter in Quanzhou's history.





The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1932 when the Renfeng Gate of the Quanzhou East Gate city wall was demolished. The person buried there was named Shirin Khatun bint Hasan Zaituni, who died in 1321. In Turkic languages, Khatun means queen or lady. The inscription also features a verse from the Quran (29:57).

Citong is another name for Quanzhou, named after the coral trees (citong) planted everywhere since the Five Dynasties period. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Arab merchants called Quanzhou Zaitun because the name sounded like the Arabic word for olive (zaitun).





The tombstone in the picture below was found in November 1978 inside a family home at Jintoupu, outside Tonghuai Gate in Quanzhou, where it was being used as a foundation stone. Before that, it had been excavated from the city walls of Tonghuai Gate. The person buried there was named Ibn Ghawamar al-Din al-Ghar... The inscription describes him as a Khwaja, a leader of the faith, and a leader of the Mawla. The text uses Persian several times, so the person buried there likely came from a Persian cultural background.





The tombstone in the picture below was unearthed in March 1964 at the construction site of the Overseas Chinese Mansion in downtown Quanzhou. This site was once the location of the Haiqing Pavilion during the Qing Dynasty. When the Senate building was built in the early 1940s, the city walls of the east and south gates of Quanzhou were torn down for building materials, and this stone tablet was likely buried in the wall foundation at that time. One side of the tombstone is carved with the Shahada, and the other side is carved with a verse from the Quran (3:185).





The tombstone in the picture below was found in the foundation of the east gate of Quanzhou in 1944. One side is carved with the Basmala and the Shahada, and the other side is carved with a verse from the Quran (29:57).





The tombstone in the picture below was unearthed in 1973 during the cleaning of the North Canal in Quanzhou and is carved with verses from the Quran (89:28-30).





Sumeru-pedestal stone tomb.

The second largest category after tombstones is the Sumeru-pedestal stone tomb.

These are two Sumeru-pedestal style tomb stones. The upper tomb cap stone was found near Dongchan Mosque outside the east gate of Quanzhou in 1927 and was recovered and preserved in the Maritime Museum in 1958.

The person buried here was named Qutb al-Din Ya'qub. He came from Jajarm in the North Khorasan province of Iran and passed away in 1309. The inscription begins by saying, 'He is eternal and never dies; he has moved from the world of destruction to the world of eternity.'

Jajarm sits on the edge of the central Iranian desert and holds many historical and archaeological sites. This city was an important trade hub in Khorasan during the 10th and 11th centuries, but it slowly declined after the Persian Safavid dynasty in the 16th century.

The lower half has five layers. The fourth layer is carved with scripture (2:255). In 1958, the Quanzhou Cultural Relics Management Committee temporarily stored it in the main hall of the Qingjing Mosque, later moved it to the Lingshan Islamic Cemetery area, and finally placed it in the Maritime Museum.









The patterns on this Sumeru-style stone tomb are very unique. The bottom and second layers are destroyed. The third layer features overlapping lotus petal reliefs, the fourth layer has continuous swastika pattern reliefs, and the fifth layer shows a cloud and moon relief on the front with a square cloth relief in the middle. This tombstone was found in 1959 by the seaside in Meishan, Fashi Township, 5 kilometers outside the Tonghuai Gate of Quanzhou. It was later moved to the Maritime Museum for preservation.









Several other Sumeru-style stone tombs.













The tombstone base of a pedestal-style altar tomb.

A corner of the Maritime Museum (Haijiaoguan) is piled with many tombstones. There are no labels, and many are hard to see because they are stacked on top of each other. They were arranged this way when I visited in 2017, and nothing has changed after seven years.



















Found in 1937 at Jintoupu Village outside Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou, the inscription reads, 'Everyone (shall taste death).'



Found in 1943 inside the city wall foundation at the East Gate of Quanzhou, the inscription contains Quranic verses (9:21-22).



The tombstone base above was found in 1939 inside the city wall at Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou, and it contains Quranic verses (29:57).



Found in 1943 near the East Drill Ground (Dongjiaochang) in Quanzhou, the inscription reads, 'Your Lord of Might.'













The tombstone base in the picture below was found in 1959 in a pile of rubble at the Qingjing Mosque. This pile of rubble was dug up from the city wall foundation near Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou, and it was moved to the Maritime Museum (Haijiaoguan) for preservation in 1964. The inscription states the tomb owner's name is Toghan-shah b. Umar b. Sayyid Ajall. Toghan means eagle in Turkic, and Shah means king in Persian, which is how Central Asians addressed nobles. Sayyid Ajall means honorable gentleman in Arabic, and it is a respectful title for descendants of the Prophet.

Coincidentally, a tombstone unearthed in 1952 at the foundation of the Southeast Drill Ground in Quanzhou likely belongs to the same person as the Toghan-shah tombstone mentioned above. Unfortunately, this tombstone was moved to the National Museum of China in 1959 and is not currently on display, so the Maritime Museum only shows a replica. This tombstone states the owner's name is Amir Sayyid Ajall Tohgan-shah b. Sayyid Ajall Umar b. Sayyid Ajall Amiran b. Amir Isfahasalar Darnakrani al-Buhari, who passed away in 1302. The term Isfahasalar is made up of the Persian word Isfahah and the Turkic word Salar, meaning military general.

Both tombstones mention that Toghan-shah's father was named Umar Sayyid Ajall. The second son of Nasulading, who was the son of the famous Yuan Dynasty politician Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din, was named Umar Sayyid Ajjal. Umar once served as the administrator of the Fujian Branch Secretariat in Quanzhou. According to Rashid al-Din's History of the Mongols, Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din was from Bukhara, which matches the records on the tombstone.







The tombstone in the picture below was found in 1987. One side is carved with the testimony of faith, and the other side, translated by Imam Wang Yaodong from Ningxia, says the person buried there was named Haji Abdullah.







The tombstone base stone above was found in the foundation of the East Gate of Quanzhou in 1944 and is carved with a verse from the Quran (21:35). The bottom left of Figure 1 shows a tombstone base stone from a pedestal-style altar. It was found near the South Gate of Quanzhou in 1959, and local residents say it was recovered when the South Gate was torn down between 1946 and 1948. The inscription on the stone features a verse from the Quran (24:35).



The tombstone base stone above was found in the foundation of the East Gate of Quanzhou in 1944 and is carved with a verse from the Quran (28:88).



The tombstone marker in the middle of the picture below was found in 1960 among a pile of rubble at the entrance of Chongfu Mosque at the East Gate of Quanzhou. It reads, 'Everything will perish except Him.'







The shape of this stone carving is quite unique and different from any other tombstones or tombstone markers seen so far. It was found in 1948 in Jintoupu Village outside the Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou. Villagers said it was dug up from the foundation of the city wall.



The tombstone marker in the picture below was built into the east wall of a vegetable market near the South Drill Ground in Quanzhou in the autumn of 1953. It is said to have been bought when the market purchased stones from the city wall foundation for construction. It was removed in the 1990s when the market was rebuilt. The inscription is a verse from the Quran (28:88).







It was found in 1954 in Jintoupu Village outside the Tonghuai Gate at the East Gate of Quanzhou.



It was found in 1957 in a field between the Small East Gate and Jintoupu Village in Quanzhou. The content is a verse from the Quran (39:74).













It was purchased in 1949 from a stonemason's shop at the East Gate of Quanzhou.





The tombstone base in the picture below was found in 1948 at Jintoupu Village outside the Tonghuai Gate of Quanzhou's East Gate. In 1973, Liu Wanru, the widow of Mr. Wu Wenliang, donated it to the Quanzhou Cultural Relics Management Committee. It features Quranic verses (55:26-27).



The tombstone base in the picture below was found in 1948 in Tingdian Village, 3 kilometers outside Quanzhou's South Gate. It features Quranic verses (89:29-30).



The tombstone base in the picture below was found in 1938 inside the city wall of Quanzhou's East Gate. It features a Quranic verse (30:11).





Lintel stone of a gongbei

Besides tombstones, Sumeru-pedestal style stone tombs, and Sumeru-pedestal altar-style stone tombs, the Maritime Museum also houses another type of religious stone carving: the lintel stone of a gongbei (a domed tomb for a Sufi saint). Unfortunately, only the lintel stone has been found so far, so we do not know what the original gongbei looked like.

The item in the picture below was dug up in 1946 from the foundation of Quanzhou's South Gate. The front is inscribed with Quranic verses (9:21-22), and the beginning mentions 'minbar,' which is the pulpit inside a mosque, though its specific meaning here is unclear.



The item in the picture below was found in 1958 in a villager's home not far from the South Gate of Quanzhou. The villager said he found it deep in the city wall foundation while helping dig at the South Gate between 1946 and 1948. I originally wanted to take them home to build a wall, but I left them behind because their shapes made them hard to stack. The text reads, "(Every living thing) will die, (He is the Everlasting) who does not die."



The image below shows the pivot stone from a gongbei lintel. It was found in a resident's home near the south gate city wall of Quanzhou in 1959, and it is said to have been taken when the south city gate was torn down between 1946 and 1948. The left square of the stone carving features a relief of a camellia branch, the right square features a relief of a peony branch, and the back features a relief of a melon-petal-shaped door pivot. The text reads, "If anyone in this world could live forever, the Messenger of Allah would be the one to live forever in this world." No one can escape death, for the Prophet Muhammad faced the decree of death."



The image below shows a lintel stone from a gongbei tomb, with a relief of a peony branch on the right side. The stone carving was originally laid on a grain-drying ground on the south side of the street in Jintoupu Village, outside Tonghuai Gate at the east gate of Quanzhou. It was moved to the Maritime Museum for preservation in 1978.



The altar-style stone tomb with a pedestal base (xumizuo) restored by Mr. Wu Wenliang. Quanzhou has found many tomb wall stones and some tomb roof stones, but so far, no complete altar-style stone tomb with a pedestal base (xumizuo) from the faith has been discovered. view all

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Summary: Islamic Art Guide: Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo (Part 1) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear, natural English. The account focuses on Cairo, Islamic Art, Museum Travel while preserving the names, places, food, photos, and historical details from the Chinese source.

In the 19th century, Egypt placed great importance on Pharaonic art, but appreciation for Islamic art lagged behind. In 1880, Tewfik Pasha, the sixth ruler of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, finally established the first museum of Islamic art.

In 1881, Tewfik Pasha approved the creation of the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Monuments. The arcades of the abandoned Al-Hakim Mosque inside the northern gate of Cairo were used as a temporary exhibition hall to display hundreds of artifacts. In 1884, a two-story building was constructed in the mosque courtyard to house 900 artifacts. In 1887, the museum was named the Museum of Arab Antiquities. By 1895, the collection had grown to 1,641 items, and the museum space reached capacity. In 1902, the new Mamluk-style museum building was officially completed, which is the building we see today.

The Cairo Museum of Islamic Art building once featured complex decorative designs inspired by architecture from various periods of Islamic history. In 2014, a car bomb attack targeting the Cairo police headquarters across the street caused severe damage to the museum. Nearly 30 percent of the artifacts were damaged, and the exterior wall decorations were also destroyed. After three years of restoration, the museum reopened in 2017.



















The hall after the entrance provides a general introduction, showcasing a selection of unique Islamic artifacts from different perspectives.

An 8th-century Umayyad dynasty Quran in Kufic script from Egypt, written in brown ink on parchment.



An enameled water jug and basin from the 19th-century Qajar dynasty of Iran, featuring Persian-style figures and floral patterns.





The oldest surviving key to the Kaaba, made in 1363-4, belonging to the Egyptian Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Sha'ban (reigned 1363-77).





An 18th-century Ottoman qibla indicator, made by the manufacturer Barun al-Mukhtar during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I (reigned 1730-54). It shows the appearance of the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) after the 1629 Ottoman renovation, a structure that remained until 1955.







A 15th-century Mamluk-period mosque glass lamp from Egypt, bearing the name of Emir Safy al-Din Shaykhu.



After passing through the hall, the exhibition continues with Islamic artifacts arranged in chronological order.

Early days of the faith.

A wood carving panel from Egypt during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century.



A wooden chest panel inlaid with ivory and bone from Egypt during the Tulunid dynasty in the 9th century.







An ivory plaque with floral carvings from Egypt during the Umayyad Caliphate in the 7th to 8th centuries.



A wood carving panel with floral decorations from Egypt or Syria during the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.









An underglaze painted ceramic plate from Iraq during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th to 9th centuries.





A stucco carving panel in the Samarra style from Iraq during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century. Samarra is located on the east bank of the Tigris River and served as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate from 836 to 892.



Fatimid Caliphate.

A 10th-century Kufic script stucco window frame from the Western Palace of the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo. It is truly a masterpiece of the museum; you can see its size by comparing it to the child in the bottom right corner. The Fatimid palace in Cairo was built in 970 and was divided into two parts: the Eastern Palace and the Western Palace. The Western Palace was smaller and originally built for the Fatimid princess Sitt al-Mulk, then renovated by the Caliph in 1064. In 1284-1285, the Mamluk Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun built a massive complex on the site of the Fatimid Western Palace. The hospital within the complex used some architectural elements from the Fatimid Western Palace, and this window frame came from the Qalawun Hospital.







A ceramic plate from Egypt during the Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th to 11th centuries, depicting various music and banquet scenes.









A ceramic plate from Egypt during the Fatimid period in the 11th century, depicting a rider holding a falcon.





A ceramic plate from Egypt during the Fatimid Caliphate in the 11th to 12th centuries, showing two people performing the traditional Egyptian stick fighting, Tahtib.



This 11th-century stucco mural from Egypt dates to the Fatimid dynasty and comes from the wall of a Fatimid-era bathhouse.









This small wooden prayer niche (mihrab) from 10th-11th century Fatimid Egypt features inscriptions with Shia content.







This 10th-11th century Fatimid Egyptian ceramic plate shows an image of the Prophet Isa (Jesus), which serves as evidence of the religious tolerance of that time.



This 11th-century Fatimid Egyptian ceramic plate is inscribed with the name of the commander Ghaban.





This 11th-century Fatimid Egyptian ceramic plate features a griffin design. The image of the griffin can be traced back to ancient Egyptian art from 3000 BC, later spreading to West Asia and the Mediterranean region. Because the lion rules the land and the eagle rules the sky, the griffin, which combines the features of both, became a symbol of nobility and power.











This 11th-century Fatimid Egyptian ceramic plate features images of humans, animals, and birds.





This 11th-century Fatimid Egyptian marble carving features Kufic calligraphy.





These stucco windows and wooden doors from the Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque in Cairo date to the late Fatimid period in 1160. The Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque is located outside the south gate of the old city of Cairo and was commissioned by the Fatimid vizier Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, who was the last powerful and capable vizier of the Fatimid dynasty. The Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque was completed only 11 years before the fall of the Fatimid dynasty, making it the last surviving building from the Fatimid era.











This wooden door from the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo dates to the Fatimid period in 1010 and was commissioned by Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who reigned from 996 to 1021. Al-Hakim was the first Fatimid caliph born in Cairo, an important imam in the history of Ismaili Shia Islam, and a central figure in the Druze faith. At that time, the city of Fustat on the south side of old Cairo was a densely populated Sunni city, while the newly built city of Cairo served as the capital of the Fatimid dynasty and the center of Ismaili Shia Islam. The Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo is the city's official congregational mosque, where the caliph would deliver the khutbah sermon every Friday during Jumu'ah prayer.





The 12th-century Fatimid-era wooden prayer niche (mihrab) and wooden doors inside the Sayyida Nafisa mausoleum in Cairo. Sayyida Nafisa (762-824) was the great-granddaughter of Imam Hasan, the grandson of the Prophet. She was a famous Egyptian scholar of hadith who served as a mentor to Imam Shafi'i and provided him with financial support.

The Nafisa mausoleum is located in Cairo's famous City of the Dead. It was first built during the Abbasid period and later renovated and rebuilt during the Fatimid period. Nafisa was the first descendant of Imam Ali to be honored during the Fatimid period. As a Sunni and a descendant of Ali, she helped promote reconciliation between the Sunni and Shia populations within the Fatimid dynasty.









Ayyubid dynasty

A 12th-century wooden chest from the Hussein Mosque in Cairo. The Hussein Mosque is located across from the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. It was first built in 1154 and is said to house the head of Imam Hussein.







A 13th-century wooden carving from the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt.







A 1213 marble slab from the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt inscribed with the name of Sultan Al-Kamil. Al-Kamil was the fifth sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty. During his reign, he defeated the Fifth Crusade, but he handed Jerusalem over to the Crusaders for ten years during the Sixth Crusade.



Marble slabs from the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt dated 1184 and 1187, inscribed with the name of Sultan Saladin. Saladin was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. During the Third Crusade, he launched a series of military campaigns against the Crusaders in the Levant and recaptured Jerusalem, restoring Muslim rule in the region.



Wooden panels and doors made in 1178 during the Ayyubid period, found in the mausoleum of Imam Shafi'i in Cairo. Imam Shafi'i was the founder of the Shafi'i school of law and one of the four great imams of Sunni Islam. Imam Shafi'i arrived in Cairo in 813 and passed away there in 819. Sultan Saladin built his mausoleum in 1178, which features exquisite wood carvings inside. These include complex geometric patterns, scripture, and an introduction to the life of Imam al-Shafi'i.







A marble slab from the 12th-century Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt, featuring carvings of griffins and creatures with human heads and bird bodies.





Stucco carvings from the 13th-century Ayyubid dynasty at the Al-Kamil Madrasa in Cairo. The Al-Kamil Madrasa was built in 1225 by the Ayyubid Sultan al-Kamil in the northern part of the former Fatimid Western Palace in Old Cairo, and it was one of Egypt's educational centers during the 13th and 14th centuries.





A flint window from the 13th-century Ayyubid dynasty at the Sayf ibn Yazan tomb in Cairo.



Mamluk Dynasty.

A marble slab from the 14th-century Mamluk period at the Sarghatmish Madrasa in Cairo. The Sarghatmish Madrasa was built in 1356 by order of the Mamluk Emir General Sirghitmish. In the 1350s, Sirghitmish was the most powerful emir of the Mamluk dynasty.





A copper candlestick inscribed with the name of the Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, who reigned from 1299 to 1309.



A copper candlestick inscribed with the name of the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay, who reigned from 1468 to 1496, donated by the Sultan to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Although Sultan Qaitbay built many structures in Cairo, his greatest achievement was the restoration of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. After a fire at the Prophet's Mosque in 1481, Sultan Qaitbay rebuilt the tomb of the Prophet from a wooden structure into a brick one, added metal railings, and donated many chandeliers and candlesticks to the mosque.





A copper candlestick inlaid with silver from the 14th to 15th-century Mamluk dynasty.



A copper candlestick inscribed with the name of the wife of the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay.



A copper incense burner inlaid with gold and silver from the 14th-century Mamluk dynasty.





A wooden door from the 13th-century Mamluk period at the Salihiyya Madrasa in Cairo. The Ayyubid Sultan As-Salih Ayyub founded the Salihiyya Madrasa in 1242, and it was one of Egypt's most famous centers of education during the 13th and 14th centuries.





A 14th-century Mamluk-era wooden cabinet from Egypt, inlaid with painted ivory decorations.







Above is a 13th-14th century Mamluk double-headed eagle marble carving from Egypt, and below is a 13th-century marble carving featuring the lion emblem of the Mamluk Sultan Baybars I (reigned 1260-1277). Baybars was the fourth sultan of the Mamluk dynasty and a tough military leader who defeated invasions by the Crusaders and the Mongol army.







A glass lamp from a 14th-century Mamluk-era mosque in Egypt.









A 14th-century Mamluk-era wooden Quran box and table inlaid with ebony and ivory from the Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban Madrasa in Cairo. The Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Sha'ban ordered the construction of the madrasa in 1368-9 to honor his mother, who was on a pilgrimage (hajj) at the time.



Two Mamluk-era wood carvings; the first one bears the name of Sultan Qaitbay (reigned 1468-96). Qaitbay was one of the sultans who sponsored the most architecture in Mamluk history. Although the Mamluk dynasty was in decline, the situation remained relatively stable and commerce flourished under Sultan Qaitbay's rule.

The second carving bears the name of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (reigned 1501-16). He was the second-to-last sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate. The Ottoman Sultan Selim I killed him in 1516, which marked the shift of control in the Middle East from the Mamluk dynasty to the Ottoman dynasty.



Components of a minbar (pulpit) from the 14th-century Mamluk-era Al-Khatiri-Boulaq mosque in Egypt.





A 15th-century Mamluk-era stucco window from Egypt.



A wooden ceiling with carvings of the name of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay (reigned 1468-96) inside the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.







Tiles on the Qaitbay fountain (sabil) in Cairo. Sultan Qaitbay built the Qaitbay fountain (sabil) in 1479. It was Cairo's first independent fountain-primary school (sabil-kuttab) building, a structure that became very common during the later Ottoman period.



A tile featuring the name of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Janbalat, who reigned from 1500 to 1501.



A 15th-century tile from the Mamluk dynasty.



A 15th-century Mamluk dynasty marble slab decorated with mother-of-pearl mosaic.



A 14th to 15th-century Mamluk dynasty marble slab with geometric patterns. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai displayed 300 Louvre artworks from India, Iran, and the Ottoman Empire from December 13, 2025, to May 6, 2026. This article preserves the source's Persian Sufi poetry translations, object notes, historical context, and photographs.

From December 13, 2025, to May 6, 2026, the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai displayed 300 artworks from the 16th to 19th centuries from India, Iran, and the Ottoman Empire, all from the Louvre's collection. Many of these items were purchased by King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715) from the Mughal and Ottoman empires and were once used to decorate royal palaces like the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.

Many of these pieces feature Persian Sufi poetry, but the exhibition hall provided almost no information about them. Fortunately, the Louvre's official website has translations for these poems. You can visit the site, search using the location 'Shanghai,' and view all the items from this Shanghai exhibition at once.





Here are the items from the Shanghai exhibition that feature Persian poetry:

This jade cup from the Iranian Aq Qoyunlu dynasty (1450-1500), once in the collection of King Louis XIV, is inscribed with two Sufi poems in Arabic and Persian:

Because of the purity of the wine and the delicacy of the cup,

The color of the cup and the wine blend into one.

Everything in the world is like a cup,

As if no wine exists,

Or as if everything is fine wine,

And the cup itself is nowhere to be found.

The horizon is stained with the color of the morning sun,

Shedding the cloak of twilight,

Day and night are reconciled,

And all things in the world return to their proper order.

The imagery of the 'cup and wine' is frequently mentioned in Sufi poetry. Sufi sheikhs often use the cup and wine to represent the concepts of 'blending' and 'oneness' in Sufi thought, using the fusion of the two as a metaphor for spiritual elevation and unity. Therefore, when reading Sufi poetry, you should not interpret the meaning only from the surface.

The Arabic in the poem comes from Sahib ibn Abbad, a grand vizier of the Buyid dynasty in 10th-century Iran. He was a Persian scholar from Isfahan, Iran, who had a deep interest in Arabic culture and created many literary works.

The Persian text comes from the famous 15th-century Persian Sufi sheikh, Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi. Araqi was from Iran and belonged to the Noorbakshia order. He traveled to Kashmir to preach, which led many local Tibetan-speaking Balti people to embrace the faith, leaving a profound impact on the development of the religion in the Kashmir region. After the 16th century, the Nurbakhshiyya order was gradually assimilated by the Twelver Shia sect in Iran, but it has been passed down to this day in the Kashmir region.





A copper alloy jar from the Mughal or Safavid dynasty, dating between 1585 and 1615, was once used to hold gemstones. Engraved on it is a poem from the 'Divan' by the famous 15th-century Persian Sufi poet Jami:

Your ruby cup is made from the pearls of the soul.

The longing of every person withered by love is hidden within this cup.

Everything that was once hidden behind the veil of the unseen,

Becomes clearly visible in the form of love.

This is the opening of a Sufi ode and a classic text where religious artifact art, Sufism, and Persian poetry become one. The 'withered person' refers to a seeker whose soul is tempered and obsessed with the love of Allah. The 'veil of the unseen' refers to the barrier between the secular world and the divine essence, where the mundane cannot glimpse the ultimate beauty and subtlety of Allah. 'Love' refers to the ultimate devotion to Allah, which is the only path to break through the veil of the unseen.

The cup in the poem is the physical manifestation of the soul's essence, corresponding to the Sufi ontology that 'all existence is a manifestation of Allah'. The divine nature is hidden by the 'veil of the unseen,' and divine love is the only power that can remove this cover. The seeker's devotion is poured into the object, turning the invisible divine subtlety into the visible beauty of the cup's body. The 'longing' hidden in the cup is the original intention of the Sufi practitioner and their yearning for Allah. The object becomes a 'medium' for practice; holding the cup and contemplating it means contemplating the connection between one's own soul and the divine.



A copper alloy candlestick from the Safavid or Mughal dynasty, dating between 1585 and 1600, has two Persian Sufi poems engraved on its upper and middle sections. The upper poem is by the Khorasan poet Mulla Hayrati Tuni (died 1554):

When the soul burns because of the love of an idol,

Love burns me every moment with another flame.

I am just like a butterfly near a candle flame,

If I take one step forward, my wings will be burned away.

I burn in the pain of loving you, and this burning has already witnessed,

The glory of the candle flame burning above me.

'Idol love' in the poem does not refer to worshipping material idols, but is a common rhetorical device in Sufi literature. It uses 'idol' to represent secular love or obsession with non-divine things, contrasting it with pure love for Allah to highlight the intensity and exclusivity of divine love.

The middle poem is from the famous 'Butterfly and Candle' passage in the masterpiece 'Bustan' (The Orchard) by the great Persian poet Saadi (1210-1291).

I remember a dim night.

With eyes closed, I heard a butterfly say to the candle flame,

I am worn out for love.

Burning is also a form of completion.

Why so many tears?

Why exhaust yourself?

The butterfly and the candle flame is a classic metaphor in Persian Sufi poetry. The butterfly represents the soul longing to unite with Allah, and the candle flame represents divine love and the light of Allah. Throwing oneself into the fire to burn one's wings means the soul is willing to dissolve itself in pursuit of divine love. It is a poetic expression of the Sufi state of selflessness.





A copper alloy candlestick from the Safavid or Mughal dynasty, dating between 1550 and 1600. The upper part is inscribed with Persian Sufi verses, also by the Khorasan poet Mulla Hairati Tuni, titled When the soul burns for the love of the idol.









A bronze candlestick from the 16th-century Mughal or Safavid dynasty. The upper part of the candlestick shaft is divided into four panels, each engraved with a Persian Sufi quatrain:

The lamp of the gnostic shines because of your face.

I see you, and the souls of all who know the heart turn toward your face.

My heart looks to you, for you are the ultimate destination of the universe.

May not a single hair on your head perish, for this world relies entirely on you.

In the poem, the gnostic refers to a practitioner in a Sufi order seeking inner enlightenment, and those who know the heart refers to Sufi mystics or those with spiritual awareness. This poem was written during the 15th-century Timurid dynasty, but it was very common on metalware and ceramics during the 16th-century Safavid dynasty.





A tinned copper bowl from the Safavid dynasty, dating from 1585 to 1650. It is engraved with the Persian name Firuz-i Rustam-i Firuz, which belonged to a Safavid court noble. Rustam is taken from the hero in the Persian epic Shahnameh, symbolizing bravery and nobility.

The bowl is engraved with two Persian Sufi quatrains:

This cup is filled with the nectar of the Kawthar spring.

Its outline is just like the lines of a beauty's cheek.

Whoever drinks the sweet dew from this cup,

Will be like Khidr, possessing the breath that gives life.

I travel fast through the desert of your love,

And see two thousand bloodthirsty black men.

They spoke to each other in mysterious, coded language:

Tilt the cup in your hand, but do not spill it!

The Kawsar (Kawsar) is the sacred pond in Paradise mentioned in the scriptures, known as the 'Pool of Abundance.' On the Day of Resurrection, people will rise from thirst, and the noble Prophet will offer the believers refreshing water from the pool.

'Desert' and 'cup' sound similar in Persian, so they are common metaphors in Sufi poetry. They refer to the use of the vessel while expressing a persistent search for divine love.

Khidr (Khidr) is considered by the faith to be an immortal saint, symbolizing life, wisdom, and guidance.







A bronze bath bucket from the Safavid or Mughal dynasty, dating between 1585 and 1615, is inscribed with Persian poetry:

When my moon-faced beauty steps into the bathhouse, I rise

I fill my eyes with water and pour it over her feet

To bathe you, oh, blooming rose

The sun becomes a golden cup, the new moon becomes the handle

Whenever my moon-faced beauty steps into the bathhouse

The water cup is my eye, and the eyebrow is its handle

This is a specialized bucket for a traditional Middle Eastern public bath (hammam), used to carry toiletries or hold water, and was a daily object for the wealthy class at the time. Using parts of everyday objects to describe a lover's appearance is a common rhetorical technique in Persian poetry. Blending the bathing scene with intense longing is a classic expression of the 'lover' (ashiq) theme in religious art.







A bronze bath bucket from the Safavid dynasty dated 1589 is inscribed with the same Persian poem as the previous one, along with the name 'Giyan Big' and the date '998,' which corresponds to the Hijri year 998 or 1589-90 AD.





An underglaze painted ceramic plate from the Safavid dynasty, dating between 1585 and 1615, is inscribed with a Persian quatrain:

May this plate always be full of blessings and delicious food

Long accompanying the table of elegant scholars and good friends

May the delicacies in the plate never run dry

Whoever eats from this plate (will have health and longevity)

This anonymous lyric poem was popular at the time and is commonly found on metal and ceramic wares used by the Safavid court and nobility. After the Safavid dynasty moved its capital to Isfahan in 1587, ceramic art was influenced by Chinese Wanli blue-and-white porcelain, leading to mass production of blue and white glazed wares. Meanwhile, Persian poetic inscriptions became a signature decoration for high-end items, reflecting the Safavid dynasty's appreciation for literature and calligraphy.





A miniature painting from the Bukhara Khanate between 1585 and 1600 shows an Uzbek or Mongol warrior leaning against a large Chinese porcelain vase. Above it is a Persian couplet:

Kissing our wine cup

They lift it to their foreheads

The fate of a wine lover

Is tied to the pattern on the rim of the cup

This is a classic wine and cup image in Sufi literature. In these Persian miniature poems, the wine cup symbolizes a spiritual vessel for union with Allah, and drinking symbolizes spiritual intoxication and soul awakening.





A Mughal dynasty calligraphy album page from 1772-1789 with floral decorations, featuring a Persian lyric poem:

I can no longer ask you for more, nor can I beg you

I can give up all hope for myself, but I can never give up on you

Written by the sinful servant Ali Reza. May Allah forgive him.

Using worldly love to describe absolute devotion to Allah is a classic pattern in classical Persian literature. Giving up the self while being unable to let go of the beloved is the core spirit of Sufi selflessness and devotion.





A portrait of a young man made during the Safavid dynasty in 1560. Persian poetry is written around it:

I long again for the breeze of the garden

My heart yearns for the beauty of the cypress and jasmine

The cypress symbolizes uprightness, immortality, and the integrity of a gentleman; it is an eternal image of nobility in Persian poetry. Jasmine represents fragrance and softness. Together with the cypress, they balance strength and gentleness, creating a perfect blend of nature and humanity in Persian aesthetics. The poem uses the garden scenery to express a longing for beautiful nature and pure states of mind, which is a typical way to express feelings through scenery in religious art.



A Rose and Nightingale book cover from the Qajar dynasty in Iran, 1775-1825. This period in Iran was the founding and consolidation of the Qajar dynasty. Fath-Ali Shah highly valued art, and court workshops gathered top lacquer artists. The center of the image shows irises, hyacinths, carnations, roses, and hazelnuts, surrounded by verses from The Orchard (Bustan) by the great Persian poet Saadi:

A rose without scent or color is a strange thing, and the nightingale would never fall in love with it.

O wise one, I admire its character and soul, not its handsome appearance.

The rose and nightingale theme matches the book cover decoration. Here, the idea that a nightingale still loves a rose without scent or color suggests that love is not based on looks, but on inner character and loyalty. This is a common moral poem in religious book binding, used to explain the values of true love, loyalty, and prioritizing the heart over material things.

The rose and nightingale is also one of the most classic themes in Persian Sufi literature and art, symbolizing the Sufi practitioner's longing for Allah.







A glazed ceramic bowl from the Qajar dynasty of Iran, dated 1808-09.

The center features a lyric poem by the great Persian poet Hafez:

Last night I saw angels busy in the tavern.

They kneaded the essence of human souls and poured it into a wine cup.

Written in the city on the first day of the month following Rabi al-Awwal.

Made by the craftsman Ramazan in the year 1223 of the Hijri calendar.

This is a typical Sufi poem. The tavern symbolizes a spiritual retreat, the essence of human souls (guli adam) represents personified spiritual knowledge, and the wine cup symbolizes a spiritual vessel for communion with Allah.

The first line around the edge contains verses from The Rose Garden (Gulistan) by the great Persian poet Saadi:

One day, I picked up a piece of scented clay dropped by a loved one,

I was intoxicated and obsessed by its fragrance,

So I asked: 'Are you ambergris, or are you musk?'

The clay replied softly:

'I was originally just a piece of common, humble earth,

But because I stayed close to a rose,

I became stained with the noble character of my companion,

Even though my essence remains the same, my spirit has become something different.'

This poem is a classic fable from The Rose Garden. Its core message is that character comes from one's companions, and that one's environment and friends can elevate an ordinary nature. By comparing itself to common earth and using the rose to represent good friends, wise people, and noble souls, it expresses the philosophy that one becomes like those they associate with. This fits the tradition of religious moral literature while using beautiful imagery suitable for ceramic housewares, making it a representative literary decoration for Iranian practical ceramics from the 18th and 19th centuries. Glazed ceramics from 18th and 19th-century Iran often featured famous lines from Persian poets like Saadi, Hafez, and Rumi, serving practical, aesthetic, and literary purposes.

The second line around the edge contains a Persian Sufi proverb:

The fool who gives his soul never leaves the path of the wise.

The nightingale with a heart burned by love never leaves the rose garden.

The true nature of a sincere lover is just like this.

Even if their head falls, they do not break their oath or promise.

The "nightingale with a heart burned by love" is a classic theme in Persian poetry, representing a seeker who sacrifices everything for love. While the oath refers to romantic love, it actually symbolizes loyalty to the path of Allah.

The third line around the edge comes from the narrative poem "Shapur and Shirin" (Maṯnawī-ye Šāpūr va Šhnāz):

One night, a performer sighed to himself in the wilderness.

In these mountains and deserts, where must I wander?

Come, let us spread our wings and fly to the royal city.

To talk and keep company with princes and nobles.

Sometimes acting as a close friend at the king's banquet.

This is a couplet from a classical Persian epic, a long romantic poem. It uses wandering in the wilderness to represent life's confusion and the royal city to represent ideals, power, and spiritual destination, making it perfect for decorating court-style objects.





A glazed ceramic bowl from the Qajar dynasty of Iran, dated 1800–1815.

The bottom of the bowl says:

For all who recite scripture and offer dua for me, I have my own hopes.

Because I am only a lowly servant burdened by sin.

The surrounding area features verses from the book "The Orchard" (Bustan) by the great Persian poet Saadi.

One day, I picked up a piece of scented clay dropped by a loved one,

I was intoxicated and obsessed by its fragrance,

So I asked: 'Are you ambergris, or are you musk?'

The clay replied softly:

'I was originally just a piece of common, humble earth,

But because I stayed close to a rose,

I became stained with the noble character of my companion,

Even though my essence remains the same, my spirit has become something different.'



A glazed ceramic bowl from the Qajar dynasty of Iran, dating to 1820-1821.

The bottom of the bowl says:

For all who recite scripture and offer dua for me, I have my own hopes.

Because I am only a lowly servant burdened by sin.

The inscription along the inner rim of the bowl reads:

Drink up, you gentle and sweet-mannered beauty.

Come drink this water of life from the palm of my hand.

May you drink in joy all your life, and be safe and healthy year after year.

May life be sweeter than rock sugar (bingtang), granulated sugar (shatang), dried fruits, and fragrant herbs.

There is also a fragment of a Shia text: Drink this water, you... fragrant lips, keep Ali and Abbas in your heart, and remember the grace of the king.

Ali was the fourth Caliph of the faith, and Abbas was a martyr of the Battle of Karbala.

The first part is a humble prayer poem at the bottom of the bowl, expressing the user's humility and desire for blessings. The second part is a celebratory poem for banquets on the rim, using the imagery of the water of life to encourage drinking and wish for a long, sweet life. The third part commemorates the Shia sages Ali and Abbas, serving both dining etiquette and devotional purposes. Together, these three parts form a typical inscription pattern for daily ritual vessels of the Qajar period, blending secular banquet culture, religious ethics, and Shia faith, serving as an important example of how classical Persian literature continued on everyday objects.



A glazed ceramic tile from Ottoman Syria, dating to 1570-1620, inscribed with Persian poetry:

Your poetry feast makes the heavens dance at this moment,

The poems of Hafez, with their sweet words and wonderful language, are your songs.

This is the final couplet of a classic lyric poem (ghazal) by the great Persian poet Hafez, and it is also a classical Persian couplet (masnavi).

In this context, the 'poetry feast (majlisat)' refers to a sacred gathering in the Sufi tradition where the divine and human connect. In Sufi literature, this poem means that the beauty and wisdom of Allah are the source of the universe's movement, and poetry is a way to speak about divine beauty. The heavens dance for the poetic feast, not for human entertainment, but because they are called by the beauty of sacred words. Hafiz's poetry turns divine beauty into human language, acting as a bridge between the mortal world and the heavens.





A copper ewer from the Safavid or Mughal dynasty in 1615 is engraved with a Persian classical lyric couplet (mathnawī):

At the feast of the enlightened, servants stand ready to serve.

Beauties from all directions stand holding pure water ewers.

The beloved washes their hands with soul and heart.

As the beauty pours the water, she still holds the ewer in her hand.

In Sufi literature, the "feast of the enlightened" refers to a Sufi gathering, "the beloved" refers to one who loves Allah, "water" refers to Allah's grace, and "washing with soul and heart" means cleansing the soul of worldly distractions and selfish desires, while "beauties" refers to the ways Allah's grace is delivered. Sufi practice emphasizes being clean in body and soul. Washing hands is not just a matter of hygiene; it is a spiritual ritual to wash away the dust of the soul with sacred water and offer sincerity to Allah. The poem turns an everyday object into a spiritual vessel for those seeking the Sufi path.





A 16th-century copper plate from the Safavid dynasty is engraved with three Persian poetic couplets.

The first couplet is from the Orchard (Bustan) by the great Persian poet Saadi:

May you enjoy all you wish for in this world, and may the heavens be your close friend.

May the Lord of Creation protect you forever.

The second couplet is from the work of the Persian poet Daqiqi:

May everything go as you wish.

May the Lord God protect your health.

The third couplet is from the story of Bijan and Manijeh in the Book of Kings (Shahnameh) by the great Persian poet Ferdowsi:

May the high heavens follow your heart's desire.

May the evil eye never be able to harm you.





A copper ewer with a dragon-shaped handle from Herat, Afghanistan, during the Timurid dynasty, dated 1480-1500.

The craftsman's signature on the bottom of the ewer reads: A work by Abd al-Husayn ibn Mubarak Shah.

Four panels on the belly of the ewer are engraved with lyric poetry by the 12th-13th century Persian Sufi poet Qasim al-Anwar.

When the eastern shadow of the eternal dawn appears

The beautiful face of the Beloved emerges from the dust of creation

The jar of eternal wine was clear and without dregs from the start

After entering my heart's cup, it reaches an even purer state

This poem is a typical Sufi literary work, using the morning shadow as a metaphor for the manifestation of Allah, and wine to represent the infusion of divinity into the heart and the purification of the soul.

The four panels on the neck of the pot are carved with another Persian poem, though unfortunately, it can no longer be fully read:

The star of fortune has arrived at your orbit and conjunction

...among the free

...a copper cup

A drinking vessel for those intoxicated by love... a place for drinking

This poem continues the Sufi metaphorical tradition of wine, love, and auspicious signs, sharing the same poetic lineage as the poem on the belly of the pot. view all

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Summary: The Great Mosque of Damascus is famous for Umayyad-era mosaics, including the Barada Panel restored by the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in 1270. This account keeps the source's art history, chemical study notes, scholarly interpretations, mosaic locations, and photographs.

The Great Mosque of Damascus is world-famous for its rich Umayyad-era mosaic decorations. These mosaics use a late Roman style to depict various natural landscapes and buildings, showing a typical naturalistic style.

Some Arabic historical sources suggest the craftsmen and materials for the mosaics came from the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, but a 2022 chemical analysis study showed that most of the mosaics were actually produced in Egypt. Although these mosaic images show traces of Byzantine style, some scholars believe their style better matches mosaic craftsmanship from Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

There has also been a long-standing debate about the meaning of the mosaic images. Some views suggest they represent the known world at that time, others think they depict Damascus and the Barada River, and some believe they show scenes of Paradise. Currently, there is relatively more evidence for the Paradise view, and the landscapes without human figures fit the idea of an empty Paradise waiting for people to arrive after the Day of Resurrection.

In 1270, the Mamluk Sultan Baibars carried out a large-scale restoration of the mosaics at the Great Mosque of Damascus, especially the Barada Panel in the western portico. The Barada River is the main river flowing through Damascus. This panel is believed to depict a town landscape along the Barada River.































Mosaic decorations in the central hall of the west gate.















Mosaic decorations on the north and south sides of the west gate hall.



















Mosaic decorations in the west portico.



















Mosaic decorations on the main entrance of the prayer hall; the dark parts are original, and the bright parts were restored later. view all

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Summary: Quseir Amra in Jordan was built by the Umayyad Caliph Walid II between 723 and 743 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. This account keeps the source's fresco details, historical figures, palace layout, damage history, and images.

I drove to Jordan's most famous World Heritage site, Quseir Amra. Built by the Umayyad Caliph Walid II between 723 and 743, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985 because of the rich and unique murals in its bathhouse.

Based on the stone wall ruins around the site, this Umayyad palace was once a massive 25-hectare complex. Today, only the foundations remain, with the bathhouse and reception hall being the best-preserved parts. The interior murals feature images of hunting, bathing, animals, and plants, offering the most vivid look at secular life during the Umayyad dynasty. Walid II had a free spirit and loved art, music, and a luxurious lifestyle. He would lead his entourage away from the bustle of Damascus, traveling for days by camel to reach this desert palace to enjoy his private life.













The most famous mural in the reception hall is the Painting of the Six Kings at the south end of the west hall. Four of the six kings have Arabic and Greek inscriptions above them. One is the Byzantine Emperor, Caesar, wearing imperial robes and a crown. Another is the Visigothic King Roderic, wearing a robe and a helmet. Then there is the Sasanian Emperor Khosrow, shown with curly hair, a crown, and a cloak. Finally, there is the Aksumite King Najashi, wearing a crown and a red shawl. Sadly, in 1898, the Czech Alois Musil and the Austrian Alfons Leopold Mielich tried to remove the Six Kings mural, causing serious damage. Additionally, the labels for two of the kings and parts of their crowns were moved to the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin.

The only figure in the Six Kings mural whose identity is certain is the Visigothic King Roderic, who reigned from 710 to 711. He ruled parts of Spain, likely with Toledo as his capital. Although his reign was short, he still fought wars against the Umayyad dynasty in southern Spain and destroyed many Umayyad towns. After Roderic died in battle in 711, the Umayyad army quickly occupied Toledo and went on to conquer the Iberian Peninsula.







To the left of the Six Kings, facing them diagonally, is a portrait of the Umayyad Caliph Walid II, who reigned from 743 to 744. According to the inscription, Walid II is shown sitting in a relaxed pose with a chestnut-colored cloak slipping off his shoulder. Beside him are a clerk, two children who were likely his sons, and a woman fanning him. Above the scene is a pair of peacocks, and the stool in front of the sofa is inlaid with pearls. The painting includes two Greek inscriptions meaning grace and victory. At the very top are three lines of Kufic Arabic script that read, Oh Allah, bless Walid ibn Yazid with justice... Because the title of Caliph is missing, we know Walid II was still the crown prince at the time.









To the right of the Six Kings is a scene of women bathing, with a spectacular arcade supported by Corinthian columns in the background. Further to the right is a wrestling scene.







Above the Six Kings is a hunting scene. The hunting scene features wild donkeys, gazelles, and Saluki dogs. The Saluki, also known as the Arabian hound, is one of the earliest dog breeds kept by humans. Its history goes back over 4,000 years to ancient Egypt, and it has been used as a hunting dog by Arabs ever since. Saluki dogs were loved by countries along the Silk Road throughout history, and were even kept by the Ming dynasty court during the Xuande period.





The mural on the north wall of the west hall shows a scene in a great river, with the story of 'Yunus and the Great Fish' depicted at the top. This is the earliest known image of the Prophet Yunus in religious art. Prophet Yunus is known as the 'Man of the Fish' in the Quran. The scripture records that he fled onto a fully loaded ship, lost a drawing of lots, and was swallowed by a great fish. Because he often praised Allah, he was not buried in the fish's belly but was cast onto dry land.

Since the story of Yunus and the great fish is mentioned in the scriptures of all three religions, it became a common artistic theme for them. Murals of Yunus and the great fish were found in Roman Christian catacombs as early as the 2nd century AD. Michelangelo depicted this story on the ceiling of the famous Sistine Chapel in the early 16th century, and it also appears many times in Persian and Turkish miniature paintings.





The central hall faces the main gate and connects to the throne room in the south. The ceiling of the central hall is a grid of figures, with each square showing one or more people surrounded by ancient Roman-style stone pillars and birds.







The sides of the central hall show banquet scenes, with people playing the oud, dancing, and holding fruit plates.













Directly south of the central hall is the lower throne room, where Walid II once sat to receive guests and watch performances. The wall at the very back of the throne room shows a prince receiving guests. The ceiling of the throne room depicts various figures and birds.















There is a side room on each side of the throne room, and precious mosaic floors are preserved there.





The east side of the reception hall connects to the bathhouse. The bathhouse consists of a changing room (Apodyterium), a warm room (Tepidarium), and a hot room (Caldarium).

The ceiling of the changing room depicts people, animals, and anthropomorphic animal figures, some playing music and some dancing. The center of the ceiling depicts three figures representing youth, middle age, and old age, which are thought to represent the three stages of life.











Above the gate, angels are depicted gazing at a body in a burial shroud (kafan), symbolizing the return to Allah.



Above the warm room are plant images similar to those in the Great Mosque of Damascus, as well as women carrying buckets to bathe children. These paintings are clearly influenced by ancient Roman art, and some figures are very similar to the god of love, Eros.







The top of the hot room depicts the famous sky, including the zodiac and 35 identifiable constellations. Research shows this is the earliest image of the starry sky drawn on a non-flat surface. The radius of the starry sky does not start from the center of the dome, but accurately begins from the North Celestial Pole. Also, the angle of the zodiac is extremely accurate. view all

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Summary: The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi holds Islamic and Muslim-related objects connected to Vietnam and the wider region. This exhibition note preserves the source's artifact details, museum context, captions, and cultural observations in a clean English version.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The main building opened in 1997 and focuses on introducing Vietnam's various ethnic groups. A new exhibition hall opened in 2013, expanding the collection to include artifacts from other ethnic groups in Southeast Asia and the rest of Asia. I previously shared the museum's collection of Javanese glass paintings in my post titled 'Exhibition Notes: Javanese Glass Paintings at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.' This time, I am sharing other items in the collection related to the faith.





This 18th-century Damascus steel armor is from the Mughal Empire in North India. Its style is the same as Persian work and uses gold inlay techniques.









A 20th-century traditional Malay wood carving.















This copper tray is from Kelantan, Malaysia, and is engraved with the year 1261, which corresponds to 1845 AD.



A Javanese dagger known as a kris.





Wedding attire from Yogyakarta, Java.









Malay religious books and a cap.







Decorations used during a funeral for the Maranao people of the Philippines. The Maranao people mainly live in the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. They are an important Muslim ethnic group in the Philippines and hold a dominant position in the country's Islamic culture.





The museum courtyard displays a traditional Cham thatched-roof compound. Its design comes from the region where the ancient Champa Kingdom was located in southern Vietnam. I also happened to see the craftsmen working on the thatch.



















Photos of the Cham people performing acts of worship and studying. view all

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Summary: The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi holds Javanese glass paintings donated by O'ong Maryono and Rosalia Sciortino. This exhibition note explains the paintings, wayang imagery, Javanese court culture, and Islamic themes preserved in the source.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is in Hanoi and opened in 1997. It has a building focused on Asian ethnology, including a gallery featuring Javanese glass paintings donated by O'ong Maryono and Rosalia Sciortino.







Glass paintings (lukisan kaca) are an important traditional art form in Java, Indonesia. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Javanese artists began using a reverse glass painting technique from Europe. The art blends Javanese, European, Chinese, and Islamic cultures. It covers local history, theater, and daily life, serving as a key record of Javanese art and culture.

The Buraq, the creature ridden by the Prophet during his Night Journey. While the Hadith does not describe the Buraq's face, it mentions a 'handsome face.' Because of this, Persian and South Asian miniature paintings often show the Buraq with a human face and horse body. In the southern Philippines, on Mindanao Island, people also carve wooden figures of the Buraq.









A bird with Arabic calligraphy.



A gate with Arabic calligraphy.



The scriptures mention that Prophet Sulaiman could understand the languages of birds and all kinds of animals.



A mosque.



A religious warning painting: do not be greedy for the pleasures of this world, as only the afterlife is your true home.



Sunan Bonang, one of the nine Javanese saints (Wali Songo), used shadow puppetry (wayang) to spread the faith. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, nine Sufi saints spread the faith across Java. They used traditional Javanese arts like shadow puppetry (wayang) and gamelan music to help their mission, eventually creating a unique local Islamic culture.



The local legend of how the Javanese people converted to Islam, known as 'The Journey of Prince Mursada'. Legend says Prince Mursada went on many adventures to cure his stepmother's illness, eventually reaching Salaka Island to find a talisman of firm faith. In the painting, he rides a fish with golden scales that he caught as a child, which later became his protector. Behind him follow two devout believers, Mashru and Mashud, who symbolize the Javanese people following their ruler in converting to the faith. The story of 'The Journey of Prince Mursada' has roots in the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, which is part of the local Javanese Islamic tradition.



In 1568, Adiwijaya, the first Sultan of the Pajang Sultanate, defeated Arya Penangsang, the last Sultan of the Demak Sultanate, marking a change in power in Java. The first Sultan of the Demak Sultanate was originally a prince of the Majapahit Kingdom. He later converted to the faith under the influence of one of the nine Javanese saints, declared himself Sultan, and began the Islamic era on Java.



Prince Diponegoro of the Yogyakarta Sultanate, who bravely resisted Dutch colonial rule, led his army to fight the Dutch. He fought the Dutch from 1825 to 1830, dealing them heavy blows, but was eventually defeated, captured, and exiled to Makassar. Diponegoro is honored as an Indonesian national hero. The Indonesian Central Java Military Command, two ships, and roads in many Indonesian cities are named after him.





Diponegoro on horseback and inside his residence.





In 1666, Sultan Hasanuddin of Gowa in the Sulawesi region (reigned 1653-69) led his army to resist the Dutch in Makassar. He was defeated in 1669 and forced to abdicate. Sultan Hasanuddin is also honored as a national hero in Indonesia, and there is a monument to the Sultan in Makassar.



The army of the Surakarta Sunanate. After the 1670s, the Dutch East India Company used power struggles within the Mataram Sultanate to slowly increase its control over Central Java. In 1755, the Dutch East India Company sent representatives to negotiate with Sultan Pakubuwono III and Prince Mangkubumi. A treaty was finally signed, splitting the Mataram Sultanate into two parts: the Yogyakarta Sultanate and the Surakarta Sunanate. The prestige and power of the Surakarta Sunanate reached its peak during the reign of Pakubuwono X, who ruled from 1893 to 1939. He raised funds by leasing land to European developers and buying shares in commercial properties. He oversaw the construction of many buildings and infrastructure projects in the city of Solo, and brought water and electricity to many parts of the Sunanate, earning him widespread respect.



A Sultan from the Middle East watching acrobatics.





A traditional Javanese ceremonial hall (pendopo).



A poster promoting monogamy.



Traditional wedding attire.





Adapting characters from shadow puppetry (wayang) into real-life scenes like police and thieves or musical performances. view all

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Summary: The Saudi contemporary art exhibition at the National Museum of China ran from July 31 to October 30, 2025 and included paintings, sculpture, photography, and installation works. This account highlights desert imagery, Moath Alofi mosque photographs, Ahmad Angawi mihrab works, and Arabic-script objects in the Ancient China gallery.

From July 31 to October 30, 2025, the National Museum of China is hosting the exhibition Art of the Kingdom: Contemporary Saudi Arabian Art, featuring works including paintings, sculptures, and installation art.



The first section displays Saudi modernist paintings from the 1960s to the 1980s. Here are a few lines from the introduction:

Fine desert sand is sealed in resin, becoming an amber of time. From vast desert imagery to the reinterpretation of cultural memory, and from deep reflection on social roles to the exploration of environment and urban life, the exhibition works present many layers of an ever-evolving society.

















One set of works I particularly like is the 2017 light box installation The Last Witness by Moath Alofi, which features his photographs of small mosques found in the wilderness along the route to Medina.













Ahmad Angawi's 2025 work, The Simplicity in Multiplicity, features five mihrab niches arranged in sequence to represent the five daily namaz, with the infinite extension of geometric patterns representing the infinity of faith (imani).











After seeing the SCO exhibition and the Saudi contemporary art exhibition on the first floor of the National Museum, you can head downstairs to the Ancient China exhibition to see a Ming dynasty incense burner with Arabic script and a Qing dynasty incense box with Arabic script, both of which show faith (imani) expressed through objects. view all

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Summary: This National Museum of China exhibition visit focuses on SCO-related cultural objects, including Persian-style calligraphy, Central Asian robes, jewelry, ceramics, carpets, and manuscripts. The account records the museum displays through an Islamic art and Silk Road cultural lens.

From August 27 to November 16, 2025, the National Museum of China hosts the exhibition "Galaxy of Civilizations: Joint Exhibition of Cultural Relics from National Museums of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Countries." It features items from 10 institutions, including the National Historical Museum of Belarus, the National Museum of Kazakhstan, the National Museum of Kyrgyzstan, the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the Pakistan Heritage and Culture Division, the State Historical Museum of Russia, the National Museum of Tajikistan, the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, and the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.







National Historical Museum of Belarus

From the collection of the National Historical Museum of Belarus, this is a hoard of silver coins from the Abbasid Caliphate in the mid-10th century, found in Pinsk, Belarus, in 1991. Archaeologists have found tens of thousands of Arab silver coins in Northern Europe and the Baltic region. These coins were minted during the Abbasid Caliphate between the 8th and 11th centuries and were popular for their high purity and consistency. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, Vikings from Northern Europe used Eastern European waterways like the Volga and Dnieper rivers to trade with Arabs. They exchanged furs, slaves, and amber for large amounts of Arab silver coins. Interestingly, many of the Arab silver coins in Viking hoards were cut into pieces. This is because Vikings measured silver by weight rather than face value at the time.













From the collection of the National Historical Museum of Belarus, this is a helmet and shield from the Qajar dynasty of Iran in the 19th century. The helmet and shield were hand-forged from single plates of Damascus steel. The helmet has a long spike on top and feather holders on both sides, while the shield features a sun motif. Both the helmet and shield are engraved with floral patterns and beautiful Persian calligraphy. Persian calligraphy developed from Naskh Arabic script. Compared to Naskh, the strokes are more elongated and tilt from the top right to the bottom left, allowing for more freedom when writing.



















From the collection of the National Historical Museum of Belarus, this is a belt featuring traditional Crimean jewelry craftsmanship. It is believed to be a gift from Hacı I Giray, the founding Khan of the Crimean Khanate, to Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania.

Hacı I Giray was a descendant of Tuka-Timur, the thirteenth son of Jochi, who was the eldest son of Genghis Khan. His family began ruling the Crimean Peninsula in 1260, but they were defeated by Tamerlane in 1395 and fled to Lithuania. Hacı I Giray was born in Lithuania in 1397. In 1428, with the support of Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania, Hacı I Giray led an army to take over the Crimean Peninsula, but he was soon defeated by the Golden Horde. Later, with Lithuanian support, Hacı I Giray sent troops to Crimea several more times. He finally occupied the Crimean Peninsula in 1441 and established the Crimean Khanate.

This belt is made of high-purity silver. The circular discs feature Tatar decorative motifs, while the buckle has a Gothic design, reflecting the cultural exchange between East and West at the time.









National Museum of Kazakhstan

From the collection of the National Museum of Kazakhstan, these are ceramic tiles unearthed from a tomb at the ancient city site of Zhaiyk, dating back to the Golden Horde period in the 14th century. The ancient city site of Zhaiyk was discovered by an archaeological team in 2001. Subsequent excavations revealed the remains of a Turkish bath with an underfloor heating system and a domed tomb decorated with colorful glazed tiles in the cemetery west of the city.



From the collection of the National Museum of Kazakhstan, this is a copper coin minted by the Samanid dynasty in 922-923, unearthed in Otrar, southern Kazakhstan. During the 9th and 10th centuries, this region was an important trade center for the Samanid dynasty.



This is a modern Kazakh women's accessory.















National Museum of Pakistan, Islamabad

From the collection of the National Museum of Pakistan in Islamabad, this is a brass astrolabe from Lahore, dating to the Mughal Empire period under Humayun (reigned 1530-1540, 1555-1556). It is engraved with latitude and longitude, Persian and Arabic text, and decorated with arabesque and geometric patterns. Humayun himself had a strong interest in astronomy and astrology.













National Museum of Tajikistan.

A Persian copper water pitcher (aftabeh) from the early 20th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection. The aftabeh, also called abdasta, is a water pitcher used for wudu (ablution) in Persian cultural regions like Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia. They are usually made of clay or brass.







A copper hand-washing basin (dastshui) from the early 20th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, featuring an engraving of 25 deer in different poses.





A copper water pitcher for wudu from the 19th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection.



A tray with Arabic script from the 19th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection.







A Persian shield in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, decorated with sun and angel patterns and engraved with beautiful Persian calligraphy.





A 16th-century axe in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, engraved with a scene of three riders hunting.



A 19th-century decorative tray in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, engraved with a lively banquet scene. The border features 33 circular panels, each showing a rider in a different pose, with Arabic script on the outermost edge.













A 19th-century copper pen case in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, featuring four lines of Persian poetry in Persian calligraphy and decorated with various leaves and plants.





A 10th-11th century copper pitcher unearthed in Istaravshan (Dayuan City) and held in the National Museum of Tajikistan, with Arabic and Persian inscriptions on the body and neck. Istaravshan was ruled by the Samanid and Karakhanid dynasties during the 10th and 11th centuries and was a famous center for trade and handicrafts.







National Museum of Uzbekistan.

A 10th-12th century copper pitcher in the National Museum of Uzbekistan collection, dating to the Samanid and Karakhanid period. It has Arabic script on the neck and human-headed bird patterns on the rim.





A 10th-11th century copper bowl in the National Museum of Uzbekistan collection, dating to the Samanid and Karakhanid period. The outer wall is engraved with Kufic script, and the inner wall is decorated with fish and bird patterns.





State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.

A men's gold-embroidered velvet robe made in Bukhara in 1905, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.









A men's gold-embroidered velvet robe made in Bukhara between 1900 and 1905, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.







Men's gold-embroidered velvet boots made in Bukhara in 1890, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.





A women's ikat silk robe from the early 20th century, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.





A men's gold-embroidered velvet robe made in Bukhara between 1898 and 1900, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.





A headpiece (gajak) made in Tashkent in 1912, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.



A men's gold-embroidered velvet belt made in Bukhara in 1890, decorated with turquoise and silver pieces and held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.







This Tojduzi headpiece from the early 20th century is kept at the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan. view all

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Summary: A 1985 book of Hui Muslim calligraphy and painting offers a rare look at how Muslim life in China was drawn and remembered in the 1980s. This account keeps the artist names, artwork notes, and image order from the original post.

Yesterday at the China Bookstore in Dengshikou, Beijing, I found a copy of the 1985 book Collection of Chinese Muslim Calligraphy and Painting. I want to share some of the works from it with you.





The Holy Prophet's Horse (Zhisheng Xianma) was painted by Yang Zhaosan, a Hui Muslim from Lingyuan, Liaoning. He was the deputy editor-in-chief of the China Environment News.



The Prophet's Cave of Refuge (Musheng Binandong) was painted by Ma Zhaoren, a Hui Muslim from Beijing. He was an art designer at the Beijing Film Studio.



Friday Sermon (Zhuma Ri Xuanjiang) was painted by Ma Fanghua, a Hui Muslim from Lanzhou. She was an art editor for the Feitian monthly magazine at the Gansu Federation of Literary and Art Circles.



Niujie Mosque (Niujie Libaisi) was painted by Wu Biduan, a Hui Muslim from Nanjing. He was a professor and the head of the Printmaking Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.



Tongxin Mosque (Tongxin Qingzhensi) was painted by Ma Ying, a Hui Muslim from Tongxin, Ningxia. He was the director of the Tongxin County Cultural Center.



Lanzhou Floating Mosque (Lanzhou Shuishang Qingzhensi) was painted by Gao Zhiguo, a Hui Muslim from Lanzhou. He was a worker at the Gansu 3512 Factory.



Springtime at Niujie (Niujie Chunguang) was painted by Wang Daguan, a Hui Muslim from Beijing. He was an executive director of the China Railway Literary Association.





New Look of Shadian (Shadian Xinmao) was painted by Yan Fu, a specially invited painter for the Cultural Group of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC.



Visiting the Market (Guang Jishi) and Peace (Heping) were painted by Cheng Lian'ou, a Hui Muslim from Xinjiang, Shanxi. He was a labor union official at the Lanzhou Electric Power Repair and Manufacturing Plant.





Light Reflecting the Galaxy, Spirit Soaring to the Heavens (Guang Ying Xinghe Qi Chong Xiaohan) was painted by Sun Jingxiu, a professor at the Shandong University of Arts. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This article shares 106 different visual styles for writing the Tasmiya, the phrase used by Muslims before beginning an act in the name of Allah. The English version preserves the source order, labels, and images while keeping the text simple and direct.

Happy Eid al-Fitr. I am sharing 106 styles of the Basmala that I have photographed before.

Jiangsu

Plaque at Jingjue Mosque in Nanjing



Plaque at Shanxiang Mosque in Zhenjiang



Brick carving at Shanxiang Mosque in Zhenjiang



Stele head at Gurun Mosque in Zhenjiang (formerly located at Siyaowo outside the South Gate of Zhenjiang)



Henan

Brick carving at the women's school of Dongda Mosque in Kaifeng



Plaque at Dongda Mosque in Kaifeng



Plaque at Beida Mosque in Zhengzhou, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Beida Mosque in Zhengzhou, Henan



Plaque at Xiguan Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Wood carving at Xiguan Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Beida Mosque in Qinyang, Henan



Stele head at Beida Mosque in Qinyang, Henan



Plaque at Erxianmiao Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Erxianmiao Mosque in Bo'ai, Henan



Wood carving at the West Mosque in Daxinzhuang, Bo'ai, Henan



Niche (yaowo) at Dongda Mosque in Daxinzhuang, Bo'ai, Henan



Shandong

Brick carving at Dangdong Mosque in Jinan, Shandong



Minbar wood carving at Dangdong Mosque in Jinan, Shandong



Niche (yaowo) at the West Mosque in Liaocheng, Shandong



Calligraphy at the East Mosque in Linqing, Shandong.



Wood carvings at the North Mosque in Linqing, Shandong.



Brick carvings at the North Mosque in Linqing, Shandong.



Stele head at the South Great Mosque in Jinan, Shandong.



Stele head at the South Great Mosque in Jinan, Shandong.







Calligraphy at the South Great Mosque in Jinan, Shandong.



Brick carvings at the Taicheng Mosque in Tai'an, Shandong.



Kiln pit (yaowo) at the Taicheng Mosque in Tai'an, Shandong.



Beijing.

Plaque at the Niujie Mosque in Beijing.



Glazed tiles (liuli) at the Niujie Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Dongsi Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Shahe Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Xiguanshi Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Dewai Fayuan Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Funei Zhengyuan Mosque in Beijing.



Plaque at the Xihui Mosque in Beijing.



Tianjin.

Plaque at the Yangcun North Great Mosque in Wuqing, Tianjin.



Plaque at the East Great Mosque in Tianjin.



Plaque at the North Mosque (Beidasi) in Tianmu, Tianjin



Hebei.

Plaque at the Zhuozhou Mosque in Hebei.



Plaque at the Zhuozhou Mosque in Hebei.



Sichuan

Plaque at the mosque in Langzhong, Sichuan



Stele head at the Shanghe Street Mosque in Guangyuan, Sichuan



Stele head at the Shanghe Street Mosque in Guangyuan, Sichuan



Kiln site at the Ma Family Mosque in Yankou, Wusheng, Sichuan



Kiln site at the West Mosque in Xichang, Sichuan



Shaanxi

Plaque at the Shuhe Mosque in Shaanxi



Stele head at the Shuhe Mosque in Shaanxi



Stele head at the Shuhe Mosque in Shaanxi



Calligraphy at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Stele head at the North Mosque in Ankang, Shaanxi



Calligraphy plaque by Imam Ma Qianyi at the Great Mosque on Huajue Lane in Xi'an, Shaanxi



Kiln site at the Nancheng Mosque in Xi'an, Shaanxi



Stele head at the Xiaopiyuan Mosque in Xi'an



Plaque at the Great Mosque on Huajue Lane in Xi'an



Liaoning

Plaque at the mosque in Lingyuan, Liaoning



Stele head at the ancient mosque in Kaiyuan, Liaoning



Plaque at the mosque in Beizhen, Jinzhou, Liaoning



Plaque at the mosque in Dalian, Liaoning



Calligraphy at Fengcheng Mosque in Dandong, Liaoning



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Xinmin Mosque in Shenyang, Liaoning



Plaque at Xinmin Mosque in Shenyang, Liaoning



Jilin

Plaque at Changtong Road Mosque in Changchun, Jilin



Heilongjiang

Brick carving at Bukui Mosque in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang





Restaurant entrance in Harbin, Heilongjiang



Plaque at Acheng Mosque in Harbin, Heilongjiang



Macau

Wood carving at the mosque in Macau



Guangdong

Stele head at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou



Stele head at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou



Stele head at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou



Plaque at Haopan Mosque in Guangzhou



Stone pillar at Chengxi Mosque in Zhaoqing, Guangdong



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Chengdong Mosque in Zhaoqing, Guangdong



Yunnan

Kiln niche (yaowo) at Shang Mosque in Yangbi, Dali, Yunnan



Calligraphy in the main hall of the Ma Ruqi courtyard in Donglianhua Village, Weishan, Dali, Yunnan



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Donglianhua Mosque in Weishan, Dali, Yunnan



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Fengyi Mosque in Dali, Yunnan



Kiln niche (yaowo) at Binchuan Mosque in Dali, Yunnan



Inner Mongolia

Stele head at the North Mosque (Beidasi) in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia



Singapore

Calligraphy by Chen Jinhui in the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore



Zhejiang

Mosque kiln niche (yaowo) in Lishui, Zhejiang





Fujian

Main gate of the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou



Stone carvings at the Ding Family Ancestral Hall in Chendai, Quanzhou



Wood carving of an auspicious bird from the Ding family of Chendai, held at the Quanzhou Maritime Museum



Tombstone of the 'Master Huang and the Hundred Clans' from Quanzhou, held at the Fujian Museum; the person buried died in 1315



Song and Yuan dynasty tomb roof stone at the Lingshan Holy Tomb in Quanzhou



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the collection of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum for Shams al-Din ibn Nur al-Din ibn Ishaq al-Shahristani, who died in 1325 and came from Shahristan, Iran



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum for Fatima bint Naina, who died in 1306



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum for Mansur ibn Haji Qasim Jajermi, who died in 1277 and came from Jajarm in the North Khorasan province of Iran



Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the collection of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum



Song and Yuan dynasty tomb roof stone in the collection of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum





Quanzhou Song and Yuan dynasty tombstone in the collection of the Xiamen University Anthropology Museum



Quanzhou Song and Yuan dynasty tomb roof stone in the collection of the Xiamen University Anthropology Museum



Gansu

Mosque kiln niche (yaowo) in Qinan, Gansu



Xinjiang

Wood carvings on the door panels of the Shaanxi Grand Mosque in Urumqi



Thailand

Yao Wo at the Jingzhen Mosque in Chiang Mai, Thailand



Wanyang Restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia presents objects tied to Muslim art, manuscripts, architecture, and everyday culture across many regions. This article follows selected collection highlights while preserving the original photos, captions, and museum details.

Depictions of Mecca (tianfangtu) are a key part of Islamic art. They appear on textiles, paintings, and tiles, with each region having its own style.

19th-century embroidery from North India.



1861 illustration from the Ottoman Empire.





North India, 19th century.



Ottoman Turkey, 1846.



Ottoman Turkey, 1794-5.



Ottoman Turkey, 18th century.



Ottoman Turkey, 1752-53.



Ottoman Turkey, 1771-2.



Depiction of Mecca (tianfangtu), Ottoman Turkey, 1795-6.



Ottoman Turkey, 1837-8.



Ottoman Turkey, 1801-2.



Ottoman North Africa, 19th century.



Ottoman Turkey, 1856-7.



A 1738 manuscript written on fabric from India, featuring floral designs with a distinct local Indian style.







17th-century silk embroidery of the Kaaba cover (tianfang manzhang) from Ottoman Turkey.









The museum's centerpiece is a painted wooden room from Damascus, dated 1820-21, which shows the typical late Ottoman Syrian decorative style.













A pulpit (minbar) from a prince's palace of the Asaf Jahi dynasty in Hyderabad, South India, dated 1879-80. It is carved with Urdu praise for the Prophet, along with flowers, parrots, and plant patterns.











Hats and turbans of the Acehnese people in Sumatra.





Hats of the Dayak people in Sarawak, Borneo.



Hats of the Malay people on the Malay Peninsula.



Wax-resist dyed (batik) dua-yi turbans from the Malay Archipelago, late 19th to early 20th century. Before the 19th century, men in the Malay Archipelago rarely wore hats and mostly wore turbans.











Specialized scripture boxes (jingxia) from the Malay Archipelago: Aceh, Sumatra, 19th-20th century; Malay Peninsula, late 19th century; Terengganu, Malay Peninsula, 19th century.







Blue and white porcelain with Arabic calligraphy (jingzi) from the Ming and Qing dynasties.





















Traditional Hui Muslim calligraphy art (jingzi hua), where the peach-shaped tray design is a classic Xi'an style. The first piece was created by Imam Liu Junlian of Xi'an in the 1950s, and it is the most exquisite of these few works. You can buy printed versions of these calligraphy artworks at the museum's gift shop, and I think they are well worth collecting.



















Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (reigned 1848-1896), the fourth monarch of the Persian Qajar dynasty, and his eldest son Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan (1850-1918) once ordered a large amount of Chinese export porcelain. These porcelains were mainly Canton enamel (guangcai), along with some Canton blue porcelain and Fitzhugh porcelain.

Canton enamel (guangcai), short for Guangzhou gold-woven colored porcelain, was a famous export porcelain from Guangzhou during the mid-to-late Qing dynasty. During the mid-Qing dynasty, porcelain merchants in Guangzhou began shipping white porcelain blanks from Jingdezhen to Guangzhou, where they hired Jingdezhen craftsmen to perform low-temperature overglaze painting. Most Canton enamel pieces feature a gold-rimmed circle in the center, with the surrounding area filled in a 'full-coverage' style with various flowers, fruits, birds, insects, figures, and landscapes, often including logos specified by foreign merchants.

The first three Canton enamel pieces are all inscribed with the Islamic calendar year 1297, which is 1880 AD.











The Fitzhugh porcelain plate is inscribed with the Islamic calendar year 1295, which is 1878 AD. Fitzhugh porcelain is named after Thomas Fitzhugh, a director of the British East India Company's resident committee in Guangzhou in the 1760s. He ordered many pieces in this style between 1787 and 1800, making it the most popular export porcelain during the Jiaqing reign, a trend that continued into the Daoguang reign. The most prominent feature of Fitzhugh porcelain is a central medallion pattern surrounded by various traditional Chinese elements.







The museum gift shop features works by Muslim artists from various countries, replicas of museum artifacts, and delicate, small creative items; it is the best museum shop for Islamic art I have ever visited.



















Exquisite wood-carved calligraphy crafts at the gift shop. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia holds a large manuscript collection, including 92 handwritten Qurans and related works from different regions and periods. This article preserves the original museum captions, photos, names, and manuscript details in clear English.

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia has the best collection of Islamic art in Southeast Asia. I visited Kuala Lumpur again at the end of 2024 to take another look at the handwritten manuscripts from different regions and eras.

This museum likely holds the largest collection of handwritten Quran manuscripts in Southeast Asia. The collection spans a thousand years, from the 8th to the 19th century. It covers regions from Andalusia, North Africa, Turkey, and Persia to China and the Malay Archipelago. You can see parchment from over a thousand years ago, as well as rare manuscripts from Southern Thailand and Mindanao. It is definitely worth a visit. I am sharing 38 early manuscript pages and 92 handwritten books that were on display at the museum in 2024.

Early parchment in Kufic script

Fatimid Caliphate, Egypt, 10th century



The Two Holy Cities, 8th century



North Africa, 9th century



North Africa, 8th century



North Africa, 8th century



North Africa, 8th century





Near East or North Africa, 850-950 AD



Damascus or Jerusalem, mid-8th century



North Africa or Near East, 10th century



Andalusia or North Africa, 13th-14th century



North Africa, 9th-10th century



Andalusia, 10th century

Andalusia, early 13th century



Andalusia or North Africa, 12th century



While North Africa still commonly used parchment for manuscripts, the Andalusia region began using paper widely after the 12th century. In 1151, the first paper mill in Andalusia was established in Xativa (in present-day southeastern Spain). The handwritten manuscripts on pink paper that exist today are said to use paper produced by this mill. These manuscripts may have been commissioned by royalty or nobles in Granada or Valencia. They feature large chapter headings and gold rose markings.

Andalusia or North Africa, 12th century



Andalusia, 13th century



Andalusia, 13th century



Seville or Xativa, Al-Andalus, 13th century





Andalusia or North Africa, 12th century



North Africa, 9th-10th century



Al-Andalus or North Africa, 12th-13th century



North Africa or the Near East, 8th century



North Africa, 9th-10th century



Early parchment manuscripts from North Africa and Al-Andalus were mostly horizontal. As paper from Baghdad spread across the Middle East, more manuscripts began using vertical paper. This change led to more decorative styles and more delicate calligraphy.

Seljuk Empire, Persia, 12th century



Persia, possibly Shiraz, 16th century



India, 15th century



Persia, 12th century



Anatolia or Central Asia, 1335



South Asia

Delhi Sultanate, 15th-16th century



Delhi Sultanate, 16th century



Central India, 16th century



Delhi Sultanate, 15th century



Mughal Empire, 1775



Mughal Empire, 18th century



Kashmir, 18th century



Kashmir, 19th century



North India or Kashmir, 1831



Kashmir, 18th century



Kashmir, 18th to 19th century.





Kashmir, early 19th century.



Kashmir, early 19th century.



Northern India, 1893-1894.



African region.

North Africa, 16th century.





North Africa, 19th century.



Harar, Ethiopia, 1800. Harar is an important center for the faith in eastern Ethiopia and is known as the fourth holiest city of the faith. The old city contains 82 mosques and 9 gongbei, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2006. Because of long-term trade with the Arabian Peninsula, the faith flourished in the old city by the 10th century and became widespread after the 13th century. Harar became the capital of the Adal Sultanate after 1520 and the capital of the Emirate of Harar after 1647. In the 18th century, Harar was an important center for the faith in the Ethiopia and Somalia region.



Sudan, 1857-1858.



Sudan, 19th century.



Morocco or Andalusia, 13th century.



North Africa, 18th century.



North Africa, 19th century.



Comoros Islands, East Africa, 1824. The Comoros Islands are located in the southwest Indian Ocean, between the African continent and Madagascar. Arab and Persian merchants often came here to trade. The faith spread across the islands starting in the 10th century, and several sultanates were established on the islands after the 16th century.



Caucasus region.

South Caucasus or Dagestan, 19th century.



Dagestan, North Caucasus, 1780.



Dagestan, North Caucasus, 19th century



Persia

Ilkhanate of Persia, 1291



Ilkhanate of Persia, 1304



Persia, 1684



Persia, 17th century



Turkmen people of Persia, 1483-1484



Isfahan, Safavid Dynasty of Persia, 1708



Qajar Dynasty of Persia, 19th century



Qajar Dynasty of Persia, 1862



Persia, 1700



Qajar Dynasty of Persia, 19th century



Qajar Dynasty of Persia, 1845-1846



Shiraz, Qajar Dynasty of Persia, 19th century



Safavid Dynasty of Persia, 16th century



Shiraz, Safavid Dynasty of Persia, 16th century



Persia, 1684



Qajar Dynasty of Persia, 1842. The donor was a soap merchant named Haji Aqa Muhammad.



Uzbekistan

Bukhara, Uzbekistan, 18th century



Ottoman Dynasty

Ottoman Turkey, 1848



Ottoman Turkey, 1869



Ottoman Turkey, 1836-1837



Ottoman Turkey, 17th century



Ottoman Turkey, 1775



Ottoman Turkey, 1840



Ottoman Turkey, 1803-1804



Ottoman Turkey, 1862-1863



Ottoman Turkey, 1748-1749



Ottoman Turkey, 1850



Ottoman Turkey, 1852



Ottoman Turkey, 1843-1844



Mamluk Sultanate

Mamluk Sultanate, Egypt or Syria, 14th-15th century



Mamluk Sultanate, Egypt, 14th century



Mamluk Sultanate, Egypt, 15th century



Mamluk Sultanate, Egypt or Syria, 14th century



Mamluk Sultanate, Egypt, 14th century



China

Copied in 1730, with a traditional scripture case











Said to be a hand-copied scripture from the Ming Dynasty





China, 17th century





China, 17th century



Malay Peninsula, 18th-19th century



Terengganu, Malaysia, 19th century



Indonesia

Java, 19th century



Possibly Indonesia, 1818.



Possibly Indonesia, 1818.



Java Island, 1845.



Possibly Cirebon, Java Island, 19th century.



Java, 19th century



Java, 19th century



Java, 19th century



Aceh, Sumatra Island, 19th century.



Aceh, Sumatra Island, 18th to 19th century.



Thailand.

Handwritten scripture from Pattani Province, Thailand, 19th century.







Philippines.

Mindanao Island, Philippines, 1882. view all