Museum of Islamic Art, Art museum in Cairo, Egypt
The Museum of Islamic Art is an art museum in Cairo Governorate housed in a Mameluke Revival building dedicated to history and artistic expression. The collection includes calligraphy, woodcarvings, glass, carpets, and other objects displayed in thematic halls.
The institution opened in the early 20th century under Khedive Abbas Helmy II with a modest display in a single room. Later the collection grew and received its current building, which was restored after damage.
The name refers to the art forms that developed across regions over centuries and now fill the exhibition rooms. Visitors walk through halls where manuscripts, ceramics, and textiles show how scholars and craftspeople worked.
The entrance sits on a main street and the halls spread across several floors with seating for rest. Labels are often in Arabic and English, and a visit typically takes two to three hours.
The collection preserves instruments for astronomy and navigation once used on journeys across deserts and seas. Some of these pieces show fine engravings and mechanisms crafted without modern tools.
Location: Cairo Governorate
Inception: 1903
Architects: Alfonso Maniscalco
Official opening: 1903
Architectural style: Mameluke Revival
Address: Port Said Street, Bab El Khalk, Cairo
Phone: +20223901520
Email: miainegypt@gmail.com
Website: https://miaegypt.org
GPS coordinates: 30.04472,31.25278
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:30
Cairo preserves an architectural heritage spanning over fifteen centuries. This collection includes religious buildings, traditional houses, and utilitarian structures that reflect the Fatimid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods. Mosques such as Sultan Hassan with its 68-meter minaret stand alongside ancient homes with mashrabiya windows, while the 9th-century Nilometer highlights the river's importance in Egyptian society. The route passes through various historic districts, from El Khalifa with its medieval monuments to Ottoman houses from the 16th and 17th centuries like Bayt Al-Suhaymi or those housing the Gayer-Anderson Museum. Aqsunqur Mosque stands out with its Iznik tiles showcasing floral motifs, a legacy of Ottoman influence. The City of the Dead, a cemetery stretching four kilometers, illustrates the continuity between burial sites and inhabited areas. Green spaces like Al-Azhar Park offer views of a dense city where traditions blend with everyday life.
Cairo is home to millennia of history. The Giza Pyramids, built between 2686 and 2494 BC, stand alongside Fatimid mosques like the Ibn Tulun Mosque from 879, and Mamluk fortifications such as Saladin's Citadel from the 12th century. Religious heritage reflects community diversity: Saint Serge Church dates to the 4th century, while Sainte-Marie Church from the 7th century reuses elements of the Roman fortress of Babylon. The Cairo Museum, opened in 1902, displays over 120,000 archaeological artifacts including Tutankhamun’s burial mask. Khan Al-Khalili market, established in 1382, continues traditional trade along its alleys lined with spice and craft shops. The Gayer Anderson House exemplifies 16th-century Ottoman residential architecture. These sites span Egypt’s history from pharaonic antiquity to the Ottoman period.
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