Dr. Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani | |
---|---|
Born | 1960 Doha, Qatar |
Spouse | Al Anoud bint Khalid al Thani |
Issue | Muhammad, Hamad, Moza, Maryam, Noor, Rawda, Al Jazi, Sara |
Arabic | الشیخ الدکتر حسن بن محمد بن علی آلثانی |
House | |
Father | Sheikh Mohammed bin Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani |
Mother | Sheikha Moza Al Thani |
Religion | Islam |
Occupation | Artist, Statesman |
Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani (born in 1960 in Doha) [1] [2] A prominent member of the Qatari royal family and the grandson of the former Emir of Qatar is a Qatari artist, collector, researcher, and educator in the field of modern art from the Arab world, India, and Asia. His multi-billion dollar art collection is one of the most valuable and extensive in the Middle East. He is Vice Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority, [3] [4] Advisor for Cultural Affairs at Qatar Foundation [5] and founder of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. [6]
In 2013, he was elected Chair of the International Council of Museums Arab Countries Alliance (ICOM-ARAB). [4]
He is the son of Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali Al Thani and grandson of the former ruler of Qatar, the Emir Ali bin Abdulla Al Thani. He is married to Al-Anoud Khalid Al-Thani and is father of eight children.
Sheik Hassan studied "Art of the 20th Century" in a course at Qatar University in the mid-1980s. At that time, there was little information about Arab modern art, and there was not one single institution dedicated to Arab modern art in the whole region of the Middle East and North Africa. [7] He then decided to build his own collection and expand his knowledge of Arab modern art by sponsoring and promoting Arab artists. [8]
In 1986, Sheikh Hassan started his own collection. The first artwork he bought was an upside-down pyramid by a Doha-born painter named Yousef Ahmad. [9] Twenty-six years on, his collection has grown to 6000 artworks worth billions of dollars, acquired mostly from Qatari, Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian and Iraqi artists. Today, his collection covers all phases of modern art in the Middle East from the 1840s to the present. [7]
In 1994, Sheikh Hassan opened a private museum, and started helping and sponsoring artists from the region, especially Iraqis fleeing the Gulf War. [7] In 2004, he offered the entire collection to Qatar Foundation and in 2009, the collection was transferred to Qatar Museums Authority. [8]
In 1997, the Hassan Bin Mohammed Center for Historical Studies was established by Sheikh Hassan. The center provides academic support for historical research and related studies which pertain to the history of Qatar and Arabia. [10] [11] [12] The center's main area is the translation of documents, and in September 2024, it published the third volume of British documents preserved in the Indian Archives. [13] [14]
When he started his collection, Sheikh Hassan's initial plan was to create an institution that would look after his collection and exhibit it to scholars, students and art lovers. [9] In December 2010, his plan materialized with the opening of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the first museum in the region dedicated to Arab modern art. The museum now hosts the full collection of Sheikh Hassan. [7] Hosted in a temporary building, a former school transformed into museum, Mathaf focuses in conservation, research and education around the collection.
Sheikh Hassan is also the president of the Mathaf. [15] [16]
The House of Thani is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Adnanite Banu Tamim tribe. Today Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his mother Moza bint Nassir lead the house.
Abdullah bin Khalid Al Thani is a Qatari statesman and a member of the Qatari royal family. He served as the minister of Islamic affairs from 1992 to 1995 and as the minister of interior from 1995 to 2013.
Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, also known as "The Founder", was the founder of the State of Qatar. He had a total of 56 children, 19 sons and 37 daughters.
Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, also known as Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani or Sheikh Abdullah bin Qassim Al Thani, was the Emir of Qatar. He was born in 1880 in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. He then abdicated in favour of his crown prince and second son, Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, in 1940. Sheikh Hamad died eight years later and Sheikh Abdullah assumed office once again until 1949, when he stepped down from office in favour for his eldest son, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani. Oil was also discovered for the first time during his rule.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani, also known as Mohammed bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir, was the first Hakim (ruler) of the whole Qatari Peninsula, officially being recognized by the British in September 1868 following a meeting with British representative Lewis Pelly. He is known for being the father of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founder of Qatar and who fended off the Ottoman army in the late 19th century.
Saud bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani was a Qatari prince who served as minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage.
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the sister of Qatar's ruling Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and daughter of the country's former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. Al-Mayassa was declared the most influential person in art on Art+Auction's top-10 list and ArtReview's Power 100, and prominently appears on the Time 100, and Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women. She was listed in the 'Top 100 most powerful Arabs' from 2014 to 2017 and 2021 by Gulf Business. Al-Mayassa serves as Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and it was reported by Bloomberg that her annual acquisition budget on behalf of the organization is estimated at $1 billion.
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art is a museum in Doha, Qatar with over 9,000 objects. Established in 2010, it is considered a major cultural attraction in the country.
Qatar Museums was founded in 2005 and is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at the Katara Cultural Village, ALRIWAQ DOHA Exhibition Space, the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, and archaeological projects throughout Qatar, as well as the development of future projects and museums that will highlight its collections across multiple areas of activity including Orientalist art, photography, sports, children's education, and wildlife conservation.
The Qatari-Bahraini War, also known as the Qatari War of Independence, was an armed conflict that took place in 1867 and 1868 in the Persian Gulf. The conflict pitted Bahrain and Abu Dhabi against Qatar. The conflict was the most flagrant violation of the 1835 maritime truce, requiring British intervention. The two emirates agreed to a truce, mediated by the United Kingdom, which led to Britain recognizing the Al-Thani family of Qatar as the semi-independent ruler of Qatar. The conflict resulted in wide-scale destruction in both emirates.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the ministry responsible for the Qatar's foreign relations. It is led by the minister of foreign affairs, currently Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who serves as the nation's principal representative abroad.
The ruling family of Qatar, the House of Thani, is deeply involved in the field of art. For more than two decades, its members have been accumulating numerous pieces of artwork.
Yousef Ahmad is a Qatari artist, art adviser, collector, writer and educator in the field of art. He is a leading figure of Qatar's cultural development and regularly represent his country at international biennials and events. His art work has been displayed internationally.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, known as Moe Al Thani, is a Qatari-Emirati sheikh, philanthropist and sportsman. He is the first Qatari to have climbed Mount Everest and the Seven Summits, the South Pole as well as Ama Dablam and also the president of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.
Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs in Qatar.
The National Museum of Qatar is a national museum in Doha, Qatar. The current building opened to the public on 28 March 2019, replacing the previous building which opened in 1975. The building was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel who was inspired by the desert rose crystal, which is found in Qatar. The museum site includes Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's palace, which is the heart of the Qatari national identity. From 2013 to 2023, the director of the museum was Sheikha Amna. In February 2024, Sheikh Abdulaziz H. Al Thani became director of the museum.
The modern Qatari art movement emerged in the mid-20th century, as a result of the new-found wealth acquired from oil exports and the subsequent modernization of Qatari society. Because of Islam's non-inclusive stance of depictions of sentient beings in visual arts, traditional figurative art historically played an insignificant role in the country's culture. Other visual art forms such as calligraphy, architecture, and textiles were more highly regarded in Qatari tradition.
Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is a privately owned museum located in the municipality of Al-Shahaniya in Qatar. Encompassing an area of 530,000 m2, the three-building museum was opened in 1998 by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani.
Qatari literature traces its origins back to the 19th century. Originally, written poetry was the most common form of expression, but poetry later fell out of favor after Qatar began reaping the profits from oil exports in the mid-20th century and many Qataris abandoned their Bedouin traditions in favor of more urban lifestyles.