Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art Set to Reopen in October
The reimagined institution will feature nearly 1,000 newly acquired artifacts just in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha.
Qatar Museums announced today that the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is set to reopen on October 5 after a number of facility enhancements and a restructuring to its permanent collection.
In addition to nearly 1,000 newly acquired works on display, MIA will exhibit Baghdad: Eye’s Delight — a look at Iraq’s cultural history as one of the most important cities in the Islamic world, with a special emphasis on the Abassid caliphs (750-1258 CE) and its legacy in the 20th century, when the city again became a thriving center for the arts, culture, and commerce.
“The opening of the Museum of Islamic Art was a transformational moment for Qatar, marking the nation’s emergence as a new global cultural destination and paving the way for establishing other major museums and cultural institutions in the region,” said H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani in a statement. “We are excited for locals to have a chance to rediscover the museum, and we invite visitors who are coming to attend World Cup matches to experience this foremost expression of our heritage and culture.”
Designed by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, the first floor of the reimagined MIA building will be dedicated to the story of the museum itself. Subsequent floors will feature the institution’s greatest artifacts — from the Blue Qur’an to the Franchetti tapestry — along with historical tours on how the Islamic World spread throughout the Middle East and the Western world.
MIA will reopen on October 5, a month before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. Baghdad: Eye’s Delight will open shortly after on October 26 and run through February 25, 2023.
Elsewhere in art, W1 Curates presents VOICE GEMS: 1000 YEAR ARCHIVE.
Museum of Islamic Art
7GWQ+6M7
Doha, Qatar
