The Wien Museum has launched a three-part Summer Academy focusing on the Islamic heritage found in Vienna, Austria.
The academy invites experts and enthusiasts alike to explore objects that have been “collected due to a long-standing fascination with what has long been referred to as the ‘Orient,’” according to the museum’s announcement.
Next week, the program will shift its focus to exploring Islamic heritage in Vienna’s public spaces. The final session on September 5 will delve into the aesthetics of Islamic culture, highlighting elements such as calligraphy and arabesques.
In its announcement, the museum states, “Discussions about migration are intermingled with claims about its alleged alienation. Muslims are supposed to be completely different from ‘us.'”
However, the organizers of the Summer Academy point out that the Wien Museum’s collection contains numerous items that reflect a rich Muslim presence in the city.
“They shed new light on the relationship between Islam and Vienna,” the museum added.
When questioned by Anadolu Agency (AA), art historian Zeinab Abbas-Metwally-Abdelhamed, who is co-leading the Summer Academy alongside Lukas Sperlich, noted that the Wien Museum houses Ottoman artifacts dating from the 17th to 19th centuries.
“It is not actually known how the objects first came to the Burgerliches Zeughaus and later to the museum,” Abdelhamed mentioned.
She suggested that these items might have been “trade goods and gifts,” adding, “In this case, the objects would have much more to do with diplomatic and economic relations and the fascination of the ‘Orient’ than with the war.”
“Among the Ottoman objects are mainly weapons such as bows, sabers, rifles, spears, shields, etc., but also everyday objects such as lanterns or incense burners,” Abdelhamed explained further.
According to Abdelhamed, the most valuable piece in the museum’s collection is an Ottoman map from the Second Ottoman Siege of 1683.
While there are similar items in other collections, she noted, “This object is truly unique.”
Interest in the Summer Academy has been “huge,” according to Abdelhamed.
“A large number of people have registered. In addition, our unique Islamic heritage tour attracted considerable interest and participation,” she shared with Anadolu Agency (AA).
News by: Daily Sabah
