While on a recent trip to Oahu, I took a break from soaking up the sun to visit the incredible Shangri La Museum/Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art located in Honolulu, Hawai’i.  Arriving at a new place is a moment I love most about travel, as I literally had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even go online first to check it out because I wanted to be surprised.  I wasn’t just surprised, I was blown away by the beauty of this museum:  the exquisite art, the meticulous architecture and the breathtaking setting, perched on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean.

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Our Tour Begins

Our tour of the Shangri La Oahu started at the Honolulu Museum of Art, where a small group gathered and took a shuttle bus to the site, a short 15 minute drive.  When we got off the bus, we were separated into two groups and assigned a tour guide. Next, our guide explained that there are several distinct elements of Islamic art: calligraphy (much of it from the Koran), geometric designs and arabesque, an elaborate design of intertwined floral designs.

History

The Shangri La is the former home of heiress Doris Duke (1912-1993).  At only 22, she married businessman James Cromwell and they went on a world tour for their honeymoon. During her time in the Middle East, she fell in love with Islamic art.  On their return voyage, they stopped in Hawai’i where the couple fell in love with the islands. Shangri La Oahu is the home she built to house and showcase all of the incredible Islamic art she would collect over her lifetime. 

According to the Shangri La website, Islamic Art “generally refers to arts that are products of the Muslim world, diverse cultures that historically extended from Spain to Southeast Asia. Beginning with the life of the Prophet Muhammad and continuing to the present day, Islamic art has both a wide historical range and broad geographical spread, including North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and part of South and Southeast Asia as well as eastern and sub-Saharan Africa.”

What’s Inside?

Shangri La houses approximately 2,500 objects acquired over a 60-year period from Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Central Asia, India and parts of Southeast Asia.  Some of the objects include ceramics, metalwork, wood, glass, textiles, art, books, medieval Persian tile work and elaborate painted interiors from 18^th and 19^th century Damascus.  Many of these works were built into the actual building, including ornately carved ceilings, doors, ceramic tile ensembles, marble columns and fireplaces. In addition to the built-in pieces, there are furnishings including hanging and standing lamps, embroideries, pearl-inlaid chests, small vessels and pottery.

Brought Together by Doris Duke

Finally, other elements recreate the traditional Islamic architectural elements such as courtyards, arcades, porches and allées. Some of these architectural forms were not so much Islamic architecture precisely but rather an interpretation by Ms. Duke, her architects and Hawaiian craftsmen.  In a Town & Country article in 1947 titled “My Honolulu Home”, Ms. Duke wrote, “Shangri La… isn’t the product of any one person, but of a number of architects and decorators from all over the world, finally put together by me.”

Architect Marion Sims Wyeth and supervising architect H. Drewry Baker were the primary designers of the 4.9 acre property and its three buildings. Designers and artisans from India, Iran, Syria, Morocco and Hawai’i created work that added to Shangri La’s beauty.

The front of the house is understated and elegant and gave barely a hint of what we would see inside.

However, as I stepped into the foyer, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the interiors. Surrounding the foyer is Moroccan colored glass casting an elegant glow onto the sandstone floors made from ocean coral. 

Indian Influences in the Lavish Bedroom

During the honeymoon trip of 1935, Doris Duke saw the Taj Mahal and other monuments of Mughal architecture in India. She was so inspired by this experience that she commissioned Francis B. Blomfield to design a marble bedroom and bathroom suite that was eventually to become part of the not-yet-designed Shangri La Oahu. The original drawings for the design are hanging in the marble bedroom today.

The marble panels and screens with inlaid stonework, jalis (perforated screens) and other marble features are based on the Taj Mahal and other Mughal buildings in Delhi and Agra. The types of flowers, the ways they are depicted and the methods used to make the panels are historically significant.  In India, this type of decoration is immense and extravagant, intended to amaze visitors to the royal Mughal court.  At Shangri La, the decoration is muted and peaceful, since this was Ms. Duke’s private space.  The work was done in India by the Indian Marble Works in Agra and then shipped to Honolulu. Here we see the first example of Ms. Duke finding designers and master craftsmen in the country of origin to commission new work, inspired by historical buildings and monuments in Muslim countries.  Then, local craftsmen in Hawai’i had to carefully install the pieces.

Middle Eastern Influences

In 1938, Duke and her husband traveled to Iran.  Then, with the help of art dealers, art advisors, researchers and archeologists, they would visit and record historical monuments.  This team of experts would also help facilitate the commissioning of ceramic tiles to decorate Shangri La’s interiors and exteriors. The most impressive example is the breathtaking mosaic tile panel on the south wall of the central courtyard, made by an Isfahani workshop and patterned after one at the Shah Mosque.  It is immense, with vibrant colors, intricate patterns and over 15,000 pieces.

The masterpiece of the collection is the stunning thirteenth-century lusterware mihrab from Veramin, Iran.

Moroccan Influences in the Shangri La

Moroccan influences are an important part of Shangri La as well.  In 1937, while construction of Shangri La had already begun, Doris Duke and her husband traveled to Morocco. Photographs and film footage show that they loved the traditional architecture with its white facades and tile work.  They commissioned a Moroccan firm to create custom architectural and decorative features.  The same firm drew a scheme for the living room which included a sumptuous carved and painted ceiling, plaster frieze, built in divans and book shelves.

The dining room was truly unique as it is styled to look like an actual Islamic-inspired tent. 

She transformed a former billiard room and office into a late-Ottoman Syrian painted interior.

Shangri La Oahu: Gorgeous, Natural Setting

Outside, the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and the Middle Eastern inspired gardens are stunning. Across the lawn is the “Playhouse”, separated from the main house by a swimming pool, white marble steps and tropical landscaping.

In the 1930’s, she created an allée inspired by Indian Mughal Gardens.

Shangri La Oahu: Conclusion

Shangri La puts Islamic Art into a wonderful context. Doris Duke’s travels through the Middle East and other parts of the Islamic world shaped her view of the art and architecture of the region, which she then incorporated into the design of her own home. At first, she collected in order to create a home that represented her travels. Over time, though, Ms. Duke became a serious patron of these arts where she relied on the help of international advisors and art dealers. Finally, Duke acquired enough of her own expertise that she was able to curate her own museum, surrounding herself with these artifacts and creating an incredible blend of museum and residence. 

In 1965, Duke amended her will and founded the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art to own and manage the property with the express purpose “to promote the study and understanding of Middle Eastern Art and Culture.”

My tour of Shangri La Oahu was an exceptional and unforgettable experience where I was introduced to the world of Islamic art and architecture through the lens of Doris Duke and her foundation.

Are you interested in more information about the Shangri La, Oahu? Check out my pick for a curated look inside Doris Duke’s magnificent home:

Are you looking for more fun things to do on Oahu, Hawai’i? Then check out Get Your Guide , which has lots of fun tours and activities.

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