Qatar Museum Of Islamic Art In Doha: Review + Photos

by David & Intan

I found the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha to be pretty interesting. Despite the name, itโ€™s not a religious institution, and you donโ€™t have to be a Muslim to enjoy it.

This museum is full of great artifacts from three different continents over a period of 1,400 years. Some of the countries represented include Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Spain, and Turkey.

This travel guide will explain how to get there, and everything you need to know before you go!

Visiting The Museum Of Islamic Art

I spent a few days in Qatar last September and was able to go on a half-day city tour in Doha, with this museum included as one of the stops.

I spent about 30 minutes here because of time constraints, but easily could have stayed longer.

The building itself looks bizarre on the outside and inside, mimicking geometric patterns and also taking some influences from ancient Islamic architecture. It was designed by the award winning Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei.

Building exterior at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

The unique museum building exterior.

Turquoise jewelry on display at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

Old Islamic jewelry.

The museum has 5 floors full of artifacts and itโ€™s mostly things like pots, jewels, swords, daggers, and even a full set of armor.

The top museum item for me was one of the daggers (pictured below) with an incredible design and detail, covered with gems and whatnot.

The presentation and facilities in the museum are great, although I wish the lighting was a bit brighter. Photos are allowed, but it can be kind of dark for this at times.

Intricate curved dagger with gems on display at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

Incredibly intricate dagger.

Intricate chest with Arabic inscriptions at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

Notice the Islamic scripts on the sides.

Fancy medieval pot on display at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

Fancy Islamic pot from the medieval period.

 

After you get done touring the museum, thereโ€™s a library, gift shop and restaurant on the first floor.

The cafe food was overpriced ($10 USD for a small cup of refrigerated fruit), but hey, in Qatar thatโ€™s pretty typical.
 

Hours & Fees

  • Hours: 9 AM โ€“ 7 PM
  • Hours (Friday): 1:30 PM โ€“ 7 PM
  • Entrance Fee: Free

 

How To Get To The Museum

The museum is located in the city center of Doha.

I got there with a city tour, but you can also go there with Uber, Careem, etc. There is a parking lot with a taxi rank.

Horse shaped dagger on display at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art in Doha
 

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