Baghdad Travelers

Food coloring & acrylic on canvas, 43 x 78 cm, 3.000 Turkish Liras

The first Islamic states—the Umayyads and the Abbasids—inherited rich cultural legacies from the Persian and Byzantine Empires that preceded them. The Abbasid capital of Baghdad bustled with ambassadors and traders from India, Africa, China, and Europe, especially during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786-809). This led to an exchange of ideas and culture that made Baghdad a cosmopolitan city of art and science.

Inspired by a 12th-century Persian ceramic bowl