Islamic Museum of Australia, History museum in Thornbury, Victoria, Australia
The Islamic Museum of Australia is a history museum in Thornbury with galleries dedicated to Islamic art, including architecture, calligraphy, paintings, glass, ceramics, and textiles from local and international artists. The collection displays both historical and contemporary works spanning different cultures and regions.
The museum was founded in 2010 and officially opened in 2014, supported by government grants and private donations. The initiative grew from an effort to document and share the long history of Muslims in Australia.
The name reflects the Muslim presence in Australia since the 1800s. Visitors encounter stories of people from Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Albania who lived and worked across this country.
The museum building is located in an easy-to-reach neighborhood of Melbourne and straightforward to find on foot. It is best to plan a visit during daylight hours, as the galleries are most enjoyable in natural light.
The facade combines weathered Corten steel symbolizing the Australian landscape with a white cubic form decorated with geometric patterns and Arabic script reflecting Islamic artistic traditions. This pairing creates a visual dialogue between two worlds, making the building itself part of the display.
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