Overview
This major exhibition explores
seventeenth-century Iran through the reign and legacy of one of its
most influential rulers, Shah ʿAbbas I (reigned AD 1587–1629).
Shah ʿAbbas was a stabilising force in Iran following a period
of civil war and foreign invasion. He strengthened the economy
by establishing global trade links between Asia and Europe and
revitalised the state religion Shi’a Islam which is still practised
today.
The exhibition will demonstrate Shah ʿAbbas’s
social, religious and artistic influence on Iran through the gifts
he endowed to major shrines in Mashhad, Ardabil and Qum, and his
magnificent new capital at Isfahan. The objects, many of which have
not been seen outside Iran, will include exquisite Qur'ans, mosque
lamps, paintings, carpets, calligraphy, porcelain
and silks.
Loan objects
The objects borrowed for the
exhibition Shah ʿAbbas: The Remaking
of Iran (19 February – 14 June 2009)
will be recommended for protection under Part 6 of the Tribunals,
Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (protection of cultural objects on
loan).