Modern Art in the Middle East
It is surprising what hidden treasures lie in some unlikely places in the Middle East. Bahrain’s restauration of the Muharraq old quarter is exemplary. Having grown to love this place over a few visits, I was extremely disappointed when I realized that Abu Dhabi offers nothing of the sort. But that’s a story for another post.
In the middle of Muharraq, in an old restored house, behind a very small and ornate door, lies a gem of a children’s library. A small, well appointed, very clean and crisp space, with hundreds of children’s books in arabic, english, french and german, at least …
In the middle of this space, an old open air patio has been closed by a skylight. Cushions and scandinavian style furniture make it the best place in the library for reading. And crowning all of it is this sculpture of a mother and two children.
The weird part, of course, is that i never saw anyone in this library, even though the door was always open. No librarian, no kids … Is it because I only visited on fridays? I hope so, I’d hate to think this gem was there for nothing.
Mother and Child
Modern Art in the Middle East
It is surprising what hidden treasures lie in some unlikely places in the Middle East. Bahrain’s restauration of the Muharraq old quarter is exemplary. Having grown to love this place over a few visits, I was extremely disappointed when I realized that Abu Dhabi offers nothing of the sort. But that’s a story for another post.
In the middle of Muharraq, in an old restored house, behind a very small and ornate door, lies a gem of a children’s library. A small, well appointed, very clean and crisp space, with hundreds of children’s books in arabic, english, french and german, at least …
In the middle of this space, an old open air patio has been closed by a skylight. Cushions and scandinavian style furniture make it the best place in the library for reading. And crowning all of it is this sculpture of a mother and two children.
The weird part, of course, is that i never saw anyone in this library, even though the door was always open. No librarian, no kids … Is it because I only visited on fridays? I hope so, I’d hate to think this gem was there for nothing.