Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

이슬람 미술관 (도하)

The Museum of Islamic Art, often shortened to MIA, stands at one end of the Corniche, the seven-kilometre waterfront promenade of Doha, the capital of Qatar. It is the first museum of its kind to show more than 14 centuries of Islamic art in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, from ceramics to metalwork and textiles.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Qatar
Location: Doha, Qatar
Built: 2008
Type: Museum

Quick answers

Where is Museum of Islamic Art, Doha?

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha is in Doha, Qatar.

When was Museum of Islamic Art, Doha built?

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha was built in 2008.

I. M. Pei's geometric stone museum on Doha's waterfront, housing 1,400 years of Islamic art.

The building was designed by the architect I. M. Pei, who asked for it to sit on its own island, built on an artificial peninsula about 60 metres off the Corniche, near the old harbour where traditional dhow boats still sail. A park wraps around two sides, two bridges link it to the main peninsula, and water borders the other sides. Its creamy limestone catches the strong sun and shows different shades during the day.

A museum built on the water

Pei turned down all the sites he was offered. He suggested a stand-alone island so that no other buildings could crowd the museum in the future. The west and north sides face the harbour, which recalls Qatar's long seafaring history, while a park on the east and south sides gives visitors a calm green setting.

The museum covers about 45,000 square metres and stands in a crescent-shaped park of 290,000 square metres.

Inspired by a fountain

Pei was 91 and had to be coaxed out of retirement. He travelled through the Muslim world for six months, studying architecture and history. He said the light fountain of the 9th-century Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo was his inspiration.

The main building has five floors, a main dome and a central tower. A glass front on the north side looks over the Persian Gulf, and a large metal chandelier hangs over the main staircase. It opened on 22 November 2008.

Awards and green goals

In November 2022 the museum became the first in the Middle East to be certified carbon neutral. It was renovated for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, reopening on 5 October 2022 with more than 1,100 mostly new exhibits.

In 2023 and 2024 it also joined Expo 2023 Doha, holding workshops and events about nature and sustainability. Next to it, MIA Park has cafes, a children's play area and a tall steel sculpture by Richard Serra.

Fun facts

Architect I. M. Pei was over 90 years old when it opened.
I. M. Pei was 91 years old when he took on the museum project.
It is built on an artificial island so that it can stand on its own, surrounded by water.
In 2022 it became the first carbon-neutral certified museum in the Middle East.
The light fountain of a 9th-century mosque in Cairo inspired Pei's design.