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Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo
museum of islamic art in cairo | Egypt Tour Packages
Cairo Islamic Museum
This museum, located in Islamic Cairo, has an exceptional collection of Islamic art and is considered one of the most well-curated museums in Egypt and the entire Middle East. Although it only displays a small portion of its 80,000 objects, the chosen items are truly remarkable. Unfortunately, the museum suffered significant damage in January 2014 due to a car-bomb attack on the nearby police headquarters. However, after undergoing extensive renovations, it was able to reopen its doors in early 2017.
Islamic Art Museum in Cairo
Upon entering, you will notice various architectural details to the right. These include frescoes, intricately carved plaster resembling lace, and a beautifully crafted inlaid-wood ceiling. Additionally, ceramics are displayed in groups according to their respective dynasties. Surprisingly, there is a significant amount of figurative artwork on exhibit, not all of which strictly adheres to Islamic themes. For instance, a fragment of an Ayyubid bowl depicts Mary holding a crucified Christ. On the left side, the pieces are organized based on their function and medium. Here, you will find medical tools, astrolabes, stunning carpets, illuminated Qurans, and even headstones.
Islamic Art in Cairo
There are numerous stunning artifacts in the museum, labeled in Arabic, English, and occasionally French. In the courtyard, you can find a fountain from the 19th century that was originally located in the Monasterli Palace on Roda Island. The museum is not often crowded as most tourists prefer the pharaonic museums. If you need a break, there is a cafeteria available on the premises. Some treasures originate from the ancient sites of Babylon and el-Fustat, which were the earliest towns in the Cairo city area. Wooden panels from the Fatimid Caliph's palace in Fustat depict scenes of life in the royal court, along with fresco paintings and carpet fragments.
Museum of Islamic art Cairo photos
Museum Holdings:
The museum has over 100,000 masterpieces spanning 12 centuries of the Hijri calendar. It also has a library on the upper floor with a collection of rare books and manuscripts in ancient oriental languages like Persian and Turkish, as well as modern European languages like English, French, German, and Italian. The library holds more than 13,000 books on Islamic and historical antiquities.
Museum of Islamic art Cairo
The museum's modern display of collectibles is split into two sections. The first section showcases Islamic art in Egypt and occupies the northern wing. The second section is dedicated to artifacts representing the history of Islamic art in Anatolia, Spain, and Andalusia. To preserve its holdings, the museum utilized modern technology and designed gift halls and a VIP hall in the Islamic style. Among the museum's collections are some of the world's richest, including Iranian and Turkish ceramics, metallic antiques, and rugs. The collection expanded significantly after acquiring a large portion of Dr. Ali Ibrahim's collection in 1949. Since its opening in December 1903, the museum's collection has grown tremendously. It started with around 7,000 artifacts and increased to about 60,000 in 1954. Currently, the collection consists of over 100,000 pieces.
Islamic Art Museum
The museum recently acquired valuable items from women who lived in ancient houses in Cairo. One of these women is Mrs. Zeinat Khatoun. The museum obtained gold and silver coins from her house, as well as a treasure known as the Darb Al-Azazi Treasure. Additionally, the museum displays donations made by Arab and Islamic personalities. All of these treasures are showcased in the museum's new collection. In January 2014, there were bombings that caused damage to the museum. Some valuable artifacts, such as the mihrab of Sayyida Ruqayya, the ewer of Abdul Malik bin Marwan, and the complaints of Sultan Hassan, were unfortunately destroyed.
Islamic Museum in Cairo
How to get there:
To reach the
Huge Islamic art museum with over 100,000 exhibits spanning history in a grand restored building Museum of Islamic Art
, head towards Bab Al-Khalq in Central Cairo. You can find it on the north side of Midan Ahmed Maher. The main entrance is located on Port Said Street (Sharia Burr Said). The museum is open from Saturday to Thursday, from 9.00am to 4.00pm. On Fridays, it is open from 9.30am to 11.00am and 1.30pm to 4.00pm.
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