Museum of Islamic Art

Museum of Islamic Art (Doha) is a purpose-built museum on Doha’s Corniche, designed by I.M. Pei and opened in 2008 to display Islamic art from across the world. The building occupies a prominent waterfront site and is noted for its geometric volumes and central atrium.

Galleries contain objects ranging from ceramics and metalwork to textiles and manuscripts that illustrate developments across more than a thousand years of Islamic art. The site also includes a waterfront plaza and MIA Park, which provide views of the Doha skyline and outdoor event space.

The museum was commissioned by the Qatari authorities to assemble, conserve and display Islamic art for public access; the building and its galleries were created specifically for that purpose and opened in 2008. Since opening it has hosted temporary exhibitions, educational programmes and research activities.

The museum stands on a man-made peninsula on the Corniche, within central Doha and immediately visible from the waterfront promenade; it is a short drive from Doha’s main commercial districts and other cultural sites.

• Architect and opening: Designed by architect I.M. Pei and opened to the public in 2008, the building sits on a man-made peninsula on Doha's Corniche.
• Collection scope: The collection spans more than a millennium of material culture from across the Islamic world, with strengths in ceramics, metalwork and manuscripts.

What to See #

• Exhibition galleries: Permanent and temporary exhibition spaces that present material culture from across the Islamic world, arranged chronologically and by object type.
• MIA Park: Waterfront park and landscaped open space adjacent to the museum building, used for outdoor events, promenading and skyline views of Doha.
• Education and research facilities: Facilities for study and public programming including education rooms, a reference library and visitor services.