The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) invites everyone to attend Empire of Light: Visions and Voices of Afghanistan, a stunning exhibition that presents Afghanistan as a place of extraordinary cultural depth, artistic innovation, and historical interconnectedness. Organised by MIA in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the show brings together nearly 150 objects that span over five millennia, tracing the country’s role as a crossroads of civilisations, religions, and artistic traditions. The exhibition will remain open until 30 May 2026.
Empire of Light positions Afghanistan within a long historical continuum. It explores how the country’s geographic location at the heart of Central Asia transformed it into a meeting point for traders, pilgrims, conquerors, and scholars. Through archaeological artefacts, manuscripts, metalwork, textiles, architectural models, and contemporary narratives, the show reveals the layers of cultural exchange that shaped the region over centuries.
The exhibition comprises five sections that guide visitors through different eras of Afghan history. Beginning with ancient civilisations and early urban cultures, the show examines the emergence of sophisticated societies in the region as early as the third millennium BCE. Afghanistan’s position between eastern Iran, the Indus Valley, and Central Asia enabled the circulation of goods, languages, and artistic forms, establishing the foundations for one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world.
Among the exhibition’s central themes is Afghanistan’s role as a cultural bridge between East and West. Empires, including the Achaemenids, Kushans, Ghaznavids, Timurids, and Mughals, all left lasting artistic and architectural legacies in the region. The exhibition demonstrates how these dynasties absorbed and transformed influences from Persia, India, China, and the wider Islamic world.
Particularly striking is the section dedicated to the Timurid period, when Herat emerged as a major centre of art, poetry, and intellectual life. The refined manuscripts (such as a bifolio from a manuscript of Persian poetry (Iran, 1467–1500 CE)), ceramics, and architectural references presented in this section highlight the remarkable sophistication of Timurid visual culture and its enduring influence across the Islamic world.
The exhibition also pays considerable attention to the spread of Islam and the flourishing of Islamic artistic traditions in Afghanistan. Following the arrival of Arab armies in the seventh century, the region became an important centre for Islamic scholarship, Sufi culture, literature, and architecture. Visitors can view objects that illustrate how local traditions merged with broader Islamic aesthetics, producing distinct artistic languages unique to the region. Persian literary culture, especially during the Ghaznavid and Timurid periods, occupies a prominent place in the exhibition narrative, underscoring Afghanistan’s historical contribution to Persianate intellectual and artistic life.
Alongside historical artefacts, Empire of Light emphasises the importance of preservation and cultural memory. On display are large-scale wooden architectural models crafted at the AKTC Jangalak Vocational Training Centre in Kabul. They represent major monuments and heritage sites across Afghanistan, many of which have faced damage or destruction. Their inclusion shifts the exhibition beyond historical display toward a broader conversation about conservation, resilience, and the future of cultural heritage. Among these models is a reconstruction of the Noh Gunbad mosque, believed to be one of the oldest surviving Islamic buildings in the eastern Islamic world. The exhibition also features a wall of glass vessels handmade by craftsmen in Herat, continuing a centuries-old local tradition that the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has worked to keep alive.
Curated by Nicoletta Fazio and Thomas W. Lentz, the exhibition also seeks to challenge simplified understandings of Afghan identity. Instead of presenting Afghanistan as culturally isolated, the curators emphasise movement, hybridity, and exchange. The exhibition reveals how artistic traditions evolved through encounters between nomadic cultures, Persian courts, Buddhist communities, Islamic scholars, and South Asian empires. In doing so, it positions Afghanistan as central to the cultural histories of Asia and the Islamic world.
The exhibition’s title, Empire of Light, carries both symbolic and historical significance. It evokes ideas of knowledge, artistic brilliance, and cultural endurance while also suggesting illumination in the face of misunderstanding. Throughout the exhibition, light functions metaphorically as a way of revealing overlooked histories and voices. Contemporary artworks also featured in the show, such as Reel/Unreel (2011), a video installation by Francis Alÿs, and No Woman’s Land (2024), a series of photographs by Kiana Hayeri, further reinforce the idea that Afghanistan’s culture remains alive, adaptive, and evolving.
Ultimately, Empire of Light: Visions and Voices of Afghanistan is an invitation to reconsider Afghanistan’s place within world history. The exhibition reveals a country shaped not only by conflict, but by centuries of creativity, exchange, and intellectual achievement. It offers visitors a richer understanding of Afghanistan as a living cultural landscape whose artistic heritage continues to resonate far beyond its borders.
To get more information about Empire of Light, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
While at the Museum of Islamic Art, you may also be interested in viewing the Damascus Room and Varanasi-style Necklace.
