Museum of Islamic Arts

The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo holds one of the world’s most important collections of Islamic art, with objects from Egypt and from across the Islamic world, from Spain and North Africa to Iran and India. It stands on Port Said Street at Bab al-Khalq, on the edge of historic Cairo.

History

The collection began in 1881, when architectural fragments from Cairo’s monuments were gathered in the ruined Mosque of al-Hakim as the “Arab Museum”. The present neo-Mamluk building, designed by Alfonso Manescalo, was completed in 1902 and the museum opened there in 1903, a year after the Egyptian Museum. The upper floor housed the National Library. On 24 January 2014 a car bomb aimed at the police headquarters opposite badly damaged the facade and many objects. After restoration the museum reopened in January 2017 with redesigned galleries.

What to look for

More than 100,000 objects are held, with about 4,500 on display in 25 halls, arranged by period (Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman) and by theme, such as science, medicine, calligraphy and daily life. Highlights include:

• Mamluk mosque lamps of gilded and enamelled glass.
• Fatimid lustre-painted ceramics and carved wood panels.
• Rare Qur’an manuscripts, some written in gold and silver ink.
• Copper astrolabes and scientific instruments that show the Islamic world’s contribution to astronomy.
• Inlaid metalwork, Iranian and Ottoman tiles, carpets and textiles.

The 2017 redisplay added clearer labelling in Arabic and English, better lighting and new themed rooms, so even visitors who know the museum from before will find it changed. Look out too for the doors, fountains and carved stucco reused from Cairo buildings, which give a sense of the original settings.

Visiting tips

Allow two hours. The nearest Cairo Metro stop is Mohamed Naguib on Line 2, and the museum is a short walk from Bab Zuweila and the southern end of Al-Muizz Street, so it fits naturally into a day exploring historic Cairo. Seeing the objects first helps when you later visit the mosques and madrasas, such as the Madrasa and Mosque of Sultan Hassan, they came from. Parking nearby is limited.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, english.ahram.org.eg, smithsonianmag.com, npr.org.