An introduction to a previously unpublished major collection of Islamic, Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art, notable for its exceptional range and breadth from earliest times to the present   The Farjam Collection of Islamic, and Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art, comprising over 5,000 artworks, is well known in the Middle East and to the cognoscenti but has remained unpublished until now. This two-volume publication comprises over 800 highlights from the collection, introducing it as a major resource for scholars, students, and bibliophiles. Unusual amongst collections of Islamic art, the exceptional range and breadth of this collection includes the arts of the Islamic world from earliest times up to and including the contemporary Middle East. This unique characteristic, represented across the themes of the two volumes, provides an unusual cross-cultural experience demonstrating continuity, dialogue, and influences—from within as well as in between the cultures—throughout centuries. Organized thematically with high-quality photography throughout, the book reflects current trends in the study of Islamic and Contemporary art through essays and entries written by eminent scholars.

Suad Al-Attar is an extensively illustrated monograph featuring original photography of more than 100 expressive and surrealistic paintings and drawings by one of Iraq's most renowned artists. Written by the artist's granddaughter - writer and art historian Nesma Shubber - the book offers unique access to the career of a truly sensational artist and painter. In beautifully written prose, Shubber tells the story of her grandmother's life and work. Beginning with the artist's early formative years in Baghdad and her arrival in London in 1976, we discover the origins of Al-Attar's international career up to the present day in a personal account of an extraordinary woman and artist. For the first time, this book brings together treasured drawings and paintings carefully selected from the artist's archive to form the most comprehensive published collection of work by Suad Al-Attar as well as a rare document of her remarkable life.

A showcase of 500 highlights of the Farjam Collection, featuring painting, works on paper, photography, sculpture, installations, and videos   The Farjam Collection of Islamic, and Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art, comprising over 5,000 artworks owned by Dr Farhad Farjam, is a major collection well known in the Middle East and to the cognoscenti, but which has remained unpublished until now. This volume examines around 500 highlights from the Farjam Collection of Modern and Contemporary art from the Arab and Iranian worlds. Showcased with high-quality photography throughout, the expansive collection encompasses a wide variety of media, including painting, works on paper, photography, sculpture, installations, and videos. It features numerous treasures from across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including works by modern and contemporary artists such Dia al-Azzawi, Hassan Sharif, Mohamed Melehi, Bahman Mohassess, Hussein Bicar, Kadhim Haidar, Baya Mahieddine, Ayman Baalbaki, Rashid Rana, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Farhad Moshiri, Dana Awartani, Mounir Fatmi, Shezad Dawood, Mona Saudi, Susan Hefuna, Shirin Neshat, Mahmoud Said, and Sohrab Sepehri.   Bringing together historians, critics, and curators from around the globe to reflect on these works, through essays, entries, and interviews with leading artists, this volume demonstrates how this extraordinary collection highlights important trends and histories of modern and contemporary art of the Arab world, Iran, Turkey, and beyond.

The first and only book on one of the finest private collections of contemporary Iranian art This sumptuous volume features almost 250 contemporary artworks and a selection of medieval and early modern Islamic art - the heralded collection of Mohammed Afkhami, a prominent player at the cultural and regional front line of Middle Eastern art. Honar (meaning 'art' in Farsi, the language of Iran), includes works ranging from the disturbingly subversive to exquisitely inclusive, exhibiting the pain of exile, the querying of ideology, and the artistic insistence on personal independence.

The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the largest pilgrimage in the world today and a sacred duty for all Muslims. Each year, millions of the faithful from around the world make the pilgrimage to Makkah, the birthplace of Islam where the Prophet Muhammad received his revelation.

With contributions from renowned experts Muhammad Abdel Haleem, Hugh Kennedy, Robert Irwin, and Ziauddin Sardar, this fascinating book pulls together many strands of Hajj, its rituals, history, and modern manifestations. Travel was once a hazardous gamble, yet devoted Muslims undertook the journey to Makkah, documenting their experiences in manuscripts, wall paintings, and early photographs, many of which are presented here. Through a wealth of illustrations including pilgrims' personal objects, souvenirs, and maps, "Hajj "provides a glimpse into this important holy rite for Muslim readers already grounded in the tradition and non-Muslims who cannot otherwise participate.

"Hajj" does not, however, merely trace pilgrimages of the past. The Hajj is a living tradition, influenced by new conveniences and obstacles. Graffiti, consumerism, and state lotteries all now play a role in this time-honored practice. This book opens out onto the full sweep of the Hajj: a sacred path walked by early Islamic devotees and pre-Islamic Arabians; a sumptuous site of worship under the care of sultans; and an expression of faith in the modern world.