Past Events

Straddling Asia, Africa, and Europe and spanning fifteen centuries of continuous creativity, Islamic architecture embodied multiculturalism long before the term was coined. Guided by an intellectual, aesthetic, and practical dialogue with the architectural traditions they encountered, Islamic builders adopted, borrowed, resurrected, and invented at every stage and in every architectural [...]

As made evident by his extensive body of artistic works, Abdullah Zühdi’s mastery over the classical aesthetic categories of form, harmony, and proportion mean that he can be very accurately described as one of the greatest master calligraphers of the Ottoman period. Although prolific throughout his career, he is mostly [...]

A talk by Yasmine El Dorghamy. Discussion moderated by Venetia Porter. About the talk: For most people, the words ‘Egyptian art’ immediately evoke images of tomb paintings, golden statues, and imposing monuments. For some, they conjure up examples from Coptic or Islamic art. Rarely, however, does mentioning ‘Egyptian art’ inspire [...]

A talk by Yasmine El Dorghamy. Discussion moderated by Venetia Porter. About the talk: For most people, the words ‘Egyptian art’ immediately evoke images of tomb paintings, golden statues, and imposing monuments. For some, they conjure up examples from Coptic or Islamic art. Rarely, however, does mentioning ‘Egyptian art’ inspire [...]

A series of paintings by Reem Nazir based on archive photographs and first-hand accounts both ancient and modern. About the artworks The paintings in Hajj Journey Through the Ages are the culmination of an intensive three-year project by Saudi artist Reem Nazir. Born in her grandfather’s home in the historical [...]

A talk exploring Orientalist eclecticism in architecture through the work and 'houses beautiful' of artists F. Church and F. Leighton. About this Event This talk centres on themes of American Orientalism as seen through the work of New York-based artist Frederic Church (1826-1900) and his home, Olana, in the Hudson [...]

Dinner Conversation with SAIS Prof. Sanam Vakil on Middle East We will have a three course set menu, between £40-45 per person. Please use the link below to pre-order by noon of 27th January. Otherwise, the default order will be Salad + Duck Breast + Beans + Chocolate Mousse. Please pre-order your food [...]