QNL exhibition traces millennia-old Qatar-India-Gulf links

Doha: A fascinating major exhibition that traces the deep historical connections between Qatar,  India and the Gulf dating back 4,600 years opened on Thursday at Qatar National Library (QNL).

Dubbed “Qatar, India and The Gulf: History, Culture and Society,” the exhibition serves as one of the highlights of the ongoing Qatar India 2019 Year of Culture celebrations. It delves into the millennia of links between India, Qatar and the Gulf through a wide ranging display of objects, photographs, maps, books and manuscripts, among other things. 

Divided into ten sections, the exhibition curated by QNL highlights the maritime trade between the Gulf and India and Gulf exports to and imports from India during the pre-oil and gas era, hundis and rupees in the Gulf, cultural confluence, the Indo-Gulf Society, the Indio-Gulf empires and the current bilateral relations between India and Qatar. A Qatari pearl merchant’s chest and tools which are made in India, a Qatari Bedouin necklace made of Indian rupees-Qatar’s principal currency from 1916 to 1966 and a collection of old photos of dhows made of wood sourced from India are  among the many interesting items on display.

The show features items from QNL’s Heritage Library collection and the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, in addition to digital items from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Trust in London, among other sources.

The opening ceremony included talks by Dr. Sohair Wastawy, Executive Director of QNL; Aisha Al Attiya, Head of Qatar Museums’ Years of Culture; P Kumaran, Ambassador of India to Qatar; Kees Wieringa, Director of Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum and Dr. James Onley, Director of Historical Research and Partnerships at QNL. The event also featured cultural performances by members of Qatar’s Mappila community from Kerala.  The exhibition is open for public viewing until February next year.