Pleasure derived from seeing, touching, and using beautiful things is an integral part of the culture of the Islamic world. Drawing upon her vast experience as one of the world’s leading scholars of Islamic art, Doris Abouseif sheds light on the importance of beauty in everything seen or touched, on the poetry especially composed to express wonder at experiencing beautiful things, or to enable beautiful objects to describe themselves, and on the pleasures obtained by being in the presence of beauty.

Revealing everyday objects, ancient monuments, new buildings, and diplomatic gifts, this talk will reveal the little known importance of beauty as a source of pleasure in the Islamic world.