Museum of Islamic Art (MIA)

Nestled in the historic Cairene neighborhood of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar, the Museum of Islamic Art, housed in a geometric building by renowned architect I.M. Pei, is one of the world’s largest museums specializing in Islamic art. Opened in 2008, it holds more than 100,000 artefacts, including both decorative and practical objects made from metal, wood, plaster, glass, porcelain, ivory and textiles, that cover many different periods of Islamic history, from the 7th-century Umayyad dynasty to the 19th-century Ottoman Empire. The museum also has a rich collection of manuscripts and artifacts associated with medicine, horticulture and astronomy — fields that scholars of the Islamic Golden Age (9th to 13th centuries) excelled in. Other highlights include rare manuscripts of the Quran with decorated borders in gold and silver ink and an intricate marble mosaic fountain dating to the Mamluk period (14th to 15th centuries). This rich collection is presented through a changing program of exhibitions that showcases the heritage of Islamic cultures across the globe.

^{Photo: Detailed view of MIA Damascus Room. Photo © Museum of Islamic Art, Doha.}