The Met’s New Islamic Galleries

After eight years of renovations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has 15 new galleries for more than 1,200 works of Islamic culture going back more than a millennium. In 2003 the Islamic galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art closed for renovation, and one of the world’s premier collections of Islamic art more or less [...]

Shahnameh of Ferdowsi: Celebrating 1000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings

For a thousand years people from Turkey to India, from Iran to Central Asia have continued to read and listen to recitations of the Shahnameh, the beautiful masterpiece of Persian writing. Completed in 1010-11, the Shahnameh was one of the key works which after three centuries of domination by Arabic was central to the revival [...]

Columbia University Professor Hamid Dabashi Speaks at Block

Iranian-born Shirin Neshat has played a pivotal role in discourse about identity and gender in her native country and the Islamic faith. Saturday, October 16, 2 pm matinee FREE Shirin Neshat: Films and Discussion Special event at Block Cinema: an afternoon of screenings of artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat’s best video work, including Turbulent and [...]

University of Chicago Professor Frank Lewis on Rumi’s Masnavi

Moment to moment, new in form that ravishing idol appears steals the heart and disappears … He spent a term on earth, came down as Jesus from the sky, spread joy returned again, reciting glory Once he came as Noah, drowned the world in prayer, embarked the Ark Once he came as Abraham, the Friend [...]