From Nefertiti to the Aleppo Room: a curator’s favourite things

What does a curator do when her museum is closed for years of renovation work? Which work would you take home with you if you were allowed to? Dr Deniz Erduman-Çalış is a curator at the Museum for Islamic Art, which is currently being renovated and scheduled to reopen in 2027. She answers questions put to her by deutschland.de.  

Which in your opinion is the most precious work on Museum Island?
For me, Nefertiti is the most outstanding work on the whole Museum Island. Time and again I find myself standing in front of her, fascinated by how such artistic perfection could be achieved over 3,000 years ago. 

If you could spend a weekend on Museum Island, entirely alone, …
...I would go into the repositories and - wearing gloves - would scrutinise all the objects that are not normally on show. 

Which is the most underrated artwork on Museum Island?
The Mschatta Facade: this facade of a palace dating back to the middle of the eight century is the centrepiece of the Museum for Islamic Art. The facade, which came from Jordan to Berlin as a gift from the Ottoman sultan to the German emperor in 1903, was the reason why the Museum for Islamic Art was created and is the largest piece of Islamic art in any museum. And yet it is a monument that hardly anyone even knows. In the old exhibition, a truncated form of the facade was exhibited in the furthest back room of Level 30 and therefore did not attract the attention it deserves. This will change in the new permanent exhibition. Freshly cleaned and restored, it will then appear in all its glory - full length on the museum’s main tour circuit. 

Which is your favourite place off the beaten track?
The Aleppo Room in the Pergamon Museum. It will be on show on Level 30 when the museum reopens. Though not completely off the beaten track, it is somewhat hidden away in a side room. And it is definitely well worth a visit. In future, the wall panelling from the early 17th century, which is in the process of being extensively restored, will be showcased even more beautifully to closely resemble the way it would originally have looked in Wakil House in Aleppo. The room is currently being set up and already looks fantastic. 

What is the strangest question a visitor has ever asked you? 
“What do you actually do while the Pergamon Museum is closed - aren’t you bored?” Apparently it’s difficult for people to imagine how much work it takes to plan, curate and stage a permanent exhibition, and how many people are involved in the preparations for how long. 

Which exhibit would you never want to give to another museum on loan? 
The Alhambra Cupola. It will also be exhibited in a wonderful setting in the new permanent exhibition from 2027. The Alhambra and the cupola from the Torre de las Damas will be presented as a multisensory experience: visitors will be able to see, smell and hear the Alhambra. It would be a terrible shame to miss out on this unique experience. And obviously we would not wish to have this sensitive wooden artwork from the early 14th century transported around the world for conservation reasons, either. 

Which exhibit would you take home with you if you were allowed to? 
I am a big fan of Ottoman tiles from Iznik. I could well imagine having our tiled arch from circa 1570 above my desk as a source of inspiration; I would derive constant pleasure from the expert underglaze painting and well balanced design. 

What has been your best Museum Island moment to date? 
The opening of the exhibition “Embroidered Gardens. Ottoman Textiles from the Borg Collection” that we celebrated in December 2022 by staging a concert in front of the Ishtar Gate. That was something really special.