"The Strange and Marvellous in the Land of Islam"
2001-05-27 until 2001-07-23
Louvre Museum
Paris, , FR

The name of the exhibition is taken from The Arabian Nights, only European versions of which will be on view, since no illustrated editions in Arabic exist. Revolving around a resolutely literary theme, the exhibition will evoke the imaginary aspect of the Islamic world, occasionally shared by the West and China.

The first part of the exhibition will be devoted to the 13th-century Iranian cosmographer Kazwini's vision of the world and its wonders. The second part examines metamorphoses, the third fabulous bestiaries, the fourth fantasy literature, the fifth divination and magic, while the last section covers the supernaturel in religious practices and hagiographic texts.

Exhibition curator: Marthe Bernus Taylor from the Department of Near Eastern Antiquities, Islamic section.

IMAGE:
Iman Reza fights a devil,
page of Fal Nameb
( book of divination)
Iran, towards 1550

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