Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi

 

Lamp bearing the name of Emir Tankizbugha
Egypt, Cairo
C. 1362
Blown glass, enamelled and gilded
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, OA 7352
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

 
 

Mamluks

Legacy of an Empire

September 17, 2025 — January 25, 2026

 

Louvre Abu Dhabi presents Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire. A significant exhibition developed in collaboration with Musée du Louvre, uncovering the story of one of the Islamic world’s most influential dynasties. Showcasing over 250 exceptional works, the exhibition celebrates the enduring legacy and artistic brilliance of the Mamluk era.

Spanning over two and a half centuries, the Mamluks left an enduring mark on the history of the Middle East – not only as formidable warriors, but as masterful craftsmen, skilled diplomats, vital players in global trade, and much more. Their reign saw a flourishing of artistic and intellectual expression, marking a significant period in the Islamic Golden Age.

Explore more than 250 works including calligraphy, arabesque designs, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, and manuscripts. Together, they reflect the diversity of Mamluk contributions to art, culture, and diplomacy.

 
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Exhibition Preview

 

Carpet decorated with three medallions
Egypt, Cairo
Second half of 15th century
Knotted wool
Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Helmet bearing the name of Sultan Barsbay (r. 1422–1438)
Egypt
C. 1422–1438
Iron alloy, damascened with gold
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, OA 6130
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Basin inscribed with the name of Ahmad ibn al-Jundi (?), Officer of Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir
Egypt or Syria
Early 14th century
Copper alloy, chased decoration with inlaid silver and black paste
Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Venetian School, A Venetian Diplomatic Mission Received by the Governor of Damascus
Italy, Venice, 1511
Oil on canvas
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Paintings, INV-100
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Basin known as the “Baptistère de Saint Louis.” Signed: Muhammad ibn al-Zayn
Syria or Egypt
C. 1330–1340
Chased copper alloy, inlaid with silver, gold and black paste
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, LP 16
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Bowl with architectural and garden decoration
Egypt (?)
Second half of the 14th century
Chased copper alloy, inlaid with gold and silver
Florence, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, C 372
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Lamp bearing the name of Sultan Barquq (r. 1382–1399)
Egypt, Cairo
C. 1386 (from the Mosque of Sultan Barquq)
Blown glass, enamelled and gilded
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, OA 7568
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Key to the Kaaba, bearing the name of Sultan Faraj (r. 1399-1412)
Egypt
C. 1399–1412
Cast iron alloy, damascened with gold and silver
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, OA 6738
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

A mamluk carved ivory calligraphic plaque
Egypt
C. 735–740 AH/1334–1339 CE
Wood and sculpted ivory
Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Albarello with coat of arms decoration
Syria, Damascus
15th century
Fritware, underglaze painted decoration
H. max. 15 cm, D. 31.7 cm
Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Tray stand with blazon of polo sticks
Egypt or Syria
14th century
Chased copper alloy inlaid with silver and black paste
Doha, Museum of Islamic Art, MW.225.2002
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Double closing page of a monumental Quran
Egypt, Cairo
C. 1360–1380
Ink, pigments and gold on paper
Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, CBL IS 1628
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Flask
Signed: al-ʿAfif
Syria, Hama
C. 1300
Moulded clay-based ceramic
Copenhagen, The National Museum of Denmark, 4A35
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Shadow theatre puppet (ship and crew of warriors)
Egypt
15th century (?)
Parchment cut-out
Stuttgart, Linden-Museum, 84682
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Chasuble
Syria, Egypt or Iran (?)
14th century
Lampas, silk and gold thread
European addition: silk velvet, pearls, gold, glass, coral
Copenhagen, The National Museum of Denmark, CXXXVII
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Certificate of pilgrimage (Hajj) delivered to Maymuna, daughter of Muhammad al-Zardili
Arabia, Mecca (?), 836 AH/1433 CE
Manuscript in Arabic; ink, pigments and gold on paper
London, The British Library, Add. 27566
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Tray bearing the name of al-Mujahid ʿAli, sultan of Yemen
Egypt, Cairo
C. 1340–1350
Chased copper alloy, inlaid with silver, red copper and black paste
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, OA 6008

Ewer bearing the name of al-Muzaffar Yusuf, sultan of Yemen
Signed: ʿAli ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Mawsili
Egypt, Cairo
674 AH/1275–1276 CE
Chased copper alloy, inlaid with silver and black paste
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, deposit from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, formerly Albert Goupil Collection, purchase, 1888, 4412
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

The four gospels in coptic
Egypt, Wadi el-Natrun
982 (Year of the Martyrs) /1266 CE
Ink and pigments on paper
Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Muhammad ibn ʿIsa al-Aqsara’i (d. 1348) Nihayat al-Su’l wa’l-umniyya fi ʿilm al-furusiyya (Treatise on furusiyya)
Mamluk wielding a sabre
Egypt or Syria
772 AH/1371 CE
Manuscript in Arabic; ink and pigments on paper
London, The British Library, Ms Add. 18866, f. 124v–125r
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Incense burner bearing the name of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (r. 1293–1341)
Egypt or Syria
C. 1330–1341
Chased copper alloy inlaid with gold, silver and black paste
Doha, Museum of Islamic Art, MW.467.2007
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Quran of Sitt Hadaq
Egypt, Cairo
C. 1340
Ink, pigments and gold on paper; muhaqqaq script
Riyadh, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, 4604
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

Candlestick for the consort of Sultan Qaytbay (r. 1468–1496)
Egypt, Cairo
C. 1468–1496
Chased copper alloy, inlaid with black paste
Doha, Museum of Islamic Art, MW.17.1997
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photos: Daryll Borja/Seeing Things

 
News 16Editorial TeamArt of the Ancestors, Steven G. Alpert, Asian Art, Island Southeast Asian Art, Oceanic Art, Asiatica, Ethnographica, Ethnographic Art, Art Collection, Fine Art, Primitive Art, Indonesian Art, Tribal Art, Eyes of the Ancestors, Dr. Reimar Schefold