west asia / islamic
galleries 5 & 5a

Three of the world's major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, originated in West Asia. Our West Asia galleries focus on Islam, which continues to have a major effect on the shaping of Singapore and the surrounding region.

Like Judaism and Christianity, with which it shares many traditions, Islam is a monotheistic religion that focuses on the glorification of one god - Allah. In Gallery 5 you will discover the results of this devotion.

Though the Qur'an does not prohibit an artist from showing living things, this has often been discouraged, and Islamic artists have focused their skill and creativity on calligraphy. Verses from the Qur'an were written in a variety of scripts, each verse affirming for the artist his or her connection with Allah, and Qur'ans were embellished with gold. The art of calligraphy developed to the extent that Qur'anic verses could be written to form dozens of complex shapes. Abstract art forms, such as complex geometric designs, developed alongside calligraphy. Some examples of this include Qur'an stands painstakingly inlaid with tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl, and painted star designs on architectural panels.

In the heart of this gallery is a space dedicated to the mosque. It is angled such that when you enter you are facing towards Mecca, the direction of prayer for all Muslims. Changing projections of mosque architecture from across the world will enable you to experience the interior of a mosque.

As well as seeking spiritual fulfilment through duties as such as the Haj (a pilgrimage to Mecca), the pursuit of worldly knowledge is also regarded as an act of worship. In Gallery 5a some of the achievements of the Islamic scholars are on display. Precision astrolabes, which helped Muslim travellers determine their position by studying the stars, allowed Muslim traders to reach Southeast Asia by the 9th century. Additionally, the work of Islamic scientists from the 9th to 16th centuries in fields such as medicine, mathematics and chemistry laid the foundations for much of modern western science.