The Hidden Art of Islam
Rageh Omaar finds out why, if human depiction is the source of such controversy in Islamic art, it can be found in many of the artworks on show at a British Museum exhibition.
At the British Museum, a collection of artefacts from the Muslim world is on show, which tells the history of a journey to Mecca always forbidden to non-Muslims. It features a succession of examples of the rich visual language of Islamic culture past and present, artwork created to reflect the powerful experience for any Muslim making the Hajj pilgrimage to Islam's most sacred city and its most sacred building, the Ka'aba. However, an art form not usually associated with Islam is also on show, a form many believe is prohibited by Islam - portraits, depictions of human figures and whole tableaux showing pilgrims performing the most important pillar of the Muslim faith.
In this documentary, Rageh Omaar sets out to find out that if human depiction is the source of such controversy, how is it that the art displayed here shows a tradition of figurative art at the heart of Islam for century after century? He explores what forms of art are acceptable for a Muslim - and why this artistic tradition has thrived - in the hidden art of the Muslim world.
Last on
Clips
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The art of Islamic calligraphy
Duration: 08:08
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Islam, geometry and nature
Duration: 05:29
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Rageh Omaar Discovers the Rich Traditions of Islamic Art
Duration: 04:57
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Rageh Omaar |
Executive Producer | Mike Smith |
Producer | Faris Kermani |
Director | Faris Kermani |
Broadcasts
- Thu 15 Mar 2012 21:00
- Fri 16 Mar 2012 02:35
- Tue 20 Mar 2012 00:10
- Tue 10 Apr 2012 23:20Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two England & Northern Ireland only
- Tue 10 Apr 2012 23:25Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Scotland & Wales only
- Fri 11 Nov 2016 00:00
- Mon 3 Jul 2017 22:00
- Wed 3 Oct 2018 01:00