"Water is the essence of life. It has the power to evoke life, birth, motherhood, purity, and, ultimately, death. These values resonate with all cultures of the world; with the deepest needs and aspirations of humanity. In the Islamic lands, the element of water has always played a crucial role not only on the practical level, but also in the religious, spiritual and artistic spheres".
This exhibition is organised by Sharjah Museums Authority in collaboration with Fondazione Torino Musei, and aims to narrate and unfold the special relationship between water and Islam from its most ancient roots to its numerous and intricate developments. This joint effort seeks to highlight the common heritage that links Italy to the Arab-Islamic world. The exhibition represents an intellectual journey marked by four main subjects, and through more than 120 artworks on loan from 16 renowned Italian public and private collections, as well as from the permanent collection of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and from Sharjah art Museum.
The exhibition’s four sections: "The Blessings of Water and Islam", "Water and Daily Life", "Traditional Hammams" and "Gardens", collectively illustrate the historical development of the numerous roles played by water in daily life, and represent the artistic embodiment of this element in the shapes and purposes of the Arabic and Islamic arts and artefacts.