Three Exhibits to Be Held in Cairo for Intl Day of the Arabic Language

In celebration of the International Day of the Arabic Language on December 18th, the Museums Sector of the Supreme Council of Antiquities have organised three month-long exhibitions across Cairo to honour our region’s linguistic and calligraphic heritage. Titled ‘The Manifestations of the Arabic Language and the Splendor of Arabic Calligraphy’, the exhibits will take place at the Museum of Islamic Art in Bab Al-Khalq, the Palace of Muhammad Ali in Manial, and the Gayer-Anderson Museum in Ahmed Ibn Tulun Square. 

These exhibitions illustrate the timelessness and beauty of the Arabic language and its development through the ages, and feature various pieces and artefacts that are being displayed for the first time.

The Museum of Islamic Art is displaying 31 distinct artefacts, most notably an ostrich egg that had up until now only been preserved in the museum’s storeroom. The Manial Palace Museum exhibition contains 38 pieces, the most prominent of which is the Quran of Ahmed Shirazi and an educational pamphlet by Mir Imad al-Hasani. The Gayer-Anderson Museum meanwhile boasts 55 pieces that illustrate the beauty of the Arabic language through different types of calligraphy, including an original copy of One Thousand and One Nights, a box inlaid with inscriptions, part of the Kaaba’s covering, and bowls of bread.