The permanent collection of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) includes a 19th-century residential reception room from Damascus, Syria, reassembled after years of complex work. A portal through time and history, it gives visitors a chance to take a glimpse of Damascus, an administrative capital of the Ottoman Empire back then.
The Damascus Room was finished in 1232 AH (1816/1817 CE). At that period, the city was a metropolis, one of the key departure points for pilgrims heading to Mecca, and one of the world’s most prosperous commercial centres. Merchants built luxurious private residences there. These houses were also semi-public spaces used for different economic activities: arranging marriages, discussing business, etc. They also served as spaces for social gatherings, be it for grieving during funerals or celebrating holidays.
Active trading amongst people from across the region meant cultural exchange. As a result, new artistic techniques emerged. They had a particular influence on the interior decoration of Damascene homes, which led to the development of a unique interior design.
Unlike other Damascus Rooms in museums across the globe, the one at MIA boasts the original ceiling. While in the research phase, conservation expert Dr. Anke Scharrahs found out that some of the original panels had been turned over and redecorated. It was a common practice: reception rooms were occasionally refurbished to keep up with changing trends in interior decoration. The backs of the panels discovered by Dr. Scharrahs incorporate paintings from the 11th century AH (17th century CE).
The Damascus Room comprises a raised seating area (tazar) with low mattresses and cushions along the walls; a carpet is placed in the middle. The space is decorated with calligraphy: poems and a selection of the Beautiful Names of Allah (asma’Allah al-husna). Niches and compartments built into the walls were for display. Objects that usually were on view in reception rooms were functional (items related to receiving guests) and decorative (prized possessions, for example, heirlooms).
Various materials (gesso, gold leaf, tinfoil, precious pigments, lacquers, and mirrors) have been applied to the wood to form floral and geometric decorations. Most of the motifs were made in the Ottoman-Syrian ajami technique. It creates a rich texture with different surfaces responsive to changes in light. The ajami style merges Ottoman traditional patterns, Indo-Persian influences, and European Rococo motifs.
MIA’s Damascus Room can be found in a gallery dedicated to the arts of Ottoman provinces. To get more information about the Room, please visit its official web page. Besides, you can learn more about it in this video on the museum’s website.
You may also be interested in attending the Bait Al Naboodah Museum and the Miraj Islamic Art Centre.
