Allah's Protected Word
PARIS — A silver mask, bullet-riddle shields, sheaths engraved with names and dates of birth, and cloaks made of rugged cloth are some of the rare items used by old Muslim cavalrymen and now on display in a landmark exhibition in the French art city of Paris. The June-to-October fair is organized by the Paris-based Arab World Institute under the title "Furusiyya: Chevaliers En Pays D'Islam." The fair has a publicity logo featuring a silver mask dating back to the 14th century and engraved at the forehead with the Shahadah, the Muslim testimony of faith that reads in English: "there is no god but Alllah and Muhammad is His Messenger."
It is opening the French eyes to different military epochs in Muslim history.
"We have put on display weapons and warfare items spanning from the seventh to the 17th century, the time when the Muslim military industry has witnessed a real boom," organizer Bashir Mohammad told IslamOnline Friday, July 6.
The exhibition shows a miscellaneous collection of handmade weapons like daggers, shields, sheaths, hamlets, arrows and spears as well as clothes decorated with lead, silver, and gold.
The weapons come from museums across Muslim and Arab countries including Turkey, Iran and Egypt.
It also displays items borrowed from Spanish museums, demonstrating the Muslim military industry during the conquest of Andalusia (now Spain) nearly five centuries ago.
The exhibition also showcases non-military items like hunting tools and swords used by Muslim leaders for decoration.
Different Ages
The displayed pieces do not only highlight the development of the military industry in the Muslim world throughout the centuries, but also document different Islamic ages.
Filling people with a compelling sense of nostalgia, the fair stands as an historical reference for researchers and amateurs.
The golden hamlets inscribed with verses from the Noble Qur'an show clearly the Memluk age (1206-1517), while a set of swords are hanged in a picturesque sway showing the glamorous sword industry during the Ottoman era (1299-1922).
"These verses were not there just to decorate the Memluk hamlets, but they were a source of inspiration to the fighters and cavalrymen," Mart Prince Taylor, a French researcher interested in Islamic history, told IOL.
The Iranians have also left indelible marks on the ancient Islamic military industry with shields and sheaths engraved with the names of prominent and historical Shiite leaders.
"The displayed pieces also shed light on the different rival Islamic sects and trends," Taylor said.
It is opening the French eyes to different military epochs in Muslim history.
"We have put on display weapons and warfare items spanning from the seventh to the 17th century, the time when the Muslim military industry has witnessed a real boom," organizer Bashir Mohammad told IslamOnline Friday, July 6.
The exhibition shows a miscellaneous collection of handmade weapons like daggers, shields, sheaths, hamlets, arrows and spears as well as clothes decorated with lead, silver, and gold.
The weapons come from museums across Muslim and Arab countries including Turkey, Iran and Egypt.
It also displays items borrowed from Spanish museums, demonstrating the Muslim military industry during the conquest of Andalusia (now Spain) nearly five centuries ago.
The exhibition also showcases non-military items like hunting tools and swords used by Muslim leaders for decoration.
Different Ages
The displayed pieces do not only highlight the development of the military industry in the Muslim world throughout the centuries, but also document different Islamic ages.
Filling people with a compelling sense of nostalgia, the fair stands as an historical reference for researchers and amateurs.
The golden hamlets inscribed with verses from the Noble Qur'an show clearly the Memluk age (1206-1517), while a set of swords are hanged in a picturesque sway showing the glamorous sword industry during the Ottoman era (1299-1922).
"These verses were not there just to decorate the Memluk hamlets, but they were a source of inspiration to the fighters and cavalrymen," Mart Prince Taylor, a French researcher interested in Islamic history, told IOL.
The Iranians have also left indelible marks on the ancient Islamic military industry with shields and sheaths engraved with the names of prominent and historical Shiite leaders.
"The displayed pieces also shed light on the different rival Islamic sects and trends," Taylor said.
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