The building for the Museum of Islamic Art was designed by architect I.M.Pei, who designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris. At the age of 91, Pei had to be coaxed out of retirement to undertake this enterprise. He travelled throughout the Muslim world on a six month quest to learn about Muslim architecture and history and read Muslim texts to draw inspiration for his design. Here are Pat and Jane walking in.
In the museum are displayed a collection of works gathered over the last 20 years, including manuscripts, textiles and ceramics. It is one of the world’s most complete collections of Islamic artifacts, ranging from Spain to Egypt to Iran, Iraq, Turkey, India and Central Asia.
Declining all the proposed sites for the museum, Pei suggested a stand alone artificial island for the structure, to avoid the encroachment of other buildings.
Opened in 2008, the museum was the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf, and has a very large collection of Islamic art, plus a study, a library, and several restaurants.
One of the restaurants.
Pat on the terrace of the Museum of Islamic Art, with the Doha skyline in the background. It was very hot, so it was tempting to jump into the fountains.
Pat still on the terrace. In Doha Bay can be seen a traditional dhow, then can be seen the Corniche and the minaret of the Islamic Centre.
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