What defines art as 'Islamic?' How does one group art that spans cultures and continents?

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Traditional Islamic architecture meets the twenty first century to spectacular effect.

Since we already know that Muslims were green before it was cool, it’s nice to learn that we are still continuing the tradition of being environmentally friendly. Young Muslims everywhere are participating in the worldwide movement to save the planet. Some do their part by recycling, some work together to educate their communities about the environment and others have launched environmentally-friendly businesses inspired by their faith. One Muslim couple in particular has combined environmental consciousness with sleek, modern design to create contemporary Islamic art and a company with a cause.

Nasser David Khalili is a British-Iranian property developer, art collector and philanthropist based in London. He holds both United Kingdom and United States citizenship.His Islamic art collection extends to 20,000 items and is the largest of its kind held privately in the world.

In the Sunday Times Rich List 2007 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK he was placed 5th with an estimated fortune of £5,800 million. This included an estimated value of £4,500 million for his art collection.

The story behind how Nasser David Khalili built his fortune has long been shrouded in secrets. As a property developer, he shunned publicity and didn’t slap his name on buildings or the company that is his main investment vehicle. He has also operated under the radar when buying art.

“During the collecting, I don’t say anything,” Khalili says. “When it’s done, then I speak.”

His elusiveness has fueled much speculation, often revolving around how he financed his collecting. Khalili, who left Iran in 1967 with $750, says he’s since spent $650 million on art. London’s Sunday Times, which estimated his fortune at 5.8 billion pounds in 2007, gave up guessing his worth the following year and removed him from its annual rich list.

It’s automotive industry may not be so hot right now, but there’s always the next best thing for Detroit - Islamic art! Enthusiasts rejoice! The Detroit Institute of Arts has opened a permanent gallery of Islamic art, showcasing approximately 170 works of art from the Middle East, Central Asia, India and the Mediterranean region.

In the heart of the largest concentration of Muslims in the U.S., the Detroit Institute of Arts this weekend is opening a new permanent gallery of Islamic art showcasing exhibits including a rare 15th-century Quran of a Mongol conqueror.

Welcome to the another edition of MuslimMatters.org’s regular Islamic Art feature. If you want to see your work on MM, then either email us your images to art[@]muslimmatters[.]org or submit them to our Flickr group.Click on the images below to view the original.Visit the MuslimMatters Flickr group to view the other entries…—Note: all the images [...]

Welcome to the another edition of MuslimMatters.org’s regular Islamic Art feature. If you want to see your work on MM, then either email us your images to art[@]muslimmatters[.]org or submit them to our Flickr group.Click on the images below to view the original.Visit the MuslimMatters Flickr group to view the other entries…—Note: all the images [...]

Welcome to the another edition of MuslimMatters.org’s regular Islamic Art feature. If you want to see your work on MM, then either email us your images to art[@]muslimmatters[.]org or submit them to our Flickr group.Click on the images below to view the original.Visit the MuslimMatters Flickr group to view the other entries…—Note: all the images [...]

Welcome to the another edition of MuslimMatters.org’s regular Islamic Art feature. If you want to see your work on MM, then either email us your images to art[@]muslimmatters[.]org or submit them to our Flickr group.Click on the images below to view the original.Visit the MuslimMatters Flickr group to view the other entries…—Note: all the images [...]