PARIS, 2 March 2003 — There are few miracles in the Islamic tradition. The Qur’an speaks of a deeply mystical faith. One exception is the “Night Flight”, in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), mounted on the mare Al-Buraq, travels through the night from Makkah to Jerusalem, and ascends to the seventh heaven and the Divine Presence. All this is accomplished in a time imperceptible to mortals. After his encounter with the Divine, Prophet Muhammad returns to Makkah to find his bed still warm, and the water from a jug he had overturned as he left, still spilling onto the floor.

It is only fitting that an Arabian horse is a part of this miraculous tale. The horse occupies a special place in Islamic art, sharing in the battles of brave conquerors, the travels of pilgrims and adventurers, and the romantic meetings of legendary couples like Khusraw and Shirin. Unlike the camel, an everyday means of transport in desert lands, the horse is reserved for more epic enterprises. It is said that Arabian horses originated in the desert, and that the traditional life shared between Bedouin families and their steeds has changed little over the last two thousand years. Bedouin lore describes the wild mare of Arabia as an ultimate achievement of nature, a mature and perfect creature with a gentle and intelligent soul that understands its mission as a companion to men. Horses are believed to share the moods of their masters, and to sense their fortunes and adversities.

In ancient times, the 2nd-century Greek poet Oppian spoke highly of Arabian horses, especially for hunting. Fourth-century Roman military commander and historian Ammianus Marcellinus described the Bedouins as riding fast, thin, light-bodied horses. Before the coming of Islam, early Arabian Poets like the 6th-century Prince Imru Al-Qays wrote verses praising the handsome and enduring horses that were essential in war and in peace.

European writers and painters became fascinated by Middle Eastern culture during the Orientalist vogue in the 19th century. They saw the Arabian horse as one of the many exotic attractions of the Islamic world. British writer Lady Anne Blunt and Swiss explorer J. L. Burckhardt were among the foreign travelers who spent years studying the history and origins of the magnificent animals. In the Arabian horse’s bloodlines, there are as many as a thousand strains and substrains, of which the Al-Khamsa, the Classic “Five”, are considered the most beautiful.The beauty and history of the Arabian horse, and its representation in Eastern and Western art, is the subject of a current exhibit at the Arab World Institute in Paris. The institute has gathered a collection of precious objects from prestigious European, American, and North African museums to present the most complete exploration of this theme ever seen in the West. The exhibit, “Arab Horses and Horsemen”, is in five parts.

Art objects from a variety of Islamic countries show the sources of Islamic equestrian culture. Another section traces the development of “furusiya”, an untranslatable Arabic word embracing the art of riding, the care of horses, and the traditions and lore of the horseman. A third part shows the horse as a symbol of power, proud companion in royal pursuits such as hunting and polo. A literary section highlights the presence of the horse in religious and secular writings, from verses of the Qur’an to the Persian epics of Shah Nameh. The exhibition closes with a look at the equestrian theme in the works of 19th-century painters. The exhibit takes a wide view, with objects ranging from Assyrian bas-reliefs from 700 B.C., to paintings only a century old. The works are Turco-Mongol, Persian, Mesopotamian, Bedouin, North African, and European. Styles vary from the practical - harnesses, saddles - to the theoretical - a priceless 14th-century treatise, “The Book of Nassir”, one of the most complete works on horses and horsemanship ever written, composed for Al-Nassir Muhammad, a Mamluk sultan in Cairo. There are fascinating archeological finds from the Arabian Peninsula, Roman frescos and mosaics, and the funerary monument of an ancient Numidian horseman. Sumptuous, richly-illuminated manuscripts show the accoutrements of horses and horsemen in days past, and emphasize the Arabian horse’s role as a symbol of temporal power.

The excellent documentation prepared for the exhibit by a team of distinguished researchers expands on related subjects, such as the intersection of historical events with the growth and exchange of equestrian culture. The Crusades, a violent but fertile period in so many domains, brought European horsemen face-to-face with their Arab and Turkish counterparts. The surprise, fear, admiration, and curiosity felt by the medieval combatants toward traditions so different from their own survive intact in manuscripts and chronicles of the period.

Closer to our time, it was during the Battle of the Pyramids with the Mamluk army in Egypt that Napoleon Bonaparte became fascinated by Arabian horses, and began spreading his enthusiasm to his fellow Europeans. A superb Mamluk saddle taken from the battlefield and offered to the French general by his troops is featured in this exhibit. The saddle became one of Napoleon’s most highly prized possessions, and it is a perfect example of the historical legacy left by the Arabian equestrian tradition to the rest of the world.The exhibit continues at the Arab World Institute in Paris through March 2003. For more information: .