Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
As people travelled, so did spices, ideas and cultures, with every encounter bringing new possibilities and opportunities for connection, both then and now.
Louvre Abu Dhabi takes visitors on a 1,000-year journey across the Indian Ocean.
The exhibition, “Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean,” runs from October 14, 2026, to February 14, 2027.
Ancient spice routes, star-guided voyages, shipwrecks, and cultural encounters bring centuries of maritime exploration to life.
The exhibition reveals how sailors connected civilisations across Africa, Asia, and beyond, through navigation techniques and maritime treasures.
These journeys serve as a lasting legacy of cultural exchange, discovery and human connection.
On the 1,000 years of maritime trade, the Arabian Peninsula’s contributions, cultural exchange, and the exhibition’s connection between past and present, Aletihad spoke to Dr. Andrea Rózsavölgyi, Senior Curatorial Assistant at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Highlighting the Arabian Peninsula’s role in shaping Indian Ocean trade networks over 1,000 years, Dr. Rózsavölgyi said, “The exhibition highlights the Arabian Peninsula’s contribution to the knowledge, skills and cultural relationships that sustained Indian Ocean exchange.”
She highlighted the navigational expertise of Ibn Majid, whose writings documented how sailors crossed vast waters.
They navigated using the stars and instruments such as the kamal.
“The region’s contribution also emerges through pearl diving, maritime traditions and the circulation of precious materials.”
She noted that Gulf pearls feature in the exhibition’s Mughal jewelled dagger, reflecting the region’s craftsmanship and maritime heritage.
“Two pearls from the excavations of Delma Island dated to 6th and 5th millennia BC from the Historic Environment’s collection of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, are exhibited as well highlighting the region’s rich and ancient heritage.”
Considering how the exhibition presents diverse perspectives through more than 240 objects, Dr. Rózsavölgyi said, “Our starting point is the Indian Ocean itself and the societies connected by it.”
She explained that the exhibition traces maritime networks linking Africa, Arabia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia over centuries, highlighting their connections before European expansion and continuing until the 17th century.
“Hence, the emphasis is not on Europe and their expansion, but on all the involved societies and communities.”
She noted that the journeys of Ibn Majid, Yijing and Vasco da Gama reflect different traditions of knowledge.
Yijing’s seventh-century voyage aboard a Persian ship illustrates the region’s longstanding maritime connections.
“Historical objects provide further perspectives through the craftsmanship, beliefs and practices of the communities that produced and used them.”
Dr. Rózsavölgyi highlighted how maritime trade shaped cultures and societies beyond the exchange of goods.
“Presenting immaterial circulations, the intangible heritage of the Indian Ocean is also one of the themes of the exhibition.”
She explained that navigational knowledge, literature, languages, religions and music travelled across the ocean alongside sailors and cargo.
“Several objects show how maritime exchange influenced artistic expression, religious life and cultural practices.”
She pointed to a sculpture of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara from southern Vietnam, reflecting the spread of Buddhist beliefs and artistic traditions across Asia.
The Kotte casket from Sri Lanka also illustrates cultural exchange, combining Portuguese-inspired design with Sinhalese and European imagery.
“These instruments and their continuing musical traditions demonstrate how the movement of people carried sounds, knowledge and customs that became part of life in other communities.”
She was referring to the qanbus, surnai, and gong, whose journeys reflect the lasting influence of maritime connections on musical traditions.
Dr. Rózsavölgyi also highlighted the connection between maritime history and the Indian Ocean’s living ecosystems, she said, “The ocean’s winds, waters and natural rhythms shaped the journeys explored throughout the exhibition.”
She explained that the exhibition’s final section encourages visitors to reflect on the natural environment that enabled maritime connections and continues to connect communities today.
“Sam Nester’s Below the Line brings this relationship into focus through an immersive sound and video installation drawing on the ecological networks of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf.”
She noted that the installation offers visitors a moment to reflect on their relationship with the ocean and its continuing significance.
“Understanding the ocean’s history can also encourage greater attention to our relationship with it today.”
On how immersive experiences enhance visitors’ understanding of maritime history, Dr. Rózsavölgyi said, “Each element has a clear interpretive purpose, grounded in the exhibition’s historical material.”
She explained that ship models illustrate historic vessels, while navigation experiences demonstrate how sailors used instruments and stars to find their way.
An olfactory table introduces traded materials and scents inspired by historical recipes.
“Historical artefacts, archaeological evidence and written sources remain the foundation of the exhibition, with reconstructions and contemporary artworks serving distinct roles.”
She added that interactive features help visitors experience maritime life and connect historical traditions with everyday life.
“Our aim is to encourage closer looking: to help visitors appreciate an object’s craftsmanship while also understanding the journeys, knowledge and human relationships behind it.”
