Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art is one of the most loved buildings in Qatar. The best way to describe the building is to imagine five boxes—one per each floor—stacked up in different directions, but such description would not do it justice, for the building is a true gem of Ancient Arab-meets-Modern Architecture. The entry is free, there are world-class exhibits year round, a library with a children’s corner, weekend arts and crafts bazaar, an upscale gift-shop with affordable souvenirs, vast green grounds for everyone to enjoy, a terrace with giant arches from which camera lenses capture the beauty of the corniche and dhow harbor, an exclusive restaurant where you pay dearly for each glass of water, a 140-ft window giving spectacular panoramic views of the bay, and a mind boggling atrium with an ornate circular chandelier floating above a curved double staircase.

Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art is a compelling collection of calligraphy, art, science and decoration from the Muslim world, all housed in a building as striking as it is.

An amazing exhibit in Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art displays the art of science. These quadrants were used for studying the skies and for geometric calculations of all types, and a companion exhibit shows the how the science of the Islamic world affected Europe.

Before my trip to Qatar last month, I searched online for photos of various sights there. Time after time, I saw stunning photos of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, so I put it on my must list. My hosts in Qatar were way ahead of me, however, having already scheduled a visit for me the day before the conference I was attending. The exterior of the museum is stunning, especially at night, and the interior is equally as impressive. Designed by the French architects Wilmotte & Associates, the atrium spans four floors and is lit almost entirely by the giant windows overlooking the bay. I hear that the atrium is a different kind of beautiful at various times of the day as the light changes. It was certainly impressive in the late afternoon! The museum’s collection is impressive, with paintings, sculptures, tapestries, calligraphy, and scientific instruments from across the Islamic world. After spending most of my allotted time taking photos in the atrium, I sped through the rest of the museum. I could have used another couple of hours to take it all in!

The exterior of the Islamic Museum of Art in Doha, Qatar, was designed by the legendary I. M. Pei. He was 91 when he designed it; they basically had to drag him out of retirement to do it! He didn’t want other buildings to crowd his work, so the museum was built several hundred feet out on the water. I was impressed by this until I learned that most of Doha is built on land reclaimed from the bay! The museum’s exterior is stunning, particularly at night. In this shot, you can see the silhouette of a dhow, the traditional Qatari sailing vessel. Thanks to my new friend Joseph, who works in Qatar and is quite the photographer, for showing me this view!