Museum of Islamic Art
Overview
Opened in 2008, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is part of a chain of expansive museums in Qatar. The MIA is unique in that it represents Islamic art from three continents over 1,400 years. The MIA is the flagship museum and similar to its sister institutions, it is chaired by Sheikha Al Mayassa. The museum building has rapidly become an iconic feature of the Doha landscape. Standing alone on reclaimed land, the building draws much influence from ancient Islamic architecture, notably the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo and was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei.
The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) houses one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic Art in the world. Drawn from three continents it includes masterpieces from around the world, all representing the diversity found in Islamic heritage. Some objects are religious by nature, while others are brought from treasures found, curated, and donated from across the Islamic world, and some objects come from the houses of former princes to the homes of ordinary people. Each object tells a story and opens up a window of history behind it.
MIA engages with all communities through exhibitions, lectures, events ,and workshops to foster an appreciation of this heritage.