Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo Egypt

Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo

The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Egypt is considered one of the greatest museums in the world, with its exceptional collection of rare woodwork and plaster artefacts, as well as metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects of all periods, from all over the Islamic world.

The Museum of Islamic Art Cairo Egypt contains one of the largest and most extensive collections of Islamic artifacts in the world. The idea of collecting and display the grand collection of artifacts began in 1880 AD. Eventually the building was established and inaugurated in 1903 AD, during the region of Khedive Abbas Helmy ll. The building’s facade was made in the Mamluk style and is adjacent to the National Library of Egypt.

A Mamluk key to the Ka’ba in Mecca and a textile bearing the oldest Kufic inscription are among the museum’s most notable possessions.

The mission of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is to display, preserve and interpret Islamic artifacts, and to reach a maximum number of national and international visitors. MIA also aims to develop education programs, encourage scientific research and collaborations as well as foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions made by the Islamic civilization to world heritage in the arts and sciences. MIA also hopes to encourage dialogue, thus increasing tolerance and mutual understanding among people.

When it comes to how many displays are in the museum in Cairo, there is no definitive answer. The Museum of Islamic Art's exhibits has multiplied and increased since its formation. The art gallery had about 7000 displays in 1903. By 1978, there were around 78,000 displays, 96,000 by now, and more than 100,000 today. There is a Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo whose collections were taken from many locations in Egypt. It consists of the foundation of the towns Askar and Fustat, the first Islamic towns of Ancient Egypt before Cairo was founded. Besides Aswan, Tanis, Rashid, and Luxor, many other displays were brought from those places. The traveling exhibits were donated or sold to the museum, and contributions from people worldwide also helped bring this exhibition to life. The museum also acquired Turkish and Persian pottery in the 1945 purchase. The Islamic Art Museum currently houses numerous rare exhibits that cannot be found in any other museum, including textiles, jewelry, fossils, and pieces of ceramics.