Adventures at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Museum of Islamic Art,

Doha

Get Your Admission Tickets to the Museum of Islamic Art Here

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is unmissable. It is a striking monument that sits on its own island along the Corniche. The walk up to MIA is lined with palm trees and absolutely beautiful. The drop off area is located within the museum grounds but is not directly at the main museum entrance, so your view of the MIA is unblocked.

Entrance of the Museum of Islamic Art

This museum was designed by I.M. PEI and has a gorgeous geometric silhouette decked in cream coloured limestone which is such a compliment to the Doha city landscape. The building looks almost fortress like from the outside, but once you enter, you see a massive 45 metre tall panel of glass, which overlooks the Gulf. The juxtapose is evident and whilst the exterior remains intimidating, the interior is inviting.

There is more architectural beauty! Many times when we visit famous museums around the world, it is so crowded that it is difficult to just stand at admire the architecture and the thought that had gone into constructing this space. I love that in Doha, it is so easy to do so. Where ever we went, there was so much space and there were no throngs of tourists trying to be the next influencer and tour groups and just general noise. So let's just say, we really enjoyed spending the time walking around and admiring the little pieces that bring this space together.

The interiors of the museum is extremely bright and has a soft glow from both the lighting as well as the sun shining through from the glass panels. A curved double staircase sweeps up the middle of the museum and as you walk up the stairs, you can see the geometric motifs which is similar to the exteriors of the museum and also a hallmark of islamic art.

The double staircase centerpiece is crowned with a circular metal chandelier

The museum itself has galleries that are spilt across 5 floors. There is diversity in the galleries and easy for someone who doesn't have too much knowledge of Islam to appreciate. We particularly enjoyed the Damascus Room, which is a 19th century reception room that originates from Damascus, Syria that had been assembled in the museum. This traditional Syrian reception chamber, also known as a qa'a is meant to impress guests and serve as a vibrant social space within affluent homes. The decoration is ornate, the woodwork is exquisite and it is so easy to appreciate the space and immerse ourselves in what would have been the daily lives of the affluent at the time.

The Damascus Room - Qa'a

Another piece that was stood out was the Golden Spider Silk exhibit. This extraordinary display features a textile that had been woven from the silk of golden orb spiders. Spider silk is a rarity because of how labour intensive the process of harvesting spider silk is. It starts with collection golden orb weaver spiders and drawing their silk from the spiders spinnerets. Each spider can produce between 30-80 meters of silk per session. After which, they are released back into the wild. To create just one gram of silk, up to 1000 spiders are needed.

This exhibition is perhaps the only examples of golden spider silk textiles in existence. No dying is required as the silk from these spiders have a natural golden hue. There are several exhibits, but this textile was something we couldn't take our eyes off:

When you are done with the galleries, remember to drop by the open space outside of the museum. The MIA Park is right next to the museum which is perfect for picnics (when the weather is cool enough) as you look at a panoramic view of Doha's modern skyline.

The gift shop at the Museum of Islamic Art was also worth mentioning. It was extremely special and well curated. We saw many designer products including homewares from L'objet as well as handmade artisan products with historical Islamic designs.

Accessibility

The museum is easily accessible via taxi. We took the train and did a 15 min walk. It was not very far but in the heat of Doha, I would not recommend it. Alternative options are to catch the free shuttle buses available between the galleries and major museums of Qatar. My advise would be to check in with your hotel or the first attraction you go to (either MIA or National Museum, Arab Museum of Modern Art) to check out schedules and availability on the day.

Overall

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is an architectural beauty and also houses multiple galleries that are thoughtfully laid out and easy to explore. The flow is intuitive and allows visitors to easily move from one exhibit to the next without ever feeling overwhelmed.

Would We Recommend?

Definitely yes! I think the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha gave us a very nice overview of the history of Islam, bringing together pieces that showcases creativity, diversity and cultural achievement. As someone who does not know too much about Islam, I thought it gave me the ability to appreciate the culture and the beliefs in a manner that was easy to appreciate.

Get Your Admission Tickets to the Museum of Islamic Art Here

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