Museum of Islamic Art
متحف الفن الإسلامي
I. M. Pei's late-career masterpiece, set on an artificial island in the sea, housing Islamic art treasures spanning three continents and 1,400 years.
The Museum of Islamic Art opened in 2008. It was designed by I. M. Pei when he was 91. After touring the Islamic world, he drew inspiration from the ablution fountain of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo, and used receding stacked geometric volumes to create a simple and dignified exterior. The white limestone changes colour over time under the sun. The building sits on an artificial island in Doha Bay. Inside, the central atrium has a floor-to-ceiling glass wall rising up to 45 m, facing the skyscrapers of West Bay. The collection includes ceramics, metalware, glass, jewellery, textiles, calligraphic manuscripts and carpets, spanning the 7th to 19th centuries and from Spain to Central Asia and India. It includes Iranian and Turkish ceramics influenced by Chinese porcelain, which are well worth comparing. Admission for non-residents is about QAR 50 (check the official website). The MIA Park outside runs along the shore and is the best place to photograph the skyline, and winter weekends bring markets. Getting there: about a 15-minute walk from Corniche station on the Red Line metro, or about a 15-minute walk from the Souq Waqif old market.
Opening hours
Sat–Thu 9:00am–7:00pm; Fri 1:30–7:00pm (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Souq Waqif
- Doha Corniche
- National Museum of Qatar
- Old Doha Port & Mina District
- Msheireb Downtown Doha & Msheireb Museums
- Al Bidda Park
- Fire Station: Artist in Residence
- Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque (State Grand Mosque)