Islamic art museums & galleries, were created across the world to house magnificent collections of Islamic heritage. These provide creative inspiration for artists today.
To celebrate #MuseumWeek here are 22 global Islamic art museums & collections #CreatorsMW
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1/ The Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic world, The British Museum, London
The collection comprises broad & diverse material culture produced from the 7th century to the present day in the Islamic world, stretching from West Africa to Southeast Asia. Mosque lamp, 1549
2/ The Jameel Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum, London
The V&A holds over 19,000 items from the Middle East & North Africa, ranging from the early Islamic period (the 7th century) to the early 20th century. It features the Ardabil Carpet - the world's oldest dated carpet.
3/ Islamic galleries, LACMA, Los Angeles
The collection consists of over 1,700 works, of which some 150 examples are on view. Particular strengths of the collection are glazed pottery & tiles from Iran & Turkey; glass from the late 7th to the mid 13th century; & manuscripts
4/ The Arts of the Islamic World galleries, Brooklyn Museum, New York
Currently closed for renovation. The collections span a wide geographic area, including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, and Central Asia. Portrait of Fath 'Ali Shah, Qajar, 1815
5/ Islamic Art at the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
The collection includes a variety of objects in various mediathat span a millennium of time and represent different cultures across the Islamic world. A Game of Polo, featuring Prince Salim,1602, Mughal Pre-Partition India.
6/ The Islamic Middle East Gallery, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
The Sultan Abdul Aziz al-Saud Gallery exhibits Islamic artefacts spanning a period of more than 1,000 years. They come from as far west as Southern Spain & as far east as Central Asia. Iznik Tiles, Syria, 17th c.
7/ Arts of the Islamic World Collection at The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
The Freer and Sackler together hold one of the country’s finest collections of the arts of the Islamic world, with strengths in illustrated manuscripts & ceramics amongst over 2,200 objects
8/ Islamic Art Collection at The Metropolitan Museum, New York
The collection dates from the 7th to 21st century. Its more than 15,000 objects reflect the great diversity & range of the cultural traditions of Islam, with works from Spain & Morocco to Central Asia & Indonesia
9/ The Keir Collection of Islamic Art Gallery, Dallas Museum of Art
A private collection of Islamic art currently on long-term loan to the museum. The gallery is regularly reinstalled with new, exhibitions of manuscripts, paintings, and textile
10/ History of Science Museum, Oxford
The museum holds a collection of early astronomical & mathematical instruments from Europe & the Islamic world, & an exceptionally rich set of microscopes, as well as manuscripts, early printed works, early photographs & portraits
11/ Art from Islamic Lands, The Cleveland Museum of Art
Most of the artworks were made in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, & Turkey during the 8th -17th centuries in ceramic, metalwork, glass, on parchment & paper. The strongest holdings are in miniature paintings & textiles
12/ The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Egypt
Houses one of the oldest & largest Islamic art collections in the world, with over 100,000 artefacts. The collection includes rare manuscripts of the Quran & conducts its own archaeological excavations.
13/ Aga Khan Museum, Toronto
Exhibits & collects art from historically significant Muslim civilizations as well as contemporary Muslim communities & diasporas around the world. A notable object is the earliest known manuscript of Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine from 1052 CE
14/Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE
Modern & ancient art is showcased here, from Ai WeiWei’s 2016 sparkling “Fountain of Light” to 9th-century Quran manuscripts pictured. The collection features works on Islamic art, exploration & science such as Ibn Battuta's 18th-century brass astrolabe
15/ Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpur
The largest Islamic art museum in Southeast Asia, its collection is home to over 7,000 artefacts displayed throughout 12 galleries. As a Malaysian museum, the collection also boasts a wide range of Muslim Chinese and Malay historical pieces
16/ The Benaki Museum of Islamic Art, Greece
Opened in 2004 to house the collection formed by Antoni Benaki during early 20th century, while he was living in Egypt. Enriched by other donations it contains 10,000 objects from the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, North Africa & India
17/ The Islamic Museum of Australia
A not-for profit foundation founded in 2010, the first of its kind in Australia showcasing a diverse range of Islamic arts. It aims to preserve the rich heritage that Islamic societies have brought to the world & more importantly Australia
18/ The Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin
Founded in 1904, it belongs to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz. The collection spans across various regions & houses around 100,000 historical objects. As many as 1 million people visit annually
19/ Museums of Makkah, Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage lists a variety of smaller museums found around the Holy Cities & encourages Muslims to visit these when they come for Umrah or Hajj. The Al-Haramain Museum & The Makkah Museum are must-see
20/ Shangri La, Honolulu
Founded by philanthropist Doris Duke (1912-1993), the museum houses her impressive collection of nearly 4,500 Islamic artworks, cultural resources & architectural designs through commissions from artisans, purchases from dealers & bazaars, or as gifts
21/ Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, UAE
The museum has over 5000 artefacts in its collection & displays thousands of these unique objects, which highlight the great Islamic Civilization from the first century AH (7 AD) to the fourteenth century AH (20 AD).
22/ Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar
The museum represents Islamic art from three continents over 1,400 years. Its collection includes metal work, ceramics, jewelry, wood work, textiles, and glass obtained from three continents and dating from the 7th to the 20th century
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