Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is the largest museum housing Islamic art in the whole world, with 100,000 Islamic artifacts. The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is located in the Bab Al-Khalq area in Cairo.
The collection of this museum is characterized that it includes all types of Islamic art from the beginning of Islamic times until the end of the period of the family of Mohammed Ali Pasha in Egypt. These types vary between rare woodwork, metals, Alpaster, glass, ceramics, and textiles. These types were collected from India, Iran, The Levant, The Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt.
Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) includes 25 halls to display this valuable collection.
History of this museum
The idea of establishing a Museum of Islamic Art began in 1880 AD when the Egyptian government collected valuable antiquities from mosques and placed them in a part of the Al-Hakim Mosque in El Moez Street.
Then, in 1881 AD, Julius Franz suggested allocating a part of the Al-Hakim Mosque to be a museum to display 111 pieces of Islamic art, and it was called the Arab Museum. Khedive Abbas Helmy II decided to build the current museum building in 1903 due to an increase in the number of pieces.
Museum Collection
The museum displays a large collection of Arab carpets, which are considered one of the largest and most important carpets in the whole world.
The museum displays a wonderful collection of wooden pieces that reflect the skill of Muslims in carving and inlaying wood.
The museum contains a collection of ornaments made of gold.
The museum includes lamps that were used in lighting mosques, a rare collection of Islamic ceramics, and coins dating back to the different Islamic periods.
The master pieces of the museum
The ewer of Marwan Ibn Mohammed, which was found near Fayoum. It is made of bronze.
The Portable Mihrab from the Mausoleum of Sayyidah Ruqayyah. It is made of inlaid wood. It is considered one of the most valuable pieces of the museum.
