“Under the Sultan’s Shadow”: Ottoman Exhibition and Curator Talks in Balsall Heath by MIAH Foundation
A fascinating new exhibition has opened in Balsall Heath, offering visitors the chance to explore one of history’s most influential empires.
The Museum of Islamic Arts & Heritage (MIAH) Foundation’s latest exhibition, Under the Sultan’s Shadow: How Imperial Identity Shaped Ottoman Life and Culture, examines how the Ottoman Empire consciously built its identity by drawing upon different historic empires, and wider Islamic traditions of the lands it ruled. Through objects, manuscripts, maps, and artwork, visitors can discover how these influences shaped Ottoman society, culture, and public life.
Highlights include a facsimile Qur’an copied by the renowned Ottoman calligrapher Sheikh Hamdullah, maps by the famous explorer Piri Reis, and a sixteenth-century tile from the Dome of the Rock that once adorned al-Masjid al-Aqsa
Based in the gallery space in Moseley Community Hub on Moseley Road (which used to be the Old Moseley School of Art) the exhibition brings together objects from private collections that are being displayed together for the first time. Alongside the exhibition, MIAH is delivering a programme of workshops, talks, and family-friendly activities throughout the summer.
The exhibition is currently scheduled to run over the coming months, with hopes of extending its stay should additional funding be secured.
Visitors can find out more and book tickets here: https://miahfoundation.com/events/exhibition-under-the-sultans-shadow
Monthly Curator Talks
For those keen to explore the exhibition in greater depth, MIAH is also hosting a series of monthly curator talks. The next session, Ottoman Art, will explore how Ottoman artists drew inspiration from Byzantine architecture, Persian motifs, Chinese porcelain, and Abbasid calligraphy, transforming these influences into a distinctive Ottoman visual language during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
Future talks in the series will cover Ottoman art, architecture, and the later Ottoman period, giving visitors a deeper insight into the exhibition’s themes and the process behind its creation.
To register for upcoming curator talks, visit:
https://miahfoundation.com/events/under-the-sultans-shadow-curator-talk-in-person-ottoman-art
Who are the MIAH Foundation and how can you find us?
Founded in 2020, the MIAH Foundation works to promote awareness and understanding of Islamic arts, heritage, and culture through exhibitions, education programmes, workshops, and events. Its long-term aim is to establish the UK’s first independent museum dedicated to the arts and heritage of Muslims and the Islamic world.
We are located on Moseley Road in the Moseley Community Hub:
MIAH Foundation Islamic Arts & Heritage Gallery
496 Moseley Rd
Balsall Heath
Birmingham
B12 9AH
Follow us on:
Instagram
For all enquires email us at co*****@************on.com.
We look forward to welcoming you all to our gallery!