Islamic Arts Museum and National Mosque

Museum the outside. The domes are so beautifully painted.

A little introduction, done better by the curators than I.

I hadn’t even realized the reason there are such ornate and stylized patterns in the art and architecture is that they have been discouraged from the human or animal form. It kind of makes the European obsession with portraits and realism seem frivolous and a little narcissistic.

I don’t know why but this one just kept drawing me farther and farther in. If you blow it up you can see that each stroke is a calligraphy line of Arabic script.

As is this one. The lighting was really dark in here and then the spotlights really made the art seem to glow.

This one too.

I CANNOT understand how anyone can write this small. This is the entire Quran in a pocket sized book in the 12th century. how was there even a pen than could keep that fine a tip?

Hundreds of years ago watching the paths of the planets and stars. The focus on learning and science is so much stronger than Christianity with all the scientific heretics like Galileo.

And something I really hadn’t known or thought about, the Chinese who have been Muslim for hundreds of years.

So familiarly a Chinese platter…with an Arabic phrase from the Quran.

These are just such an interesting mix I hadn’t seen before.

I just love the color of this.

Jade and Arabic on the blade on the left.

My mom would have loved all the displays of fabric and weaving we’ve seen. I wish I could send her pictures of this trip.

Model of the mosque that all other mosques point to: Al Masjid Al Haram. The place to pilgrimage to. The place to face in your personal prayers 5 times every day.

National Mosque and Merdeka 118 from the stairway in the museum

After the museum we went across the street to the national mosque.

If you are not fully covered they will lend you a beautiful polyester garment to make you properly modest. Zarah dubbed them wizard suits, which made me feel slightly less unattractive. they also remind me of a robe my sister had as a pre teen.

Ok getting over my own vanity, the mosque is beautiful. So many details so finely wrought. The tiles on the column, the wood carvings, the windows, the chandeliers.