Bareed ad-Dar is the quarterly newsletter of The Friends of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI).Gulf Museum Consultancy WLL (GMCC) is the commercial entity authorized to exploit and promotethe commercial and other rights relating to The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah.gmcc@darmuseum.org.kw©2016 GMCC, Kuwait

BAREEDAD|DAR Newsletter of the Friends of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah Issue 3, 2015

Dear Friends,We are well into Cultural Season 21, but it can be interesting to look back at previous seasons. Cultural Season 20 was rich with visual and lively arts – all of which are recounted in this issue in a review of the last half of the season. The summer of 2015 was also rich, with Al-Fann: Arte della Civilta Islamica. La Collezione al-Sabah, Kuwait opening in Rome and a new summer Storytime at Amricani launching here. Soon we will be looking at summer 2016 and thinking about Cultural Season 22 – time really does fly. See you in Yarmouk!

Bader al Baijan DAI Steering Committee

IN THISISSUE• Al-Fann Opens in Rome

• UNDP Visits Amricani

• CS 20 Concluded with Flair

• Embassy Concerts Stir DAI Audiences

• DAI School Visits Outlined

• Family Days at Amricani

• DAI and UNDP Say Good-bye to Dr Mubasher Riaz Sheikh

• A Visit to Luxor and Aswan

• Summer Fun: Storytime at Amricani

• Museum Shop Corner: Inspired Gifts

Rome is a fabulous city to visit anytime of the year, but this summer was exceptional. The al-Sabah Collection exhibition Al-Fann: Arte della Civilta Islamica. La Collezione al-Sabah, Kuwait opened in the Scuderie del Quirinale on 24 July to high praise from both Italy and Kuwait’s cognoscenti.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited the exhibition early on the 24th. The president enjoyed a private tour led by HE Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem al-Humoud al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, escorted by Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah and co-owner, The al-Sabah Collection, Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah. The event was a joint effort of Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy Sheikh Ali Khaled al-Sabah and Italian Ambassador to Kuwait Fabrizio Nicoletti. The Kuwaiti delegation from the National Council of Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) was headed by NCCAL Secretary General Ali al-Youha and NCCAL Assistant Undersecretary Abdulkareem al-Ghadban. Prof. Giovanni Curatola, and the exhibition’s curator, provided most of the tour’s narration, mixing historical notes with personal ideas and impressions.

A press conference, attended by many of Italy’s premier media outlets, followed. Sheikha Hussah, Giovanni Curatola, Azienda Speciale Palaexpo,

LNS 105 S

Scuderie del Quirinale Commissioner Innocenzo Cipolletta, and Scuderie del Quirinale Director General Mario De Simoni addressed the journalists and answered a wide range of questions related to art and culture. The story of the exhibition was featured in newspapers from Rome to Milano, all reporting on “the charm of Islam.”

The official opening that evening was a gala affair, which started in the Scuderie with a tour of the exhibition and concluded with a festive dinner. The exhibition included more than 350 objects and they were greatly outnumbered by guests from Italy, Kuwait and beyond. Celebrated Italian actor/producer Andrea Occhipinti and actress Simona Marchini joined Sheikha Hussah’s guests, including Gary Tinterow from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and longtime friends of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah Michael Rummelein, his wife, Bettina Rummelein and Nadeem Maasry, and political and cultural leaders from both countries, to celebrate the 1,000 years of Islamic art and culture on display.

When the exhibition closed in late September, it was heralded as an unrivalled success. Visitors agreed that it helped them define the bright face of Islam, accomplishing Sheikha Hussah’s desire that the exhibition “extend a hand of openness to other human civilisations; promoting the values of dialogue and fruitful cultural interactions”.

Sheikha Hussah hosted The Right Honourable Helen Clark, United Nations Development Programme Administrator and former Prime Minister of New Zealand at the Amricani Cultural Centre on 30 March 2015. Clark and members of her delegation toured Splendors of the Ancient East: Antiquities in The al-Sabah Collection, Splendors Loaned by the Kuwait National Museum, and Long Ago Zoo: Animals in The al-Sabah Collection, with Sheikha Hussah pointing out exhibition highlights throughout the tour. Clark is the first woman to lead the UNDP, a position she’s held since April 2009. Prior to joining the UNDP, Clark served as Prime Minister of New Zealand for nine years.

Azienda Speciale Palaexpo Commissioner Innocenzo Cipolletta, Sheikha Hussah, exhibition curator Giovanni Curatola and Italian Ambassador to Kuwait Fabrizio Nicoletti

(from right to left) Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem al-Humoud al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Sheikha Hussah and NCCAL Secretary General Ali al-Youha

UNDP VIP VisitAmricani

La Bella Arte: al-Fann in Roma

The opening events for al-Fann: Arte della Civilta Islamica. La Collezione al-Sabah, Kuwait at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome were festive celebrations of Islamic art and the continued co-operation of Kuwait and Italy. Both new friends and old gather to explore the exhibition and share in the fun.

Al-Fann Opens in Rome

Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem al-Humoud al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy Sheikh Ali Khaled al-Sabah، Italian Ambassador to Kuwait Fabrizio Nicoletti and the Mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino

Kuwait in ItalyFriends of the DAI: Mrs Maha al-Mojel, Dr Farida al-Habib and Mr Majid Essa al-Ajeel

al-Fann logo on stairway to exhibition

Scuderie del Quirinale

Azienda Speciale Palaexpo Commissioner Innocenzo Cipolletta, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Sheikha Hussah, Sheikh Salman al-Sabah, and exhibition’s curator Prof Giovanni Curatola

Sheikha Moudhi S.H.S. al-Sabah Michael Rummelein and Sheikha Jamail al-Sabah(from right to left) NCCAL Assistant Undersecretary of Islamic Culture Abdulkareem al-Ghadban, Director of operations Daniela Picconi, DAI’s Director of exhibitions Fahad al-Najadah and conservator Tiziana Sogoni.

NCCAL Secretary General Ali al-Youha greets Italian President Sergio Mattarella, as Scuderie del Quirinale Director General Mario De Simoni looks on Andrea Meloni, General Director for the Country Promotion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

John Levins & family

Friends catching up

Visitors enjoying gallery one

The Minister of Information speaking at the gala dinner

Scuderie del Quirinale Director General Mario De Simoni, Sheikha Hussah and Azienda Speciale Palaexpo Commissioner Innocenzo Cipolletta

Exhibition’s curator, Prof Giovanni Curatola at the press conference

Press Conference on Opening Day MFAH’s Director Gary Tinterow, TaSC curator Salam Kaoukji and Sheikha Hussah

Exploring al-Fann

DAI’s Director of exhibitions Fahad al-Najadah and DAI’s Director of Public Relations Osama al-Balhan

Sheikh Salman al-Sabah and Scuderie del Quirinale Director General Mario De Simoni

Ignazio Marino, Mayor of Rome,with Sheikha Hussah

CS 20 Concluded with FlairCultural Season 20’s 2015 lectures covered a variety of expertise and topics. Lectures on architecture and history, the evolution of language shared the podium with talks on historic places and early modern Islamic art, game pieces and an Indian dagger.

Architecture was a popular subject with both lecturers and the audience. MIT Professor Nasser Rabbat’s 5 January lecture on Solid Illumination: Light in Islamic Architecture got the New Year off to a good start. He presented the elements in Islamic design that celebrate light, like muqarnas, mashrabiya, and high sections of walls that contain large windows (clerestories) and explained how the importance of these and similar elements created a new field: light architecture. On 16 February, Iranian architect Majid Yeganegi presented a lecture on unique aspects

of early functional architecture in and around Yazd. The lecture looked at how water was manipulated to support cooling gardens and “ice houses”, how wind was captured and used, and other masterful marriages of architecture and nature. Interior designer Dr Hayfa’ Bint Mohammed al-Habbabi’s lecture on 23 January focused on the role of women in the southern part of Saudi Arabia. Specifically, she looked at how women in A’ssir painted and decorated both the interior and exterior of their homes.

Philosophy was the shared subject of Dr Mansour Aboukhamsin and Dr Sharon Shaffer. Dr Mansour Aboukhamsin, a noted historian, explained the link between philosopher/historian Michel Foucault and Columbia University Professor Edward Said in his 12 January lecture. Dr Aboukhamsin traced the ideas of Foucault and delineated the impact they had on Said, as represented in his book, Orientalism. From looking back, museum education specialist Dr Sharon Shaffer looked forward, explaining from a philosophical and

Professor Nasser Rabbat

Dr Mansour Aboukhamsin

Dr Barbara Boehm

Architect Majid Yeganegi

Dr Sharon Shaffer

TaSC curator Deborah Freeman Fahid

Dr Hayfa’ Bint Mohammed al-Habbabi

Dr Shahrokh Razmjou

TaSC curator Salam (Sue) Kaoukji

educational standpoint why museum exploration is important to children in her 2 February lecture. She highlighted approaches that can be used by parents, teachers and museum professionals to best engage young people and make their experience relevant and meaningful.

Persepolis and Jerusalem were two historic sites explored by lecturers this season. Tehran University assistant professor Shahrokh Razmjou’s lecture on 19 January presented the life and demise of Persepolis. Called “the richest city under the sun” by the Greeks, Razmjou outlined how such a place, one of the capitals of the Achaemenid Empire, was ultimately destroyed by Alexander the Great. On 13 April Dr Barbara Boehm, curator at the Department of Medieval Art and the Cloisters at the Metropolitan

Museum of Art (NY), introduced the Met’s latest exhibition: Jerusalem: Art and the Holy City, 1000 – 1400. Her lecture focused on the role of the city in influencing medieval works of art and included a discussion of the shared aesthetics of patrons from both the Islamic and Christian traditions.

Islamic art, whether aspects or objects, was the central theme of seven lectures in the latter part of Cultural Season 20. The al-Sabah Collection curator Deborah Freeman Fahid’s 9 February lecture looked at rock crystal chess pieces in the collection. The pieces, some of which were included in the Kings and Pawns: Board Games from India to Spain exhibition in Doha, are still a bit of a mystery but Fahid shared what was known about their storied history. Just shy of a month later, on 2 March, The al-Sabah Collection’s senior curator Salam (Sue) Kaoukji shared her knowledge on a spectacular Indian dagger, looking at the lineage shared with a European dagger. Covering thousands of years and

the geographical expanse implied, she outlined the impact of the links between the various cultures on daggars. Dr Noria Torres also looked at the links between Europe and the Arab world in her 23 March lecture on Arabic manuscripts in Spain. While many are familiar with the Islamic architectural heritage of the country, Torres brought the thriving production of Arabic manuscripts – particularly in the 10th and 11th centuries – to the attention of the audience.

University of Cairo Professor Mohammed el-Kahlawi focused on symbols and denotations in Islamic art rather than on specific media or objects. In his 6 April lecture, he looked at the symbolism in Islamic art as an expression of its intellectual, cultural, religious and social bearings. Arabic manuscript specialist Professor François Déroche continued the

discussion on manuscripts in his 20 April lecture “Qur’anic Manuscripts in Umayyad Times”. His lecture introduced technological advances that have changed how manuscripts are understood, including the impressive creativity of the Umayyad period.

Dr Heather Ecker shifted the conversation from manuscripts to books, or rather one book in particular: Perspectiva Corporum Regularium published by Wenzel Jamnitzer. In her 4 May lecture, she explained Jamnitzer’s work and ideas as published, touching on texts from the medieval Islamic world and the work of artistic contemporaries in Ottoman Europe. The final lecture of the season, 25 May by Professor Finbarr Barry Flood, looked at how some artists addressed the issue of figurative art in the Islamic world. He presented a few rare historical images in which human figures were presented with flowers in lieu of faces.

Dr Heather Ecker

Professor Mersel al-Ajmi

Dr Noria Torres

Professor Finbarr Barry Flood

Professor Abdulhadi Nasser al-AjmiProfessor Lisa Urkevich

Dr Hussain Dashti

Professor Mohammed el-Kahlawi

Professor Faisal Abdullah al-Kendary

Artist Ik-Jook Kang

Architect Nader Ardalan

Professor François Déroche

The umbrella of history covered a variety of subjects, from Sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah to Kuwait’s influence on khaliji music to the reliability of written texts. On 16 March Kuwait University Professor Faisal Abdullah al-Kendary stayed close to home in his lecture on Sheikh Mubarak’s relationship with the Ottoman Empire. He focused on the impact of the signing of the 1899 Protectorate Treaty with Great Britain on the relationship and what that meant for Kuwait. American University of Kuwait Professor Lisa Urkevich’s 27 April lecture looked at more contemporary history – specifically the role of Kuwait in the development of popular music in the peninsula in the 1960s – 1970s. She outlined the transition from the Levant and Egypt influences on music to music heavily influenced by local heritage and traditions, creating a new and unique khaliji sound. Kuwait University Professor Abdulhadi Nasser al-Ajmi’s 11 May lecture addressed the issue of the reliability of written texts and verbal accounts relating aspects

of Islamic history. He stressed the importance of understanding the context in which texts were created, looking at possible purposes beyond the factual transmission of information.

And while the lectures above fit into thematic categories, the last half of Cultural Season 20 included four lectures that didn’t fit it anywhere but were incredibly interesting. In a rare Thursday lecture held 12 February, Korean artist Ik-Jook Kang talked about his art and inspiration. In Kuwait for the opening of his exhibition at the Kuwait Museum of Modern Art, talked about the exhibition Moon & Wind and about a project he was working on with children from around the world (including some from Kuwait) to create a mural inspired by their dreams. Kuwait University Professor Mersel al-Ajmi traced the roots of the Arabic language in his 9 March lecture. Using archeological evidence and comparative languages, he posited that Arabic and many Eastern languages

can be linked to one ancient language that provided the roots for all others. Dr Hussain Dashti from Kuwait University looked at how modern technology was changing architectural design. In his 30 March lecture, he explained that digital fabrication is having an impact on both practice and teaching in the field. He also reported on the potential for the technology to impact research on architectural models from the past. Architect Nader Ardalan’s 18 May lecture presented the Gulf Encyclopedia for Sustainable Urbanism. As the senior research associate and senior editor on the project, he explained that they would be looking at sustainability from an environmental perspective and a socio-economic perspective.

Cultural Season 21, well underway as this goes to press, offers an equally diverse calendar of lectures. That said, Cultural Season 20 certainly set a standard that will not be easily surpassed. Lectures are published in Hadeeth ad-Dar.

The DAI and music fans owe a great big thank you to embassies in Kuwait for their contribution to Cultural Season 20. The embassies of Argentina, Germany, Canada, Spain, Iran, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, India, Hungary, and Belgium arranged to bring exceptionally talented musicians to Kuwait to share their music with appreciative crowds.

On 4 January 2015 Cuartetango, a quartet from Argentina, enchanted the audience with the tango music of Astor Piazzolla. Two weeks later, the music shifted to classical compositions beautifully played on the organ by German organist Christian Schmitt.

A Great Big Thank You

The final January performance was a piano recital featuring works by Scarlatti, Beethoven and Debussy by Canada’s Jane Coop.

Spain’s classical guitarist Francisco Bernier shared his gift with DAI audiences on 8 February, getting the month off to a fabulous start. The following Sunday, the Iranian folklore group Jaylan sang and danced their way into our hearts in a colourful display of traditional music.

The Mezzotono Show, a five-voice a cappella group from Italy, took to the ACC stage on Sunday, 22 March. Incorporating straight singing and a bit of scat, the group even had the audience participating

The UK’s Cecily Beer’s performance of “Land of Song” on the harp on 5 April got the month off to a great start. Beer’s “Land of Song” was followed by pianist Pablo Galdo from Spain, who performed “Suite

Espanola Completa” on 11 April. The Czech Republic’s Prague Guitar Quartet closed out the month with an outstanding programme that included works by Ravel, Britten, and Prokofiev.

The final month of CS20 featured three incredible performances. “The Rhythm of Kathak” was highlighted by India’s Mahua Shankar and Murad Ali Khan on 3 May. The following week, the Ewald Brass Quintet from Hungary created “Brass Magic”. Indie-pop musicians from Belgium Marble Sounds closed out the season on 17 May, with a performance that was evocative and entertaining.

The cooperation between the DAI and embassies has a long and successful history. It is one that will continue in CS 21 and beyond.

Quartetango from Argentina

German organist Christian Schmitt

Canadian pianist Jane Coop

Iranian folklore group JaylanItaly’s Mezzotono Show

Cecily Beer from the UK Hungarian Ewald Brass Quintet

Marble Sounds from Belgium Pianist Pablo Galdo from Spain

Prague Guitar Quartet

“The Rhythm of Kathak” from India

Spain’s classical guitarist Francisco Bernier

The DAI offers a variety of options for school visits to the Amricani Cultural Centre, for children of all ages and most languages. Teachers have the option of speaking with someone on the education team and requesting a general visit, a theme-specific visit, or a curriculum-based visit.

The general visit begins with an interactive discussion on how to look at art. Students are introduced to the four steps involved in truly seeing art: Look, Describe, Think, Connect. An object from one of the Amricani exhibitions is shown and the kids work through each aspect of ‘seeing’. Once that’s complete, a compare/contrast element is added. This requires that they look at the two objects in greater detail to determine

DAI School Visits

Family Days at Amricani

how they are the same and how they are different. After this introduction, the children move into the galleries where they practice what they’ve learned, guided by questions from the DAI education team. Depending on the age of the students, Harvard University Project Zero Visible Thinking and Artful Thinking routines may be incorporated in the visit.

Working with teachers in advance, the DAI organises visits that related directly to a pre-agreed theme. The theme may be based on a specific subject or on a soft skill, like critical thinking, collaboration, communication and/or creativity. These visits begin very much like a general visit. However, before the students enter the galleries, they are introduced to activities specifically related to their theme. Frequently this includes focusing on relevant objects. For example, a class studying mythological creatures will be directed to objects in the Long Ago Zoo exhibition that feature harpies, dragons, phoenix, and more. A different class, studying Mesopotamia, would be directed to the Bronze Age section of Splendors of the Ancient East.

In addition to channeling the students to relevant objects, thinking routines developed by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education are always included in the visit. These routines, broken into visible thinking routines and artful thinking routines, are phenomenal tools for promoting real interaction with the objects. There are about two dozen different routines, ten of which are used on a regular basis. The routines range from the simple to complex. An example of a simple one is Think, Pair, Share, which encourages students to evaluate an object individually and then share their observations with another student. The students combine their ideas and present the object to the entire class. Lines, Colours, Shapes is a bit more difficult as it requires students to look at the individual elements of an object and decided what impact each has on the whole.

The last and most involved visit is the curriculum-based visit. It includes all the elements of the other visits, plus a pre-visit to the classroom where the students are introduced to the activities that will be executed at the museum. This option is geared to elementary students and is designed to maximise the impact of their experience at the museum. Working closely with the teacher to identify what aspect of the curriculum can be addressed in the museum, a lesson plan is created for the visit. A parallel lesson plan that a member of the DAI education team can implement in the classroom is also created. The purpose is to

have the children experience something different in a familiar environment (their classroom) and then something familiar in a different environment (the museum).

One of the best examples of this was done with kindergarten students and was based on recognising three-dimensional shapes. In the classroom, we looked at the first batch of art objects and had the students find specific shapes; then we showed images of objects included in our exhibitions and asked the students to name any shapes they saw. A week later, the students came to the museum. We started the visit by showing them images of objects and asking them to find specific shapes. Then, the students were given object ‘stickers’ and asked to explore the museum looking for shapes. Near the end of their visit, they had identified shapes on virtually every object and shared their discoveries with the class as we walked through the exhibition.

Increasingly educators agree that the informal education opportunities offered in a museum are effective learning experiences. Museum visits can be more than just an interesting morning out; they can be a truly educational field trip and the DAI education team is working to ensure that is the case for visits to the Amricani Cultural Centre.

Can you find South Arabian Ibex? Fold a piece of paper and make an elephant? Write your name in Kufic? In proper graffiti form? If you’d participated in Family Day at Amricani, the answer would be yes!

Once a month, for four hours from 2 PM – 6 PM, the DAI Museum Interns organise activities that encourage families to have an adventure together – discovering more about the world around them through games, art projects and fun. The action takes place in the galleries, in and outside the buildings, and in the Baha. Sometimes the activities are quiet, but not often; sometimes the activities are competitive, but only in a friendly fashion; often the activities are a bit silly, but everyone needs to be silly every once in a while. What is constant is that the activities work for ages 2 – grandparents, all the participants learn something, and everyone has fun in the process.

In Cultural Season 20, there was an animal safari, a treasure hunt, an origami session and graffiti lesson, and a whole lot more. Family Day at Amricani continues in Cultural Season 21, with more fun to be had by all.

A L A M I A H

DIRECTOR'S CIRClE

KHutayBa yussuf

al-gHanim

fawzimusaadal-saleH

intisarsalem al-ali

al-saBaH

mariamnaser

al-saBaH

nasrallaHsyed H

BeHBeHani

sHafiKaali

al-mutawa

aiydasalem

al-sabah

hilalmishri

al-mutairiyacoub yousuf behbehani

يعقوب يو�سف بهبهاين

SPONSORS

UNDP LunchOn 15 February 2016 Sheihka Hussah hosted a very special event at the Amricani Cultural Centre. As co-chair of the UNDP Advisory Board, she coordinated the group’s business meeting then presided over a farewell lunch recognising the service of Dr Mubasher Riaz Sheikh, the UNDP Resident Coordinator from 2013 to 2016. Members of the Board were joined by UNDP staff and representatives of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah to honour Dr Sheikh for his support for projects in Kuwait, including several with the DAI. Dr Sheikh signed the guest book for the last time as Resident Coordinator but assured the group that he would remain a friend, even in his absence.

afrah mubarak al-abdullah al-Jaber al-sabahemad mohammed al- baharJaber faisal al- sabahmohammad Ghazi al-sedairawinadia mohammad al-baharnasser mohammed al-rashedrakan ibrahim al-Ghanim

ABDULAZIZSULTAN

ESSA

DIRAARYOUSEF

AL-GHANIM

MUNIRAKHALED

AL-MUTAWA

HIND HAMAD AHMED

AL-BAHAR

NAJWAAHMAD

AL- QATAMI

NOURA ABDULAZIZAL- GHANIM

RIHAMFOUAD

AL-GHANIMPAULA

AL-SABAH

MAHMOUDAL-NOURI

BADRIYA SABAH AL-SALEMAL-SABAH

BUTHAINAH MUSAED

AL-SALEH

Group picture: Dr Ahmad al-Bishara, Dr. Mubashir Riyadh, Dr. Naji al-Mutairi, Mazin al-Nahedh, Adam Aba Hussain, Nizar al-Adsani, Amal al-Sayer, Dr. Moudhi al-Humoud, Sheikha Intisar

Salem al-Ali al-Sabah, Dr. Khaled al-Mahdi, Dima al-Khateeb, Sahar al-Shawa, Asmaa Aitssi, Kayla Keenan, Abdulkareem al-Ghadban, Abdullah al-Saqr, Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem

al-Sabah

A Trip to the Land of AntiquitiesAs the sound of the plane’s engine roared while approaching the land of “Thebes”, today Luxor , the voice of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) filled the air, shouting loudly:

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Shelley’s fascination with the monuments of Egypt he saw was certainly contagious. All passengers on board the plane were ready to experience the magnificence of Ancient Egypt but never had they expected to see it the way it unfolded. Our arrival coincided with three celebrations; the National Day of Luxor, the anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamen’s mummy by Howard Carter, and the reopening of three important recently renovated tombs.

4 November: arrival in Luxor. The reception at the old Winter Palace Hotel, now under Sofitel Group management, was elegant, matched only by the gracious welcome of two of our dear friends: H.H. Prince Abbas Helmy and his wife Princess Madeha. Our first evening in Luxor was overwhelming! By an invitation of H.E. Minister of Antiquities, Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty and the Governor of Luxor Mr Mohamed Badr, a dinner was thrown in the foothills surrounding the most impressive temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut (1473-58 BCE). The architect, Senenmut, certainly knew how to introduce conceptual innovations to the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut and created such a masterpiece.

Hatshepsut’s temple is a unique monument of unparalleled beauty. Its natural setting looks like a theatrical back drop, providing a perfect setting for the Cairo Opera Ballet’s performance that evening.

5 November: the day started with a startling beginning. Three newly restored tombs in the Valley of the Kings were opened for the first time after years of meticulous and laborious restoration. We were lucky to be in the company of one of the most prominent specialists in the history of Ancient Egypt, Professor Mamdouh Eldamaty, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities with whom we visited the tomb of Thutmosis III (1504-1450 BCE) In the sarcophagus chamber of the tomb of Thatmosis III (among the most illustrious and powerful pharaohs in Ancient and Egyptian history), were some illustrations of the Book of Gates,. depicting rites and magic practices by the priests were outlined on the walls of the chamber. In this period, the New Kingdom, the priest alone had the ability to return the deceased to life, therefore assuring them eternal existence, our exceptional guide explained as we looked at the illustrations.

Our next stop was at the tomb of Amenhotep II (1454-1419 BCE), Thutmosis III’s son and successor, which closely resembles the tomb of his father. Unlike his father’s, Amenhotep II’s sacrcaphagus was found with his mummy still intact. Why the tomb robbers had spared this mummy remains unknown. The third exciting adventure of the day was to visit the tomb of Horemheb. Horemheb, a senior official and general at the time of Akhenaten maintained his prestigious positions under the reigns of this pharaoh’s next two successors, Tutankhamun and Ay. Then he ascended the throne and ruled Egypt for about 30 years.

After an exciting day, the early evening was reserved for the visit of the Karnak Temple. The Karnack archaeological area includes temple complexes dedicated to the god Amun-Ra, the goddess Mut, and the god Montu. Almost all the pharaohs from 18th Dynasty’s Thutmosis I to Amenhotep III, Ramesses II and III until those of the 22nd Dynasty, contributed to the enlargement of the temple.

Outside walls of the hypostyle hall are filled with depictions of the military might of two 19th Dynasty pharaohs: Seti I on his campaigns against the Hittites and Libyans, and Ramesses II in his battle at Qadesh. The most striking artistic endeavor was ‘The Botanical Garden’ illustrations which depicts exotic plants and animals, asserting Egyptian’s knowledge of the world at that time.

The day had a sweet breezy end on a Dahabiya, a floating boat, on the Nile.

6 November: Medinet Habu - temple of Ramsses III was waiting for inquisitive tourists from Kuwait. Once again we were privileged to be guided by another scholar, this time it was W. Raymond Johnson, field director of Chicago House of the Oriental Institute at The University of Chicago, USA. Ray and his dedicated team of epigraphists, architects, archaeologists and conservators radiated such passion and enthusiasm that it became almost impossible for us not to be infected with this bug. The Chicago House, which undertook the mammoth task of restoring temples such as Karnak, Luxor and Medinet Habu, was founded in 1924 by J. H. Breasted, the author of the famous book The Dawn of Conscious.

Luxor Temple was our next stop. It is the closest temple to the river and perhaps the most charming of all of them. Of the two obelisks that adored the entrance, only one remains, since in 1851, Muhammad Ali (Egypt ruler) gave the other to Louis Phillippe, to be raised in the center of Place de la Concorde in Paris.A visit to The Pylon of Ramesses II followed. This is a sphinx-lined avenue that linked the temple of Luxor with that of Karnak in ancient times. An interesting feature in Luxor temple is the co-existence of the temple with a Coptic church and a mosque. Between the big colonnade and the first Pylon stands the mosque of Abu al-Haggag, built in 14th century CE.An invitation for high tea at the Chicago House was accepted. It gave us the opportunity to meet the team of the institute and to visit the newly restored library.

7 November: the day to explore Dier al-Medina, which is the ancient settlement encompassing the quarters of the workers and artisans hired to prepare and decorate the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Already built and enclosed by a bare-brick city wall by the 18th Dynasty, it can be easily described as the first gated dwelling complex in the world. The site yielded thousands of fragments of papyrus which contained inscriptions or sketches by scribes and artists that enabled archaeologist to reconstruct Egyptian life and social organisations during the period. In the vicinity of this deir there is a small tomb

known as The Tomb of Sennedjem: “Servant in the House of the Truth”, who lived at the time of Seti I and Ramesses II (19th Dynasty).

We headed from there to The Ramesseum - the mortuary temple of Ramesses II (1304-1337 BCE). It is a splendid complex that captures the fantasy of many visitors. It was named Ramesseum by Jenn-François Champollion (1790-1832), the famous decipherer of hieroglyphics. The wall illustrations celebrate the battles scenes from the battle Qadesh as well as a procession of Ramessess’ sons and daughters. There we came across the head of the French excavation team Dr Christian Leblanc, who is assisting the Egyptian team re-erect the colossal statue of Ramesses II.

The Luxor Museum, opened in 1975, was the next stop. The museum’s beautiful exhibits covers the earliest traces of human occupation in the region through all the ancient Egyptian dynasties and the Islamic period. Dinner that night was hosted by the Governor of Luxor Mr Mohamed Badr.

8 November: the day to say goodbye to the beautiful city of Luxor. We flew to another breathtaking place: Abu Simbul, where we were greeted by two enormous iconic rock relief figures that stand triumphantly alone in the midst of nowhere. The complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes two temples. The Great Temple was completed around 1265 BCE and was dedicated to three gods as well as to deified Ramesses II himself. The Small Temple nearby was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II’s wife, Nefertari. This was in fact the second time in Ancient Egyptian history that a temple was constructed as a homage to a queen, the first being that of Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten. The place was empty of tourists, as if it was cleared from all the buzzing crowds just for us, to embrace us with a magical spell.

After two hours of astonishment to what we had encountered we took off for Aswan, where we had a meeting with Isis in her temple at Philae. “Philae” in Greek or “Pilak” in Ancient Egyptian, meaning “the end”, defines the southernmost limit of Egypt. The temple was constructed by Ptolemy I and completed by Roman Emperors in or about 370 CE to celebrate the goddess Isis. To reach the island is another joyful experience, with Nubian sailors and sellers of bric-a-brac hopping in the boat to sell you their goods of colourful beads while singing Nubian songs.

After the short but intensive encounter with the goddess Isis in Philae, we had a treat at the Nuba Museum. Like the museum in Luxor, this is a comprehensive museum covering the history of Southern Egypt following all dynastic attributions that were created by Manetho, the Egyptian historian of 3rd century BCE. This museum was opened to the public in 1997.

No visit to Nuba can be satisfactory without visiting the famous Old Cataract Hotel which was built in 1899 by Thomas Cook. It hosted many celebrities such as Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill and Howard Carter. Our last meal in Aswan, which was between lunch and dinner, was the pinnacle of Egyptian culinary art. It was served at the time when the sun turned the sky blazingly red as it was slowly saying “adieu”. Just four hours and a half in Aswan was enough time to hypnotize us and this was a fitting end. Aswan, “adieu”.

The flight to Kuwait that evening was under three hours. It was spent on collecting and sharing memories of the past four days.

The passengers, strong supporters of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, were guests of Sheikha Hussah al-Sabah: Sheikha Intisar al-Sabah, Mrs. Shafika al-Mutawa, Mrs. Maryam Massoudi, Mr. Bader al-Baijan, Mr. Sabah al-Rayes, Mr. Ahmad Khaja, Mr. Shaker Abel and Mr. Saud al-Mutairi.

Special thank you goes to:

H.H. Prince Abbas and Princess Madeha HelmyDr. Rawya Ismael, our trip guide And everyone mentioned in the article.

The Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) launched a new programme in the summer of 2015: Storytime at Amricani. The idea was simple, find volunteers to read stories to an audience of children between the ages of 2 and 8, with parents, and older and younger siblings welcome. The programme launched in June and the response was overwhelming . . . literally. Dozens of kids (and parents) came for the reading of the classic Little Red Riding Hood.

Each book was read at least twice. The first time, the kids were encouraged to sit and listen to the story. During the second reading, the reader asked the children questions about the story (What happens next? What would you do if . . .? Why did he/she/it do that?) designed to encourage the listeners to think about what they heard and saw in the illustrations and then use that information. Of course, we also made sure they had fun as well.

Over the summer eleven Storytimes were held thanks to a wonderful group of volunteers. The stories they selected included familiar and new books. The DAI is very grateful to each of the readers, who voluntarily gave up part of their Saturday afternoon to make Storytime at Amricani a reality.

The al-Sabah Collection (TaSC) began to take form in 1975 when Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah purchased the collection’s first object. The collection has now grown to 30,000 objects representing different chronological and geographical points from the Islamic world. TaSC is regarded by international authorities as one of a small handful of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in the world. It has continued to grow since its inception increasing its strengths in all categories

LNS 83 M

This stunning pierced sandstone screen held centre stage at the Al-Fann: Arte della Civilta Islamica. La Collezione al-Sabah, Kuwait exhibition in the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome last summer. It will hold a similar place of importance in the same exhibition when it opens in Kuwait in the fall. The screen, also known as a jali, features a pattern of six-pointed stars (equilateral triangle plan of repetition) and other polygonal shapes, generated by dodecagons overlapping at the mid-points of each of their sides.

LNS 105 SScreenNorthern IndiaLate 16th – early 17th centuryCarved by mason’s meansHeight: 120 cm, Width: 100 cm

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Museum Shop Corner

Summer Fun: Storytime at Amricani

LNS 18 I

(arms and armor, calligraphy, carpets and textiles, coins, glass, hardstones, ivory, jewellery, manuscripts and miniatures, metalwork, stone and stucco, and woodwork).

All the items offered for sale in the museum shop at Amricani Cultural Centre are inspired from the objects of The al-Sabah collection. We now present to you these wonderfully handcrafted metal boxes and photo frames exclusively made for Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah. The two different chrome plated brass boxes, both large & medium, are inspired by an ivory piece from the collection, LNS 18 I, which is a lathe-turned and carved from single elephant tusk, ivory box from Egypt or Syria, 8th c. The large metal boxes are available in two different colors, plain polished nickel and lavish gold. The other metal box in matte finish comes in two sizes; two colors each, red & green, gold & blue respectively.

The frames gained inspiration from LNS 83 M, a hexagonal bronze brazier, each side composed of openwork half palmette arabesques with palmette borders. Probably India (Deccan), 15th - early 16th century. These frames come in two sizes and two colours; plain nickel and gold.

Thank you:

Allison Shan Price, who read Little Red Riding HoodFarah Khajah, who read Night of the MoonYessica Ambriz, who read Giraffes Can’t DanceMaha alEssa, who read The Odd EggSuja Aboukhamseen, who read Cat in the HatBadriya Alrughaib, who read ArtZain Maraqa, who read Yasmin’s FriendBazza Al Hamdan, who read Busy BeesBibi AlAndaleeb, who read Rumble in the JungleAlia Abdin, who read Borrowed NewbornLidia Janakievska, who read Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo

Visit us our museum shops at Amricani Cultural Centre or Yarmouk Cultural Centre to enjoy these, and many other lovely gift items based on The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah. Proceeds from the sales of these gifts go to support the activities of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah.