The Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA) in Doha, Qatar, is a beautifully done museum. It is definitely the best museum we've been to this trip and is possibly the best thing we've seen in the Middle East. A nicely put together museum makes me incredibly happy and I feel this one met all three of my top museum criteria.
1. A setting that heightens the experience but doesn't detract from what is on display:
The building was designed by architect I. M. Pei. It sits on a man-made island off the Corniche (Doha's beach promenade and main drag). This positioning gives the museum a perfect view of the city skyline but also separates it from the other buildings so you can appreciate its unique design. The exterior uses elements of Islamic architecture while still having clean, modern lines. The building is primarily straight lines with some of the only curves coming from the half-circles on the uppermost section. These half-circles seem to mimic eyes peering out at the world.
Inside, the building is spacious and open. It has a large open atrium with the galleries located along the perimeters of each floor. The interior is impressive but also simple so as not to compete with the museum exhibitions. We've all been to those museums where the building's interior was more beautiful than the artwork. Here, the two were complimentary to each other.
2. A museum collection that has been thoughtfully selected and displayed:
The museum's permanent collection begins on the second floor. On this floor, the artwork is arranged by elements used in Islamic (secular) art including patterns, geometric shapes, animals, and calligraphy. Short descriptions for each gallery highlight the element being featured. I don't usually wax poetic about museum captions but there were some particularly lovely ones here. The use of pattern was explained by the Islamic idea "that what we see is always and only part of a whole that extends to infinity." Calligraphy was described as "jewellery fashioned by the hand from the pure gold of the intellect." I'll definitely look at wedding invitations differently now.
The artwork itself was primarily ceramic tiles and pottery, jewelry, textiles, carpets, and intricately painted books. It was featured on all black displays in glass pedestals. The display rooms were all kept dark with the only lights shining on the artwork. The lighting designer deserves an award, if there is such a thing given.
The third floor divided artwork by its region of origin. Iran was particularly productive from the sixth to twelfth centuries! In each room on every floor there were at least two pieces that stopped you in your tracks they were so beautiful. Every piece was well-preserved and clearly selected with an eye for contributing to the greater whole of the museum.
The fourth floor housed a small temporary exhibition that looked at how women have been portrayed in Islamic art. The fifth floor has a restaurant that we did not eat at but can report has a spectacular city view.
3. A fantastic gift shop:
Look. A gift shop can make or break a museum. It's probably the last place you visit while you're there and it gives you your final impression. If you simply sell everything that was in the museum then maybe it wasn't worthy of a museum to begin with. If you only have postcards of the art and a book with a list of all the works in the museum, you have not tried hard enough. A good museum gift shop includes the postcards and books but also has items inspired by the museum itself. This can be more art work (that you could maybe afford), practical objects with a flair, books that expound upon the museum's subject without blatantly repeating it, or just really beautiful things that fit the overall vibe.
Needless to say, we shopped.
The rest of our time in Doha was spent primarily vegging out poolside and reading quietly. We needed a break from the fort tours. This museum, however, was a fantastic stop and definitely one I consider worthy of multiple repeat visits!
OH! And it was free!
