Introduction

Welcome to this digital exhibition exploring Farid ud-Din Attar’s ‘The Conference of the Birds’ and the role of metaphysical spaces in the text. This exhibit will map the Parable of Sheikh San’an in love where San’an is awoken each night by a disturbing dream which sets him on his journey from Mecca to Rum (referred to in this exhibit as Constantinople in order to accurately define its geographic location (footnote 5 of the Norton text)). As you interact with the Digital Map presentation, each point of interest on the map reflects a moment in the story where metaphysical spaces are used to shape the narrative. The purpose of this exhibit is to explore the use of these spaces in order to shape or expand the spiritual purpose of the narrative. 

As we follow the journey of Sheikh San’an on his travels from Mecca to Constantinople, we invite you to reflect on the nature of the spiritual experiences that occur from the beginning to the end of his journey. Spiritual experience is central to the narrative in Attar’s work, beginning the Parable with a frightening dream San’an has night after night until he realises that the dream is a prophecy of a grave strait he is to encounter on his journey on the Path (Norton, 369). The Path refers to the journey the Sheikh takes throughout his existence towards the ‘throne of the Almighty’, yearning to reach the Divine Truth of God’s existence in his after life (Norton, 370). Remaining on the Path is the way towards the higher truth that can only be found through remaining consistently on the road till the very end. As Attar expresses: ‘if he or she falls behind, the road will stretch out even longer than before’ (Norton, 370). The Parable of the Sheikh is an allegorical representation of the trials and tribulations that occur on the Path and, through mapping this story, this exhibit presents the imagery of a bridge between two places as a representation of how metaphysical spaces can guide our faith. 

Metaphysical Space is the term used to describe the creation or inclusion of spaces that transcend physical existence but act as bridges that lie between our physical reality and our unapparent reality. Our physical reality is what we can perceive through our senses around us such as objects, settings and lived experiences. But our unapparent realities are those which manifest within us without physical bearings such as dreams and other spiritual experiences. Attar was one of the most well known proponents of the ideology of Sufism in Islam during his time and went on to shape many aspects of how the philosophy broadened our understanding of Islam through his poetry (Heck, 2006). As a mystic poet, his work employs the use of literary techniques to evoke experiences with unapparent realities for the characters, such as those with dreams and communicating with divine entities through prayer (Heck, 2006). This is evermore apparent in his work with The Parable of Sheikh San’an, which mirrors the higher truth Attar aims to share with his readers of belief, trust and faith in the Divine. As we explore the use of the literary techniques, the Digital Mapping of the Parable creates a visual representation of the bridge that rests between these realities and why the imagery of the bridge can help us better understand the role of the Path in Islam which Attar describes. 

This exhibition includes three sections and a collection of medieval items as featured or reflected in the text in order to illustrate the use of metaphysical spaces. To navigate the exhibition, please use the toggle bar on the left to explore each section. The interactive map is attached in the Digital Map section and all works cited have been included at the very end.