The city of Lyon, France, hosted the “From Tradition to the Future: Turkish Islamic Arts” exhibition, organized in collaboration between Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı) and the Turkish Religious Foundation (Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı). The project, prepared by the Directorate of Turkish Islamic Arts under the General Directorate of Religious Publications, first debuted in Paris in November. Due to overwhelming interest and demand, the second edition of the exhibition was held in Lyon.
The exhibition took place at the French Institute of Muslim Civilizations (IFCM) under the auspices of the Turkish Consulate General in Lyon and Lyon DİTİB (Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs). It featured works from various Islamic art forms, such as calligraphy (hüsn-i hat), marbling (ebru), illumination (tezhip), and ceramics (çini). The opening ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Elif Çelebican, Turkish Consul General in Lyon; Bayram Demirtaş, Paris Religious Services Counselor; İsmail Erşahin, President of Lyon DİTİB; and Meryem Dalğıç, Head of the Turkish Islamic Arts Department at Diyanet. Visitors were treated to a range of activities, from traditional art workshops to insightful conferences.
Renowned marbling artist Metin Yılmaz and master calligrapher Ahmet Kutluhan gave presentations on “From Tradition to the Future: Turkish-Islamic Arts,” offering participants the opportunity to explore the depths of these rich art forms. Attendees also experienced hands-on sessions in traditional art workshops, creating their own pieces under the guidance of expert artists. Additionally, they admired a diverse collection of works in calligraphy, marbling, illumination, miniature painting, and dival arts, while engaging directly with experts to learn about the creative processes behind these masterpieces.
Reported by: Diyanet Haber
