Museum of Islamic Art
Doha, Qatar
Opened 22 November 2008

Dedicated to reflecting the full vitality, complexity and diversity of the arts of the Islamic world, the museum will collect, preserve, study and exhibit masterpieces spanning three continents and 13 centuries. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, the 45.000 square-meter Museum defines the cultural vision of the State of Qatar both in the region and across the world, assembling a collection of masterpieces in galleries encircling a soaring, five-storey-high domed atrium.

Illustrating the diversity and creativity of Muslim culture, the museum's permanent display will showcase more than 700 works representing the full scope of Islamic art, encompassing manuscripts, ceramics, metal, glass, ivory, textiles, wood and precious stones, all of superior quality. Objects in the collection come from cultures on three continents, a huge geographical area reaching as far west as Córdoba and as far east as Samarqand, including works from Spain, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, India and Central Asia.