Tracing Islam's legacy in African history at Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibition

Al Etihad

13-05-2025

13 May 2025 21:42
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)An ongoing exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi brings to light how the influence of Islam had 'travelled' with trade and made its way to Africa through the centuries.On display at the museum until June 8, the 'Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power' exhibition offers a unique look at Africa's revered rulers, showcasing royal attire, sacred symbols, and their lasting cultural influence. One part of the showcase piques the interest of many - the segment that connects the Islamic world to Africa.Hélène Joubert, Conservateur général and Commissaire général of the exhibition, spoke to Aletihad about this significant segment."The sequence dedicated to Islam and sub-Saharan Africa is one among the 30 sequences which compose the whole storyline of the exhibition, which gathers 361 works in total illustrating this general theme centred around power in Africa from the 11th century AD to the 21st century," she said.The exhibition - set up in collaboration with the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac - includes objects from West African Sahel regions that reflect connections between North African traditions and the Islamic world."The influence of Islam through centuries was notable concerning the preference for abstraction. Geometrical non-figurative but symbolic motifs have been created and have travelled along roads with trade," Joubert said.The Islamic influence was also reflected in the creation of amulets, she said."References to the holy Quran occurred through a syncretic production of protective amulets made of leather or textile little bags containing written Quranic quotations. These amulets were worn on the body, especially during long-distance trips to fight against evil and bad luck."The exhibition also explores how Islam coexisted with indigenous traditions and political structures in West Africa.Joubert noted that "though this aspect of political and religious ambivalence mastered by the historical kings of Mali and Songhay, who reigned on very large groups of people having different cultural and religious traditions, were until recently overlooked by researchers."She further explained: "The conversion to Islam did not mean in Africa the vanishing of images."Joubert also highlighted the significance of Mali's historical kings in shaping the region's religious identity: "The kings of the ancient empire of Mâli were converted to Islam from its founder, Soundjata Keïta, at the beginning of the 13th century."Referencing how this legacy continues to inspire contemporary art, she added: "This extraordinary event [Mansa Musa's pilgrimage] was transmitted in a very large extent at the time and the image of the king appears in the Catalan Atlas of French king Charles V made in 1375: a copy of this representation has been used by the contemporary artist Abdoulaye Konaté, whose large textile work 'Le Mali, un trésor' is shown in the exhibition."
The exhibition also touches on how Islam influenced educational traditions in West Africa. Joubert pointed out that "the teaching of Islam and moral education through learning Quranic verses in West Africa is evoked in the exhibition through a Quranic tablet, a portrait of a marabout, and a Quran in its leather box carried by traders during their professional trips or for the pilgrimage to Mecca."