This book offers a unique and comprehensive review of leading collectors, patrons and institutions related to the Arab World, Turkey & Iran.

In the Middle East, arts patronage boasts a long and illustrious history. The artistic heritage of the royal and noble families of Persia, Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and the Ottoman Empire is remarkable. No world museum of ancient art is complete without examples of Persian miniatures and carpets, Syrian metalwork, Egyptian lusterware, Mesopotamian figurines, Ottoman silks, Iznik pottery.
The splendid courts of Suleiman the Magnificent and Shah Abbas the Great are no longer, but collecting and patronage in the region today are enjoying a phenomenal rebirth. Aficionados are aware and knowledgeable – with astonishingly diverse collections: contemporary art to Orientalist painting, traditional Islamic miniatures to pottery and earthenware, maps and manuscripts to religious icons, often displayed in new, state-of-the-art museums, private or public, while new foundations further knowledge.
Art & Patronage: The Middle East is the first attempt to capture this rich vitality. Profiling 102 leading collectors, patrons, institutions and foundations, it offers an intimate glimpse of their collections, exploring the inspired motivation and passion that is shaping the new cultural landscape of the Middle East and preserving past glories for future generations.

Art & Patronage: The Middle East demonstrates that creative promotion – through foundations, museums, scholarship, corporate collections – is crucial for society’s cultural renewal.