Museum of Islamic Art, Art museum in Cairo, Egypt
The Museum of Islamic Art holds more than 100,000 artifacts representing different Islamic art forms, including manuscripts, astronomical instruments, and metalwork collections.
Established in 1903 during the reign of Khedive Abbas Helmy II, the museum began as a single room before expanding into its current building.
The collections include medical manuscripts, surgical tools, astrolabes, compasses, celestial spheres, and various artifacts reflecting Islamic scientific achievements.
The museum operates from Sunday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with separate ticket prices for foreign visitors and Egyptian nationals.
After the 2014 bombing damaged the building and its artifacts, the museum underwent extensive renovation and reopened in 2017 with enhanced displays.
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: May 27, 2025 13:24
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.
Al-Azhar Mosque
962 m
Khan el-Khalili
861 m
Abdeen Palace
547 m
Islamic Cairo
967 m
Bab Zuweila
529 m
Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
975 m
Al-Fattah al-Alim mosque
782 m
Sultan Al-Ghuri Complex
701 m
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Barquq
994 m
Sultan Al-Muayyad Mosque
490 m
Al-Mansour Qalawun Complex
949 m
Wikalet Al-Ghuri
786 m
Muhammad Bek Abu El Dahab Complex
884 m
Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque
559 m
Salihiyya Madrasa
959 m
Bayt Al-Razzaz palace
1 km
Mosque of Amir al-Maridani
834 m
Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque
607 m
Maimonides Synagogue
852 m
Mosque of al-Malika Safiyya
491 m
Amir Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque
579 m
Qasaba of Radwan Bey
549 m
Mosque of Taghribirdi
829 m
Sabil-Kuttab-Wikala of Sultan Qaitbay
930 m
Egyptian Postal Museum
699 m
Church of Saint Joseph
919 m
Equestrian statue of Ibrahim Bajá
859 m
Wekalet of Sultan al-Ghuri – Arts Center
731 mReviews
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