Qatar Edition
World Borrowed Tool Day leads today's complete edition for Qatar.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
A day for the neighborly economy of ladders, pans, cords, books, advice, and returning things better than you found them.
The Bengal Subah is the richest province of the Mughal Empire. The muslin of Dhaka is so fine that the British will call it woven wind. The rice paddies feed millions. The rivers are highways. The Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British are all trading in Hughli and the wealth is extraordinary.
Marking the opening of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in 2008, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei. The museum stands on its own artificial island at the southern end of the Corniche, a geometric fortress of limestone that evokes both Islamic architecture and modern minimalism. The MIA houses one of the world's finest collections of Islamic art, spanning 1,400 years and three continents: calligraphy, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, glass, and manuscripts. Highlights include a 9th-century Baghdad ceramic bowl, a 14th-century Mamluk carpet, and an entire Ottoman reception room. The museum's park stretches along the waterfront, with sculptures by Richard Serra and other international artists. On this anniversary day, admission is free, and curators give special tours highlighting recent acquisitions.