Journalism student Jana Aljamal reports on the Water Exhibition in Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization
By Jana Aljamal
SHARJAH, UAE—The temporary exhibition of Water, Islam and Art opened on Oct. 6 at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.
The museum is a cultural and touristic landmark that encapsulates more than 5,000 artifacts from the Islamic world. The artifacts date back to the first century AH (7 A.D.) and up until the fourteenth century A.H. (20 A.D.).
The temporary exhibition consists of three sections that depict the significance of water in Islam through artifacts and devices that were collected from Islamic civilizations.
The first section of the exhibition displays the vast repertoire of Islamic arts through purification and preservation relics. The oldest artifact in the section is the Kilga, a device found in the Fatimid Empire during the fifth century AH (11th Century). Ibn Ridwan, a doctor who worked at the Fatimid court, wrote that the porosities of the jar filtered the water from the clay, keeping the water cold during the summer.
The second section portrays the significance of water for hygiene in the Islamic faith. One of the most notable architectural innovations of the Islamic world is the Hammam, which was a large bathing complex. Bath robes, buckets, and perfumes used in the Turkish Hammam are at display in this section.
Lastly, the third section exhibits innovations for gardening, such as watering devices and fountains.
The exhibition ends on Dec. 11.
