Baghdad. Eye's Delight

There is hardly a city in the history of the Islamic world that evokes such powerful images of greatness and sophistication as Baghdad. ‘Mother of the World’, ‘Mistress over the Countries’, ‘Navel of the Globe’, ‘City of Peace’, ‘Dome of Islam’, ‘Spring of Wisdom’, ‘Mine of Wonders’, and ‘Paradise on Earth’ are amongst the numerous accolades the city has received throughout its history. Even after 30 years of recent war and violence, Baghdad still holds a special place in the hearts of those from the region; it will forever remain one of the most significant centres of medieval Arab and Islamic civilisation, evoking grandeur, sophistication and erudition.

The exhibition catalogue Baghdad: Eye’s Delight celebrates Baghdad as the most important and influential city ever created in the Islamic world, revealing its outstanding heritage as the capital of the great Abbasid caliphs (750-1258 CE) but also its renewed period of prosperity in the 20th century thanks to the discovery of oil.
Through the pages the readers will take on an imaginary tour across centuries, highlighting Baghdad's role as a city of power, scholarship and riches, ending with a look at the city's social fabric, its cosmopolitan population, and many traditions, which have - despite war and destruction - enabled the city to thrive, time and time again.