The @metislamicart galleries at the @metmuseum are my sanctuary in the city and even more so during this blessed month. 

It was during Ramadan that God began revealing verses of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through the Angel Gabriel. In addition to fasting, charity, and increased prayer, many muslims also aspire to read the entire Qur’ran over the course of the month. 

* Folio from the “Qur’an of `Umar Aqta’
* Miniature Qur’an with Lacquered Binding and Carrying Case
* Stand for a Qur’an Manuscript

Last Friday I spent my afternoon @metislamicart in the Patti Cadby Birch Court, also known as the Moroccan Court. It is an ideal place of respite during this blessed month. 

What I love about Ramadan is that it’s designed to create space and time for self-reflection amidst a busy day. Rather than grab another cup of coffee and a handfull of chocolates (my two main energy sources) I venture to the @metmuseumor take a walk in Central Park and enjoy the coos of the Spring birds. My feet may move slower than usual but they keep going. Life doesn’t stop just because it’s Ramadan, and this goes both ways as a blessing and a difficulty. In every weary step I take, in each relieving first bite of a date at sunset, I’m building a foundation in perseverance and patience that will carry me through the rest of the year. I’m programming my heart to remind me to be grateful for what I have and to trust that hardships will pass. Faith in action. Remembrance through ritual.

Eid Mubarak! Looking back, moving forward. It’s always bittersweet to bid farewell to Ramadan. InshAllah it will bless us with pathways for peace. 
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Dialogues: Modern Artists and the Ottoman Past (on view through June 30, 2024) @metislamicart @metmuseum
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~Sharp Things by Gülay Semercioğlu, 2013
~Ribbon Mania by Burhan Doğançay, 1982
~Red Hilye by Mohamed Zakariya, 2010
~Ferman by Erol Akyavaş, 1992
~Görgü Kuralları (Bahname) by Peter Hristoff, 2007
~Pregnant Haliç by Elif Uras, 2015
~Broken II by Burçak Bingöl, 2013