"Splendours of the Atlas: A Voyage Through Morocco's Heritage" displays around 200 rare and never-before-seen artifacts in Qatar

Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) opened Splendours of the Atlas: A Voyage Through Morocco s Heritage, a landmark exhibition exploring Mo...

Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) opened "Splendours of the Atlas: A Voyage Through Morocco's Heritage," a landmark exhibition exploring Morocco's rich artistic and cultural traditions.

The opening reception was attended by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, the Chairperson of Qatar Museums and the Years of Culture initiative, and HRH Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco.

The exhibition is presented as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, an international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people.

Featuring around 200 artifacts, manuscripts, jewelry pieces, photographs, and musical instruments, some of which have never been displayed before, Splendours of the Atlas narrates the vibrant history of Morocco and its enduring cultural legacy.

The exhibition features key loans from prominent Moroccan institutions, such as the National Foundation of Museums and the National Library of Rabat. These rare objects will be complemented by previously never-before-seen works from Qatar Museums, MIA, and the forthcoming Lusail Museum, including an Alawite headdress decorated with golden plaques and precious stones, silver Amazigh jewelry, as well as 11th to 13th century wooden beams from a building in Fez. Though acquired by Qatar Museums separately, these beams were identified as part of the same structure during the restoration process in preparation for the exhibition. The exhibition, curated by Dr. Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya, MIA's Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs, will be on view from Nov. 2, 2024, to March 8, 2025.