Qatar Museums have announced that the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is due to reopen on October 5 following several facility enhancements and a restructuring of its permanent collection.
The museum, which originally opened in 2008, has been closed since April 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Its reopening will feature a reinstallation of its permanent collection galleries, reconfigured according to “broad historical and cultural themes, periods and geography,” and will explore “the great traditions of Islamic craftsmanship,” said officials.
Not only will there be almost 1,000 newly acquired works on display but MIA will host an exhibition called Baghdad: Eye’s Delight. The exhibit will provide a look at Iraq’s cultural history as one of the most important cities in the Islamic world, with a special focus on the Abbasid caliphs (750-1258 CE) and its legacy in the 20th century, when the city again became a thriving centre for the arts, culture, and commerce.
“The opening of the Museum of Islamic Art was a transformational moment for Qatar, marking the nation’s emergence as a new global cultural destination and paving the way for establishing other major museums and cultural institutions in the region,” said H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani in a statement. “We are excited for locals to have a chance to rediscover the museum, and we invite visitors who are coming to attend World Cup matches to experience this foremost expression of our heritage and culture.”
MIA will reopen on October 5, less than a month before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Baghdad: Eye’s Delight will open shortly after on October 26 and run through February 25, 2023.
Image Credit: Museum of Islamic Art
