Museum of Islamic Art
I. M. Pei’s waterfront museum of Islamic art spanning 1,400 years and three continents.
The Museum of Islamic Art stands on an artificial peninsula off the Corniche in Doha, close to the traditional dhow harbour. It was inaugurated on 22 November 2008 and opened to the public in early December that year. Operated by Qatar Museums, it holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in the world, covering some 1,400 years and drawing on works from Spain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, India and Central Asia.
The building was designed by I. M. Pei, who came out of retirement for the commission and travelled widely in the Muslim world to study its architecture. He cited the ablution fountain of the ninth-century Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo as his principal inspiration. The result is a geometric composition of cream limestone volumes rising to a central tower, with a tall atrium lit by a faceted oculus and a vast window overlooking the bay, and a large circular metal chandelier above the main staircase.
The museum reopened on 4 October 2022 after a major refurbishment, with 18 redesigned galleries presenting more than 1,000 objects from the seventh to the twentieth centuries, many of them newly displayed. Alongside the permanent galleries it holds temporary exhibitions, a library and an education centre. The adjacent MIA Park stretches along the waterfront and is home to Richard Serra's steel sculpture 7, as well as cafés and seasonal markets.
Highlights
- Late work by I. M. Pei, inspired by the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo
- Islamic art spanning around 1,400 years and three continents
- Domed atrium with a great window facing the Doha skyline
- Eighteen permanent galleries redesigned for the 2022 reopening
- Waterfront MIA Park with Richard Serra's sculpture 7
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