@museumwnf/woodwork-data 1.0.3 → 1.0.5

package/translations/partners.en.json

@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"01ed0e00-4aed-5afc-bdea-937514669d4b":{"name":"Victoria and Albert Museum","description":"The Victoria and Albert (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. When the museum opened to the public in 1852, its mission was to reform design by making works of art available to all, improving the public’s understanding of the subject and providing inspiration for designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections span over 5,000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world.  \n  \nThe V&A comprises a family of sites, including the V&A in South Kensington, Young V&A located in Bethnal Green, V&A Dundee in Scotland, the V&A Wedgwood Collection housed in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, V&A Gallery at Design Society in Shekou, China, and opening in 2024/25 will be V&A East located within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. Across these sites the museum showcases their collections to a wide range of audiences and aims to champion design and creativity in all its forms.  \n  \nThe V&A has specialised in collecting art and design from the Islamic world since the 1850s, and it was the first institution in the world to collect Islamic art in a systematic fashion. The museum's founders believed that Islamic ideas about structuring patterns and matching decoration to shape and function could improve British design. The collection grew to become the most significant in its field. Outstanding works include the AH 10th / AD 16th-century Ardabil carpet from Iran, a rock crystal ewer from AH 5th / AD 11th-century Egypt, and the world’s greatest collections of Islamic ceramics. The museum also houses the national collection of Islamic textiles.","city":"London","address":"Cromwell Road  \nSouth Kensington  \nSW7 2RL  \nLondon  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"http://www.vam.ac.uk","phone":"+44 207 9422000","fax":"+44 207 9422335"},"113e7cf6-f7c2-53aa-9442-5229ced56c72":{"name":"Museum Rietberg","description":"The Museum Rietberg is one of the largest art museums in Switzerland and is administered by the City of Zurich. With a focus on traditional and contemporary arts and cultures of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, it has some 23,000 objects and 37,000 ethnographic photographs in its collection. Most of the objects are on public display, either in the museum’s galleries or in its open storeroom.  \n  \nIn 1945, the City of Zurich bought the 67,000 square metres of the Rieterpark and the Villa Wesendonck. Then in 1949, the people of Zurich approved the plan to convert the Villa Wesendonck into a museum and to establish, at the same time, the Museum Rietberg. In 1952, the new museum finally opened its doors to the public. The complex consists of three nineteenth-century villas and a coach house, not to mention a recent underground extension opened in 2007.  \n  \nThe work of the Museum Rietberg is characterised by a high degree of professionalism, social inclusion, and diversity. The Museum aims to heighten awareness of the artistic achievements of individuals alongside those brought about by religious and social diversity. In so doing, it fulfils an important cultural mission in our increasingly globalised world.  \n  \nFurthermore, the Museum’s first-rate collection of international renown requires expert care, continuous academic study, including provenance research, while being actively expanded and managed. The institution ensures the transparency of the results of its research by making them largely available online.  \n  \nThe Museum Rietberg possesses both local and international connections with cultural institutions, collectors, and specialists in a variety of fields. It pursues a policy of long-term cooperation with countries of origin including Cameroon, India, Pakistan, and Peru.","city":"Zurich","address":"Gablerstrasse 15  \n8002 Zurich","website":"http://www.rietberg.ch","phone":"+41 44 415 31 31","email":"museum.rietberg@zuerich.ch"},"1232b5a2-7af1-5de4-a332-ff444943f8b0":{"name":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","description":"The MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art – is one of the foremost museums of its kind in the world. The building located on Stubenring in the 1st district of Vienna was founded in 1863 as the k.k. Österreichisches Museum für Kunst und Industrie (Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry) and today houses a unique collection of applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art.  \n  \nThe MAK collection encompasses European and international decorative arts ranging from the Early Middle Ages to the present. The museum's main holdings include textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture and metalwork as well as exquisite objects of the Wiener Werkstätte (craftworks) and Art Nouveau. Its collection of Oriental carpets and East Asian art are of the highest international significance.  \n  \nAmong the objects from the Islamic world, the collection of Oriental carpets is pre-eminent, and the museum holds the largest collection worldwide of paintings of the *Hamzanama* from the era of the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Important examples of the applied arts are preserved in the MAK Asia Collection, which most notably include objects from Iran and the Ottoman Empire.","city":"Vienna","address":"Stubenring, 5  \nA-1010 Vienna  \nAustria","website":"http://www.mak.at","phone":"+43 1 711 36-248","email":"office@MAK.at"},"1d0ff55d-dcd7-59a9-b95d-18903aa4ab05":{"name":"Benaki Museum","description":"The Benaki Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Greece operating as a foundation under private law. It was founded 1930 by Antonis Benakis, a member of a leading Greek family of Alexandria. The current museum is decentralised: its hub is the neoclassical mansion presenting the evolution of Greek culture from the Paleolithic period to the present day. The autonomous buildings include the exhibition centre on Pireos 138, the Toy Museum on the Athens seafront, the Ghika Gallery and the Museum of Islamic Art.  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art is a renovated neoclassical building in Athens’ historic centre near the ancient Agora. It opened in 2004 to house the collection formed by Antonis Benakis during the early part of the 20th century, while he was living in Egypt. Subsequently enriched by other donations, today it contains c. 10,000 objects from the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, North Africa and India. It demonstrates the evolution of Islamic art up to the 19th century and corresponding developments to the middle of the 20th century. The collection includes ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, glassware, ivories, funerary steles and arms and armour.  \n  \nThe visitor first finds exhibits from the 7th to the 12th century. Highlights are lustreware, door panels from Iraq, Fatimid metalwork, tiraz textiles and a unique reed mat from 10th-century Tiberias. Then follow objects from the 12th to the 16th century with Seljuq ceramics, Mamluk metalwork and pottery and highlights a brass box with the signature of Isma’il ibn al-Ward al-Mawsili dated 1220 and the astrolabe of Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj dated 1328/29.  \n  \nAnother gallery displays a marble-lined reception room from a 17th-century mansion in Cairo, together with its fountain, qamariyya windows and a mashrabiyya screen. Other noteworthy exhibits are the collection of Iznik pottery and a 16th-century velvet saddle from Bursa. The display concludes with arms and armour and an important collection of Qajar jewellery that was collected by Argine Salvagos, sister of the founder.  \n  \nDuring preservation work, a large section of the ancient city wall of Athens from the 4th century BC was uncovered and remains in situ at basement level, accessible to visitors.","city":"Athens","address":"22 Agion Asomaton & 12 Dipilou Street  \n10674 Athens","website":"http://www.benaki.gr/","phone":"+30 210 325 1311","fax":"+30 210 322 5550","email":"islamic_collection@benaki.gr"},"1db535b6-0ad9-580c-b2d0-66605f9e9d44":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Lisbon**  \nAncient Patriarch’s Palace, now Casa do Gaiato  \nArmy Museum  \nCalouste Gulbenkian Museum  \nChurch of St. Domingos de Benfica  \nLisbon’s Holy House of Mercy/Museum of São Roque  \nMacau Scientific and Cultural Centre Museum  \nMaritime Museum  \nNational Coach Museum  \nNational Library of Portugal  \nNational Museum of Ancient Art  \nPharmacy Museum  \n  \n**Alpiarça**  \nPatudos House, Alpiarça Museum  \n  \n**Alcobaça**  \nAlcobaça Monastery  \n  \n**Arouca**  \nSacred Art Museum of Arouca  \n  \n**Beja**  \nQueen Leonor Museum, Districtal Museum of Beja  \n  \n**Braga**  \nBraga Cathedral  \n  \n**Coimbra**  \nMachado de Castro National Museum  \nMuseum of Physics, University of Coimbra  \n  \n**Ílhavo**  \nVista Alegre Historic Museum  \n  \n**Oeiras**  \nOeiras Town Hall  \n  \n**Óbidos**  \nMunicipal Museum of Óbidos  \n  \n**Porto**  \nSoares dos Reis National Museum  \n  \n**Sardoal**  \nSardoal’s Holy House of Mercy  \n  \n**Viana do Castelo**  \nMuseum of Art and Archeology of Viana do Castelo  \n  \n**Vila Verde dos Francos**  \nOur Lady of the Visitation Convent  \n  \n**Vila Viçosa**  \nMuseum and Library of the House of Braganza  \n  \n**Viseu**  \nGrão Vasco Museum"},"1dc4a129-85b0-57d5-9622-15c790c4333f":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"Zisa Museum  \nAddress: Piazza Zisa, 1  \n90100 - Palermo  \nTel: +39 091 65 20 269  \n  \nCappella Palatina  \nAddress: P.zza del Risorgimento  \n90100 Palermo  \nTel: +39 091 6961111","city":"Palermo"},"2300bb0e-fc9f-55c5-ae2e-20f619a46cce":{"name":"Weltmuseum Wien","description":"The Weltmuseum Wien – formerly the Museum of Ethnology – houses comprehensive collections of ethnographic objects, historical photographs, and books on non-European civilisations, making it one of the world’s leading ethnographic museums. Its roots can be traced back to 1806, when the \"Imperial and Royal Ethnographic Collection\" was established as part of the combined Imperial and Royal Court Cabinet of Natural Objects, following the partial acquisition of the \"Cook Collection\" at a London auction. The continuously growing collections were transferred to the newly created “Department of Anthropology and Ethnography” of the Royal Court Museum of Natural History in 1876. Limited space and a goal of developing ethnology as a cultural science convinced political decision-makers to establish a unified, cohesive Museum of Ethnology. The “Museum of Ethnology” opened formally in 1928 taking up the entire building of the “Corps de Logis” in Neue Burg.  \n  \nIn 2001 the Museum of Ethnology was incorporated into the KHM-Museum Association. In April 2013 the Museum of Ethnology became the \"Weltmuseum Wien\" – a site of world cultures – at Vienna’s Heldenplatz. In October 2017, after extensive reparation and modernisation of the historical building, the Museum reopened in its entirety with 14 completely revised permanent exhibition galleries. The Museum’s collection, meanwhile, has expanded to well over 200,000 inventory numbers.","city":"Vienna","address":"Heldenplatz  \n1010 Vienna","website":"http://www.weltmuseumwien.at","phone":"+43 1 534 30-5052","email":"info@weltmuseumwien.at"},"2850ad3d-5837-53f2-9df3-168b86ffb478":{"name":"Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art (EIAC)","description":"The ‘Giuseppe Tucci’ Museum of Oriental Art opened to the public in 1958 and houses finds from several Italian archaeological missions conducted in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. As well as this are numerous objects purchased on the antique market, particularly those by Giuseppe Tucci during his voyages in Nepal and Tibet between 1928 and 1954.  \n  \nThe museum’s Islamic wing includes a rich collection of objects sourced from both archaeological excavations and private purchases. The provenance of the collection is wide-ranging including the items from the geographical territories that now make up the countries of Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and India. Chronologically the material covers an extensive period from the 8th to 19th centuries CE. The collection is arranged along different classes of production including; ceramics, metal works, miniatures, manuscripts, numismatics, jewellery, textile art, glass, arms & armour and wood.  \n  \nOf particular importance is the collection of archaeological finds from the palace of the Ghaznavid Sultan, Mas’ud III (1099-1115 CE) in Ghazni, Afghanistan. The archaeology of the site and its associated finds was brought to light by excavations conducted by the Archaeological Mission of the IsMEO (Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente) in the 1960’s. These consist mainly of elements of architectural decorations in brick and marble, marble funerary stones, ceramics and metals.  \n  \nThe museum's collection of Persian objects can be dated from the 8th to the 19th centuries. Ceramics from the Samanid (9th- 10th century) and Seljuk (11th -12th century) periods are well represented in the Museum collections. Ilkhanid period ceramics (13th -14th century), known for their use of ‘lajvardina’ glaze technique is also visible in the collections. The majority of metal objects within the Islamic collection stem from the Khorasan region of Eastern Iran and Western Afghanistan, a well-known historic centre for metallurgical production.  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \nSince September 2016, the National Museum of Oriental Art in Rome has merged into the new Museum of Civilisation, definitively closing in October 2017 for the transfer to its new headquarters in the Palazzo delle Scienze. While awaiting the definitive re-arrangement planned for the end of 2021, a temporary exhibition called “Open for Works” exhibits over 650 objects from the Oriental Museum (of which about 60 is considered Islamic Art) in the rooms of the Pigorini Museum.","city":"Rome","address":"Museo delle Civiltà | Museo d’arte orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”  \nPiazza Guglielmo Marconi, 14  \n00144 Rome, Italy","website":"https://www.museodellecivilta.it/","phone":"+39 06 549521","fax":"+39 06 54952310","email":"mu-civ@cultura.gov.it"},"2a23d23f-5624-56f3-828f-3db6b5689a95":{"name":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","description":"The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City – The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.  \n  \nSince it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.  \n  \nThe Met Fifth Avenue  \n1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)  \nNew York, NY 10028  \n+1 212 535 7710  \nSunday–Thursday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \nFriday and Saturday: 10:00am–9:00pm  \n  \nThe Met Breuer  \n945 Madison Avenue  \nNew York, NY 10021  \n+1 212 731 1675  \nClosed Monday  \nTuesday and Wednesday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \nThursday and Friday: 10:00am–9:00pm  \nSaturday and Sunday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \n  \nThe Met Cloisters  \n99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park  \nNew York, NY 10040  \n+1 212 923 3700  \nMarch–October: 10:00am–5:15pm  \nMay 27–September 2, 2016: Open late on Fridays until 7:30pm  \nNovember–February: 10:00am–4:45pm  \n  \nAll locations closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1. The Met Fifth Avenue closed the first Monday in May.","city":"New York","address":"The Met Fifth Avenue  \n1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)  \nNew York, NY 10028  \nSunday–Thursday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \nFriday and Saturday: 10:00am–9:00pm","website":"http://www.metmuseum.org","phone":"+1 212 535 7710"},"2b1c0dc0-0010-5164-be2c-49145ffe45bb":{"name":"Museum of Macedonia","description":"The National Museum of Macedonia is a complex museum institution comprising the museums of History, Ethnography and Art History. The museum collects, researches, maintains, exhibits and publishes on objects of movable heritage in these domains. It preserves evidence of the way of life and culture in these territories from the settling of Slavs in the 6th century AD till the end of World War II. The icon gallery exhibits a collection of medieval icons including several masterpieces of Byzantine art. The highlight of the permanent display is the icon of the Virgin of Pelagonia painted by Makarie in 1422. The ethnological exhibition takes pride in the magnificent collections of folk costumes, traditional jewellery, traditional architecture, intangible heritage and musical instruments, traditional weaving, crafts and traditional husbandry.  \n  \nThe museum also includes the Documentation Section, Conservation Lab and advanced Marketing Services. The Educational Section in the museum provides guided tours and carries out elaborate educational projects focusing on different target groups.  \n  \nExtensive publishing activities have been developed throughout the years. The Museum of Macedonia has issued numerous exhibition catalogues, periodicals, monographs, studies and other publications. These are available in the museum shop, which also organises production, sales and distribution of replicas of the most outstanding museum items. All the products in the shop can be purchased on the Internet and delivered to any address.","city":"Skopje","address":"Josif Mihajlovic, 7  \n1000 Skopje  \nRepublic of Macedonia (FYROM)","phone":"+389 2 3116 044","fax":"+389 2 3116 439","email":"musmk@t-home.mk"},"2bb1dd80-9c9b-5b6c-95f5-603929bd863d":{"name":"Victoria and Albert Museum","description":"The Victoria and Albert (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. When the museum opened to the public in 1852, its mission was to reform design by making works of art available to all, improving the public’s understanding of the subject and providing inspiration for designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections span over 5,000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world.  \n  \nThe V&A comprises a family of sites, including the V&A in South Kensington, Young V&A located in Bethnal Green, V&A Dundee in Scotland, the V&A Wedgwood Collection housed in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, V&A Gallery at Design Society in Shekou, China, and opening in 2024/25 will be V&A East located within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. Across these sites the museum showcases their collections to a wide range of audiences and aims to champion design and creativity in all its forms.","city":"London","address":"Cromwell Road  \nSouth Kensington  \nLondon SW7 2RL  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"www.vam.ac.uk","phone":"+44 20 7942 2000","fax":"+44 20 7942 2335","email":"contact@vam.ac.uk"},"2d1fcee2-b5ee-57c9-9036-8389d4947106":{"name":"Budapest History Museum","description":"In 2007 the Budapest History Museum celebrated the 120th anniversary of its foundation and the 100th anniversary of its first exhibition. The state-sponsored Museum is located at 10 sites among which are three museums – the Royal Palace, the Kiscell Museum and the Aquincum Museum – there are also the Turkish Burial Chapel of Gül Baba, the Medieval Synagogue, Hercules Villa and the Roman Baths.  \n  \nThe archaeologists at the Budapest History Museum lead excavations within the the capital and its surroundings, collect objects, documents and other works of art, and carry out research into the history of Budapest from the Palaeolithic era to the present. The museum publishes periodicals and other papers on the history of the city, and its experts participate in international research projects.  \n  \nIncorporated into the former Royal Castle, the Medieval Palace of Buda, was the seat of the Hungarian kings. Here, Permanent exhibitions present a historical survey of Buda and Pest from the Palaeolithic era to the end of the Avar period, and the history of Buda and Pest from the 17th to the 20th century. Famous Gothic statues found in the late 1970s are on display as are relics from the Middle Ages.  \n  \nIn the Baroque Monastery and Church of Kiscell, a permanent exhibition elucidates the history of the capital from the 19th to the 20th century, together with a gallery showing a selection of artworks by 19th- and 20th- century artists.  \n  \nThe Aquincum archaeological site provides working evidence of recent excavations, while a permanent exhibition in the late 19th-century museum building displays objects excavated on this site dating from the Antique Roman period. A new exhibition hall is currently under construction in a former electricity station built in 1930; it will provide a new, extensive exhibition on the history of ancient times.  \n  \nTemporary exhibitions are held in rooms on the ground floor and in the first-floor exhibition hall.","city":"Budapest","address":"Budapest History Museum  \nBuda Castle Building \"E\"  \nSzent György tér 2  \nBudapest 1014  \nHungary","website":"http://www.btm.hu","phone":"+36 1 487 8800","fax":"+36 1 487 8872","email":"btm@mail.btm.hu"},"31de84d4-3de2-5ea1-b1d4-c8712cbcb314":{"name":"Museum of Arts and Crafts","description":"The Museum of Arts and Crafts was founded in 1880 by the Croatian Art Society.  \n  \nThe organisation of the Museum derived from the theoretical foundations of the Arts and Crafts movement. In keeping with the spirit of the times, the Arts and Crafts School was opened in 1882. The new headquarters building of the Museum and the School was completed in 1888, in the old Fair Square, today's Marshal Tito Square.  \n  \nThe basic collections of museum objects were created mostly from the donations of patriots. They were augmented through the purchase of several important collections from private collectors and also by programmed acquisitions, both within the country and from abroad.  \n  \nUp to World War One the Museum's scientific, professional and collection policy respected the conception laid down in the original motives underlying its establishment.  \n  \nBetween the two World Wars the concept of the Museum changed from being a collection of items to a cultural, historical and artistic institution.  \n  \nAfter World War Two the concept of modern museum communication became important, with many activities intended to involve the public.  \n  \nThe permanent display, opened in 1962, was of particular importance. Its backbone was the collection of furniture which, guided by the idea of a complex art museum that values equally all the fields of plastic arts design, was displayed in synthesis with other objects.  \n  \nThe present permanent display, created in 1995, has built on the positive experiences of earlier displays and has been broadened by new thematic units. With modern spatial differentiation and new multimedia contents the museum has become an experience which, by placing the visitor in an atmosphere of tangible historical heritage, essentially determines him or her as a cultural being.  \n  \nFor the Baroque period the Museum's holdings include many outstanding European artefacts, especially in the applied arts, including one of the largest collections of Baroque church art in Croatia.","city":"Zagreb","address":"Trg maršala Tita, 10  \n10000 Zagreb  \nCroatia","website":"http://www.muo.hr","phone":"+385 1 4882111","fax":"+385 1 4828088","email":"muo@muo.hr"},"325b7505-1527-5442-99ea-6a40f8c43d3f":{"name":"Islamic Museum at Al-Aqsa Mosque","description":"The museum was officially inaugurated in AH 1341 / AD 1922. In AH 1348 / AD 1929, it was transferred to its present site in the southwestern corner of the Haram al-Sharif. The museum is administered through the Department of Islamic Awqaf in Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Ministry of Jordanian Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places.  \n  \nThe museum comprises three buildings with an exhibition space of over 1,000 square m. The oldest hall is from the AH 6th / AD 12th century and is a rare Crusader monument in the holy city. The second hall was an Ayyubid mosque (AH 7th / AD 13th century) historically known as al-Malikiya mosque or the Jami’a al-Mughariba. The third hall is known as the *al-Fakhriya* corner and its history goes back to the Mamluk period (AH 8th / AD 14th century).  \n  \nThe collection consists of artefacts and remains from the Islamic and non-Islamic epochs, representing various facets of Islamic civilisation ranging in geography, theme and period. Most of the artefacts represent the heritage of al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem and Palestine at large including cities such as Hebron and Nablus.  \n  \nThe museum contains woodwork from different Islamic eras, the oldest dating to the Umayyad period. Metalwork in iron, copper and silver includes the iron enclosure from the Dome of the Rock, candlesticks, swords, daggers, daises, incense burners, coins, rings and memorial pieces. The collection includes marble and glazed tiles that panelled the the Dome of the Rock in the period of Sultan Sülayman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) and his successors. There is a collection of earthenware, inscriptions on stone from different Islamic periods and its precursors, and columns and capitals from the Roman and Byzantine periods. There is a valuable collection of Qur’ans, the oldest from the AH 9th / AD 15 th century, and many Mamluk manuscripts whose themes deal with social and economic life in the holy city. The museum displays part of its textile collection, with costumes, grave coverings, pieces from the *kiswa* (covering) of the Ka’ba and pieces of carpet.","city":"Jerusalem","address":"Al-Haram al-Sharif  \nAmro  \nP.O. Box 75085  \nJerusalem","website":"http://www.facebook.com/islamic.museum1922/","phone":"02 6283286","fax":"02 6283286","email":"jerusalem.museum@gmail.com"},"33f89573-8b54-5c1a-86ba-1663e604740f":{"name":"Jordan Archaeological Museum","description":"The museum was founded in 1951 by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan on the Citadel of Amman on a hill called Jabal al-Qal’a. The building has a total measurement of 525 m2 on two floors. The ground floor is used for storage, and the first floor comprises the display area, which consists of three exhibition halls, and administrative offices.  \n  \nThe museum holds many artefacts found in various archaeological sites in Jordan representing the path of civilization in this area throughout its long history. The extensive collection is arranged chronologically by historical periods, from the Stone Ages to the Islamic periods.  \n  \nThe Islamic art collection is displayed in an exhibition hall in eleven showcases that consist of: pottery vessels from the Umayyad period to the Mamluk period; glazed vessels from the Mamluk period to the Ottoman period; steatite vessels from the Umayyad period; coins of all types and periods; metalwork and pottery vessels from the Umayyad to Mamluk periods; iron shields and swords from the Mamluk period; carved stones from the Umayyad period; four plaster replicas of architectural elements from Khirbat al-Mafjar Palace in Jericho (windows, lintel and a dome from the bath).  \n  \nLack of space prohibits the display of temporary exhibitions; however, the museum participates in many local and international exhibitions held in Jordan and abroad to show the history and archaeology of Jordan throughout the ages.  \n  \nThree curators sharing the responsibility of looking after the whole collection of the museum.","city":"Amman","address":"Citadel of Amman  \nP.O. Box 88  \nAmman, Jordan","phone":"+962 6 463 8795","fax":"+962 6 461 9768"},"36670bdc-150b-5f89-8906-79b8e4e2518d":{"name":"The David Collection","description":"The David Collection was founded by C. L. David (1878-1960), a prominent Danish attorney, who had begun to collect fine and decorative art in the 1910s. In this last field, he was aided by directors of the Danish Museum of Art and Design, who gradually also guided him to another area that had previously attracted little interest in Denmark: Islamic art. The Islamic part of David’s collection was, however, still rather modest at the time of his death in 1960.  \n  \nA bachelor and childless, C. L. David left his Copenhagen townhouse and works of art to a private foundation, along with financial means that made it possible to expand his collections. From the 1970s, a decision was consequently made to place increasing emphasis on expanding the Islamic holdings. The Islamic Collection has grown to become not only the museum’s most important, with over 4,000 objects, but also Scandinavia’s most significant in its field.  \n  \nThe Islamic Collection has been built up in keeping with the classical pattern for Western collections of this kind. It embodies works of art from Spain in the west to India in the east, but not works from Sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia. Chronologically, the collection ranges from works dating to shortly after the advent of Islam to the middle of the 19th century. The collection encompasses all types of materials, but since the small rooms of 19th-century buildings like C. L. David’s townhouse, now the museum’s home, make it impossible to exhibit large objects, the museum consequently has only a modest collection of carpets, and they are either of small size or fragments of larger carpets.  \n  \nFollowing the museum’s refurbishment and reinstallation of its collections in 2009, the David Collection is now divided into three parts: European 18th-Century Art, Danish Early Modern Art, and Islamic Art. The collection of Islamic Art is presented in a new, contemporary setting, enhanced by digital and other modern techniques used to elucidate the objects on display. The backbone of the collection is 20 chronological/geographical sections, but the display also contains special galleries for light-sensitive materials as well as others dedicated to themes such as cultural history and artistic techniques.","city":"Copenhagen","address":"Kronprinsessegade, 30  \nCopenhagen  \nDenmark  \n  \nPostal address: Kronprinsessegade 30-32","website":"http://www.davidmus.dk/en","phone":"+45 33734949","fax":"+45 33734948","email":"museum@davidmus.dk"},"38b8a503-bba9-5234-b7db-0bbb2a054c57":{"name":"Qatar Museums","description":"Qatar Museums connects the museums, cultural institutions and heritage sites in Qatar and creates the conditions for them to thrive and flourish. It centralises resources and provides a comprehensive organisation for the development of museums and cultural projects, with a long term ambition of creating a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure for Qatar. Under the patronage of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM is consolidating Qatar’s efforts to become a vibrant centre for the arts, culture and education, in the Middle East and beyond.  \n  \nSince its foundation in 2005, QM has overseen the development of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. The QM also manages the QM Gallery at Katara and the ALRIWAQ DOHA Exhibition Space. Future projects include the opening of the Fire Station: Artists in Residence in 2014 and the launch of the highly anticipated National Museum of Qatar and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.  \n  \nQM is committed to instigating Qatar’s future generation of arts, heritage and museum professionals. At its core is a commitment to nurturing artistic talent, creating opportunities and developing the skills to service Qatar’s emerging art economy. By means of a multi-faceted program and public art initiatives, QM seeks to push the boundaries of the traditional museum model, and create cultural experiences that spill out onto the streets and seek to involve the widest possible audiences. Through a strong emphasis on originating art and culture from within and fostering a spirit of national participation, QM is helping Qatar find its own distinctive voice in today’s global cultural debates.","city":"Doha","address":"Al-Dafna, Doha  \nQM Tower  \nP.O Box 2777  \nDoha, State of Qatar","website":"www.qm.org.qa/en","phone":"+974 4452 5555","fax":"+974 4452 5556"},"3b73a306-1129-5c8d-acba-8e34a39e132f":{"name":"The British Museum","description":"The British Museum was established by Act of Parliament in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all “studious and curious persons”. The founding collection was that of Sir Hans Sloane, a wealthy physician and collector. The original British Museum comprised three departments: Printed Books; Manuscripts (including coins); and Natural and Artificial Productions, which included everything from sculpture to mineral samples and zoological specimens. In January 1759 the British Museum opened its doors to the public.  \n  \nAs a product of the Enlightenment, the museum's job was to be a storehouse of knowledge for the use and benefit of the public, advancing all fields of scholarship. The museum therefore aimed to collect all kinds of material; it remains one of the few places in the world in which it is possible to see the world under one roof. During the 19th century the museum acquired representative collections of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities, as well as material from across the Islamic world.  \n  \nThe museum itself had to grow to offer space to display the growing collections. Between 1823 and 1847 the original building was replaced by four large wings built around a central courtyard. In 1854 construction began on the iconic Round Reading Room in the central courtyard. The natural history collections were given their own home in the new Museum of Natural History in 1881. By 1973 the British Library and British Museum were administratively separated, and in 1999 the new British Library building opened at St Pancras. The British Museum site was expanded and modernised. In 2000 the Great Court opened, envisioned as a sunny piazza at the centre of the building, with up-to-date facilities such as lecture theatres, an education centre and facilities for school children, as well as restaurants and shops. In 2014 the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre opened to the public, offering state-of-the-art facilities to care for, manage, research and display the collections.","city":"London","address":"Great Russell St., London WC1B 3DG  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"http://www.britishmuseum.org","phone":"+44 20 7323 8000 / 8299","fax":"+44 20 7323 8616","email":"information@britishmuseum.org"},"40411e66-c284-545a-b2ef-8e0e8a2c7f6e":{"name":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","description":"The Museum for Applied Arts (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg) is a museum of applied arts highlighting design, photography, fashion and graphic arts and crafts. The MKG was inaugurated in 1877 under its founding director Justus Brinckmann (1843-1915).  \n  \nThe Museums houses about 500,000 objects of art and design, covering a geographical scope from Europe, the Mediterranean Regions, to West and Asia. Over 4000 years of history of design and culture are presented, from Antiquity to the Present Age.  \n  \nThe Islamic Art wing is the oldest of its kind in Germany and has been part of the museum since its foundation. Justus Brinckmann acquired objects labelled Islamic Art in the context of the World Fairs in Vienna (1873) and Paris (1889). The initial focus of the collection were tiles and ceramics, which were acquired as decorative art.  \n  \nThe collection is significant for its outstanding individual objects. For example the *Divan Muhibbi* an illuminated volume of poetry (1554) by Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent or parts of the tile paneling of Buyan Kuli Khan’s mausoleum in Bukhara (Uzbekistan), fragments of a 16th century. Another masterpiece of the collection is a Safavid royal carpet.","city":"Hamburg","address":"Steintorplatz,  \nHamburg  \nGermany","website":"http://www.mkg-hamburg.de/","phone":"+49 (0)40 428134-880","fax":"+49 (0)40 428134-999","email":"service@mkg-hamburg.de"},"42fb6391-e1f6-527a-85db-f9638b02d667":{"name":"Higher Institute for the Study of Contemporary History of Tunisia, University of Manouba","description":"The Higher Institute for the Study of Contemporary History of Tunisia (ISHCT) is a research centre for contemporary history in Tunisia. It houses a microfilm archive, audio-visual witness records, a collection of photographs and a library available on request to researchers, journalists, activists and students wishing to conduct in-depth research into the history of the colonisation and decolonisation of Tunisia. There are four research and study units (UER) bringing together historical researchers dedicated to using the different resources to improve understanding of this period of Tunisian history: UER Archives, UER Repositories of Memory and Museums, UER Oral History and UER History. Through the publication of a review (RAWAFID), conference papers, seminars and scientific meetings, memories from witnesses and document collections, ISHCT hopes to enhance the university library in line with advances in documentation and  methodology, thereby helping to stimulate research into this historical period by setting up scientific exchanges in Tunisia and abroad.","city":"Tunis","address":"Campus Universitaire de la Manouba,  \n2010 La Manouba  \nTunis  \nTunisia","phone":"+216 716 009 50","fax":"+216 716 002 77","email":"ishmn@ishmn.rnu.tn"},"4e3dd315-a64b-5f7a-b98e-5f3b748094b8":{"name":"Museum of Applied Art","description":"The Museum of Applied Art was founded in 1950 as a specialised art museum with an initial collection of some 3,000 art pieces, collected by a painter Ljuba Ivanović. During the years the collection has been enriched by acquisitions, both by purchases and donations. Nowadays, the Museum holds more than 37,000 objects of applied art including pieces of great cultural and artistic value.  \n  \nThe oldest items in the Museum’s collections date from 4th century BC, and belong to the coin collection (coins from ancient Greece) of Metalwork and Jewellery Department, while the collections in Contemporary Applied Art Department contain objects of the most recent artistic production. The Museum also has Wood and Period Furniture Department, Textile and Costume Department, Photography and Print Room Department, Ceramics, Porcelain and Glass Department and Architecture Department.  \n  \nThe Museum has a dynamic exhibition programme, organising exhibitions within the Salon of Contemporary Applied Art, annual thematic study exhibitions as well as hosting domestic and foreign exhibitions. The permanent exhibition At the First Sight presents various items from the Museum’s historical collections.","city":"Belgrade","address":"Vuka Karadžića, 18  \n11000 Belgrade","website":"www.mpu.rs","phone":"+381 11 2626 494","fax":"+381 11 2629 121","email":"info@mpu.rs"},"559ab197-7289-5af4-a295-1118bde9afce":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum, State Museums","description":"**The Museum of Islamic Art is closed from October 2023 to March 2027 due to renovation and expansion works.**  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum Berlin is the only institution of its kind in Germany, the oldest in the West and with its c. 93,000 pieces it houses one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art from nearly all regions of Islamic rule.  \n  \nIts collections are especially rich in objects from an architectural context including the monumental façade of the caliphal palace of Mshatta (Jordan), dating from the mid-8th century. It is the largest artefact of Islamic Art in any museum worldwide. The unique dome from the Alhambra Palace in Granada (Spain) and 13th-century prayer niches from Kashan (Iran) and Konya (Turkey) are among the highlights. Most loved by our visitors is the finely painted wooden panelling of an upper-class house from Aleppo (Syria) from the early 17th century – it is the oldest surviving exemplar from the Ottoman World. Among the several archaeological groups from major excavations in the Islamic world the finds from the 9th-century caliphal capital of Samarra (Iraq) stand out. The collection also has a large number of important Ottoman and Persian carpets and bibliographical works of art, including numerous miniatures from the Mughal Empire.  \n  \nThe collection is displayed chronologically, allowing the visitor to follow the different stylistic phases of Islamic art and to develop a notion of the complex Islamic history and its artistic merits. Because of the large number of visitors (up to 900,000 yearly), only a small number of the most important works of art are on display. The museum will move inside Pergamon-Museum and will triple its exhibition space (3,000sq.m) by 2020. The layout and concept will discover new and innovative ways to present the cultural legacy.  \n  \nWith its rich art and archaeological collection, the Museum of Islamic Art is one of the leading research institutions dedicated to the material culture of the Middle East and neighbouring regions. Our many research, conservation and exhibition projects amount to a probing investigation of the urban legacies of the Near and Middle East. The institution houses important collections of archival photographs on Islamic art and architecture as well as an internationally outstanding library focused on art, architecture and archaeology in the world of Islam.","city":"Berlin","address":"Geschwister-Scholl-Straße, 6  \n10117 Berlin  \nGermany","website":"http://www.smb.museum/museen-und-einrichtungen/museum-fuer-islamische-kunst/home.html","phone":"+49 30 266 42 5201","fax":"+49 30 266 42 5202","email":"isl@smb.spk-berlin.de"},"57de3063-0978-5145-a700-a8b94f7e17a6":{"name":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","description":"The Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture is a creative initiative for the protection and revitalisation of water heritage in the Fertile Crescent and Arabian Peninsula. From its hub in Basra, where the Tigris-Euphrates river system meets the Gulf, it connects regionally through the flow of the waters and shared cultural and ecological heritage.  \n  \nThe initiative emerged from fieldwork by artist-researcher Rashad Salim with Safina Projects (since 2016), whose work to document and revive Iraq’s endangered maritime heritage highlights the role of boats as a means of movement and connection, both historically and today through the development of the Iraqi Heritage Boat Clubs Network and Water Scouts initiative.  \n  \nThe main Open Museum site was developed in 2021, when artisan builders in cooperation with Basra University’s architecture department constructed a series of buildings (using traditional reed and palm architecture techniques) to house Safina Projects’ collection. The Basra hub now includes a waterfront at Khora Marina (home of Basra Heritage Boat Club), and a maritime heritage exhibition at Basra Centre for Manuscripts and Heritage.  \n  \nThe collection includes traditional and historic boats and boat models; artifacts such as tools, materials and equipment used in boatbuilding and related crafts; and displays of archival photography and visual research. It continues to grow through workshops, study and creative development. Activities include educational and artistic projects, participation in conferences and festivals, and collaboration with local and international partners to build capacity in the maritime heritage and crafts sector.","city":"Basra","address":"Presidential Palaces Compound (adjacent to Basra Cultural Museum), Basra 61031","website":"https://www.watermuseums.net/network/open-museum-of-water-culture-basra-hub/","phone":"+964 771 125 2536"},"5a99ecbe-b976-5037-8760-a07c629142f6":{"name":"Kunsthistorisches Museum","description":"The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is one of the foremost museums in the world, with rich holdings comprising artworks from seven millennia - from Ancient Egypt to the late 18th century. The collections of Renaissance and Baroque art are of particular importance.  \n  \nThe KHM’s extensive holdings are on show at different locations: the main building on Ringstrasse houses the Picture Gallery, the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, the Coin Collection and the Kunstkammer.  \n  \nOther collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum are housed in the Neue Burg (i.e. the Collection of Historical Musical Instruments, the Collection of Arms and Armour, and the Ephesus Museum), in Hofburg Palace (the Treasury), and in Schönbrunn Palace (the Collection of Historical Carriages).  \n  \nThe collections on show at Ambras Palace are also part of the holdings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.  \n  \nSince January 2001, the Museum of Ethnology on Heldenplatz and the Austrian Theatre Museum on Lobkowitz Square have been incorporated into the KHM.","city":"Vienna","address":"Burgring, 5  \n1010 Vienna","website":"http://www.khm.at/","phone":"+43 1 525 24-0","email":"info@khm.at"},"5c5c9b16-1cb4-5775-8e5a-f521c4d1c2c0":{"name":"Islamic Museum of Australia","description":"The Islamic Museum of Australia is more than a museum – it’s a place where stories are shared, curiosity is welcomed, and connections are made. It invites people of all walks of life to step inside and discover the beauty, depth, and diversity of Islamic faith, history, and culture. Visitors leave with more than just knowledge; they leave with a sense of belonging, understanding, and appreciation for the threads that tie us together as a community.  \n  \nThrough art, history, and interactive displays, the museum celebrates both the global richness of Islam and the unique contributions of Muslim Australians. From intricate calligraphy and centuries-old traditions to contemporary creativity and everyday stories, each gallery offers a chance to see the world through a different lens. It’s a space where the past and present meet, and where heritage and innovation sit side by side.  \n  \nAt its heart, the museum is about people – connecting cultures, sparking conversations, and building empathy. Whether you come to learn something new, to share an experience with loved ones, or simply to enjoy the beauty of the exhibits, you’ll find a welcoming environment that encourages dialogue and inspires reflection. The museum reminds us that learning can be both joyful and enlightening, and that art and storytelling have the power to bring communities closer together.","city":"Victoria","address":"15 Anderson Road, Thornbury  \nVictoria 3071","website":"http://www.islamicmuseum.org.au","phone":"1300 915 171 (local calls only","email":"admin@islamicmuseum.org.au"},"5db20458-bdcf-5050-98fb-3fb2d1392a0a":{"name":"Museum for Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities","description":"When it was founded in 1954, the Museum for Mediterranean and Near East Antiquities comprised collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Cypriote antiquities. As a department of the National History Museum, the museum was primarily of an archaeological nature aimed at showing the origins of western civilization. However, in 1982, a large part of the Swedish collections of Islamic art were added to it, in response to increasing understanding of the Mediterranean countries as a region of close relations and interactions over the centuries. With its incorporation, in 1999, in the National Museum of World Culture, an organization consisting of the four Swedish state museums with foreign collections, the focus changed to the diversity of culture within the region of the Mediterranean and in relation to the rest of the world.  \n  \nThe Islamic collection of the museum consists of ceramics, metal works, textiles and miniatures, mostly from Iran and Turkey. It also includes well-known collections such as the so-called Hannibal collection of glass fragments. Although Sweden does not border any Islamic lands, there are many cultural objects in archives, libraries and other museums testifying to its diplomatic and commercial relations with Islamic countries. Examples from these institutions were selected to characterize the development of the Islamic collections in Sweden.  \n  \nThe Islamic collection is displayed in two rooms accessible from the main hall. As an introduction, the Muslim way of life is depicted by objects from a religious context. The exhibition itself displays artefacts from different regions and periods and of various materials according to aesthetic traditions. Located near finds from other Mediterranean cultures the exhibition encourages visitors to understand relationships, traditions and influences.","city":"Stockholm","address":"Fredsgatan 2  \nBox 16008  \n10321 Stockholm, Sweden","website":"http://www.varldskulturmuseerna.se/medelhavsmuseet/","phone":"+46 010 456 12 00","email":"info@medelhavsmuseet.se"},"6001ff30-e9b6-573e-a38c-5ac23b472e6c":{"name":"Saint Louis Art Museum","description":"Mission  \n  \nThe Saint Louis Art Museum collects, presents, interprets, and conserves works of art of the highest quality across time and cultures; educates, inspires discovery, and elevates the human spirit; and preserves a legacy of artistic achievement for the people of St. Louis and the world.  \n  \nHistory  \n  \nThe Saint Louis Art Museum was founded in 1879, at the close of a decade that saw the establishment of art museums in great cities across the eastern half of the United States. This Museum’s comprehensive collections bear witness to the inspirational and educational goals to which its founder aspired and the moral and democratic imperatives he embraced. What began as a collection of assorted plaster casts, electrotype reproductions, and other examples of good design in various media rapidly gave way to a great and varied collection of original works of art spanning five millennia and six continents. Today the quality and breadth of the Museum’s collection secure for it a place among the very best institutions of its kind.  \n  \n(*Saint Louis Art Museum Handbook of the Collection*)**","city":"Saint Louis","address":"1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park  \nSt. Louis, Missouri 63110","website":"http://www.slam.org","phone":"+1 314.721.0072","fax":"+1 314.721.6172","email":"info@slam.org"},"6021cc63-7507-5dd7-8c81-4b04847b92d2":{"name":"Ethnography Museum","description":"The Ethnography Museum is located on a hill donated by the General Directorate of Foundations to the Ministry of National Education. The architect Arif Hikmet (Koyunoğlu) is one of the most renowned architects of the early Republican period. The building has a rectangular plan with a single dome. The stone walls are faced with coarse sandstone, and the marble pediment has carved decoration.  \n  \nA special commission to collect and purchase artefacts was established in Istanbul, headed by Prof. Celal Esad (Arseven) in 1924 and then by Halil Ethem (Eldem), Director of Istanbul Museums, in 1925. 1,250 purchased artefacts were placed in the museum whose construction was completed in 1927. Hamit Zübeyr Koşay was appointed as the director. The equestrian bronze statue of Atatürk that stands in front of the Museum was made by the Italian sculptor B. Conanica at the request of the Ministry of National Education in 1927.  \n  \nOn 15 April 1928, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk) visited the museum and on his request the museum was opened to public on 18 July 1930 on the occasion of the visit of Afghan King Amanullah Han. In November 1938 the inner courtyard was reserved as a temporary mausoleum for Atatürk until his body was transferred to his own mausoleum, the Anıtkabir, in 1953. This section is stil kept as a symbolic cenotaph in Atatürk’s memory. Between 1953 and 1956, renovations were carried out for the International Museums Week in 1956 when the museum was reopened to the public.  \n  \nThe Ethnography Museum houses examples of Turkish art dating from the Seljuq period to modern times.  \n  \nTo the right of the entrance are halls displaying items related to the Anatolian wedding ceremony and bridal dresses, Turkish embroidery, Turkish carpets, Anatolian coffee culture and the circumcision ceremony.  \n  \nTo the left of the entrance are halls housing tile and glass artefacts, objects donated by Besim Atalay, Ottoman calligraphy and some of the finest wooden artefacts from the Seljuq and Emirate periods.","city":"Ankara","address":"Talatpaşa Bulvarı, Ülkü Sokak, 4  \n(Eski Türk Ocağı yanı) Opera  \nAnkara, Turkey","website":"https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=AET01&DistId=MRK","phone":"+90 312 311 30 07","fax":"+90 312 311 95 56","email":"ankaraetnografyamuze@kultur.gov.tr"},"64c2796c-d403-5a23-958e-760dfdfdff22":{"name":"Sharjah Museums Authority","description":"The Sharjah Museums Authority was established in 2006 as an independent government department by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.  \n  \nSharjah Museums Authority includes 16 museums covering Islamic art and culture, Arab and International, modern and contemporary art, archaeology, heritage, science, marine life and the history of Sharjah and the region.  \n  \nThe museum collections featured in this project come from: the Sharjah Art Museum, opened in April 1997 and the largest art museum in the Gulf with both temporary exhibitions and permanent collections by renowned artists; the Sharjah Heritage Museum, re-opened in the Heritage Area (Heart of Sharjah) in 2012 and dedicated to highlighting Sharjah’s rich traditions, customs and culture as a source of pride and inspiration to the people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its visitors; the Sharjah Maritime Museum, first opened in the Heritage Area in early 2003 to highlight the maritime life of the UAE and – in improved and expanded form – relocated to the Al Khan area in 2009 due to the importance of the sea and its significance in the region’s heritage; and the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, opened in 2008 as the first of its kind in the UAE, featuring more than 5,000 artefacts from all over the Islamic World, arranged to celebrate Islamic Faith, Science and Technology and Art.  \n  \nThe purpose of the Sharjah Museums Authority as a whole is to deliver the highest quality of museums services for the people of the Emirate of Sharjah and all its visitors, through its facilities, exhibitions, programmes of learning, research and community outreach. Sharjah Museums Authority aims to achieve locally and internationally an understanding, appreciation and respect for Sharjah’s identity and for the value of its cultural and natural heritage.","city":"Sharjah","address":"Al-Layyeh, Sharjah  \nP.O. Box 39939  \nTurkey","website":"www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","phone":"+971 65 56 60 02","fax":"+971 65 56 60 03","email":"info@smd.gov.ae"},"6a05cd70-3f9b-5480-8f66-c26e05087784":{"name":"Museums' System of the Province of Bologna","description":"A museums’ network created by Provincia di Bologna, offering a virtual tour through over 100 museums within Bologna and the surrounding area from the Po Valley, and the verdant hills up to the Apennine Mountains. Many different collections have been gathered into one virtual museum, inviting visitors to discover a rich heritage along five thematic paths (Archaeology, Arts, History, Sciences and Identity), and four geographic routes (Bologna, Imola and its surrounds, the Plains, and the Apennine Mountains).  \n  \nOn the agenda, a rich menu to suit all tastes: an intriguing starter is offered by the Etruscan and Roman heritage, set against the vestiges of our prehistoric ancestors. The arts follow, including those of the Middle Ages, illuminated manuscripts; the genius of Vitale da Bologna and the world-renowned Bolognese painters, the Carracci to Giorgio Morandi; the tradition of excellence in music honoured by Mozart, Farinelli and Rossini. Then there is a focus on History with Bologna’s most ancient University and its undisputed supremacy in scientific investigation, encompassing Ulisse Aldrovandi’s herbarium as well as Galvani’s and Marconi’s experiments. Take in the captivating stories of Risorgimento (“Resurgence”) after almost four centuries of magnificent papal authority; the grand events of World War Two, for example the Autumn Campaign of 1944; the subsequent suffering of the people, the struggles and resistance. Last but not least, from those museums dedicated to rural and industrial archaeology, the identity and character of people as rooted in agriculture and handicrafts and the technological innovations of more recent times.","city":"Bologna","address":"Via de’ Castagnoli, 3  \n40126 Bologna  \nItaly","website":"http://www.cittametropolitana.bo.it/cultura/Engine/RAServePG.php/P/267811390414/T/Guida-Musei","phone":"+39 051 6598470","fax":"+39 051 6598884","email":"sistemamusei@provincia.bologna.it"},"6dad7774-d6a4-55b6-8d2c-c7751bdd6b44":{"name":"Civic Museums of Ancient Art","description":"Three museums make up the Civic Museums of Ancient Art (Musei Civici d’Arte Antica) in Bologna. The Collezioni Comunali d’Arte (Municipal Art Collections) were instituted in 1936 in the Ancien Régime apartments of the papal legate in the City Hall. Housed here are works from the 13th to the 20th century. The collection – paintings, sculptures, furniture, furnishings and decorative objects – is the sum of 19th- and 20th-century bequests along with works that originally belonged to former ruling bodies of the city, including mythological and allegorical paintings (1713–1723) by Donato Creti. Works of the Emilian school (medieval painted and carved crosses; paintings by Vitale da Bologna, Jacopo di Paolo, Francia, Aspertini, Passerotti, the Carracci, Tiarini, Cagnacci, Crespi, Gandolfi and Palagi) are hung next to others by masters from all over Italy and abroad (Bonfigli, Moretti, Pirez, Signorelli, Bertoja, Gentileschi, Nuvolone, Hayez and Brullov). The rooms communicate the atmosphere of different artistic periods in Bolognese art.  \n  \nSince 1985, the Medieval Museum has been housed in the Renaissance Palazzo Ghisilardi. The items here come from several historical collections: the Baroque Wunderkammer of the Marquis Cospi; Luigi Ferdinando Marsili’s collection, one of the most important in Enlightenment Europe; collections of 19th-century artists (Baruzzi and Palagi). The Medieval sculpture department is at the heart the Museum’s identity. Among the masterpieces exhibited are examples of high Medieval craftsmanship, a cope embroidered in opus anglicanum with stories of the Life of Christ, a statue of Pope Boniface VIII in gilded copper, Gothic French ivories, important Renaissance and post-Renaissance items (weapons, armoury and glass) and Bolognese illuminated manuscripts. Renaissance and Baroque bronze sculptures include Giambologna’s model for the Neptune fountain, Algardi’s Saint Michael Archangel and Bernini’s bust of Pope Gregory XV Ludovisi.  \n  \nThe Davia Bargellini Museum was inaugurated in 1924 in the building of the same name. It includes a picture gallery (Vitale da Bologna, Michele di Matteo, Jacopo di Paolo, Prospero and Lavinia Fontana, Passerotti, Franceschini, Giuseppe Maria and Luigi Crespi) and a rich selection of objects of applied art recreating an authentic 18th-century Bolognese setting. Some items are particularly rare, such as the marionette theatre and a miniature of an 18th-century private house. Bolognese Baroque sculpture is represented by a wide display of works, mainly terracotta, dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries.","city":"Bologna","address":"Via Manzoni, 4  \n40121 Bologna  \nItaly","website":"http://www.museibologna.it/arteantica","phone":"+39 051 2193916","fax":"+39 051 232312","email":"museiarteantica@comune.bologna.it"},"71396e5b-ca3a-5c08-b428-1959e047ae57":{"name":"Jordan Folklore Museum","description":"The museum is located in the western section of Amman’s Roman theatre. Founded by the Department of Antiquities, it opened in 1975. The museum exhibits items of daily life in the cities and villages and of the Badu (Bedouin) groups who lived on the West and East Bank during the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Musical instruments, vessels and tools for domestic activities and craftsmanship illustrate traditional daily life and economic activities of the time. Tents, domestic furniture and items to prepare coffee illustrate the way of life, work and the rules of hospitality among Bedouin men and women. As well as the traditional products of the local society and economy, imported weapons and objects testify to how local communities came into contact with the inventions and commercial products that were changing the world in the 19th and early 20th century.","city":"Amman","address":"Quraysh Street  \nAmman","website":"goo.gl/DNPGbL"},"71715b75-3521-53ee-8c85-91fca0b977d0":{"name":"National Museums Scotland","description":"The collections of what is now National Museums Scotland were built over more than two centuries, with two strands of history coming together in the story of the organisation’s development. First the desire to have a museum reflecting Scottish history and second the wish to have a museum demonstrating international cultures, natural and physical sciences, and decorative art for Scotland.  \n  \nThe Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was founded in 1780, very much in the spirit of the Enlightenment, to collect the archaeology of Scotland. Its collections passed into public ownership in 1851 as the original collections of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. In 1985 the National Museum of Antiquities was amalgamated with the Royal Scottish Museum. The latter was founded in 1854 as the Industrial Museum of Scotland and reflected the impetus of Victorian ideals of education. It started international collecting and research as well as forming close links to the collections and teaching of Edinburgh University, which continue today. Renamed the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, it opened in its first bespoke buildings, designed by Francis Fowke, on Chambers Street in 1866. The 1985 amalgamation created the largest multi-disciplinary museum in Scotland, with 12 million items in its collections and the largest body of curatorial and conservation expertise in the country. Today, National Museums Scotland includes the National Museum of Scotland, the National War Museum, and the National Museums Collections Centre - a research, storage, and conservation facility in Edinburgh, as well as the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian, and the National Museum of Rural Life in Lanarkshire.  \n  \nNational Museums Scotland started acquiring material culture from West Asia and North Africa in 1854. Today, material from West Asia comprises more than 4,000 items from a geographical area that spans from Turkey to Central Asia to Yemen, alongside over 500 objects in our collections from North African countries. Dating from the 7th to the 21st centuries, they give an insight into the past and the present of the people living in these regions, particularly through representations of their different crafts, and the skills and social values associated with them. The museum’s collections reflect British and Scottish collectors’ interests in the Islamic world and embody entangled colonial histories and interrelations.","city":"Edinburgh","address":"Chambers Street,  \nEdinburgh EH1 1JF","website":"http://www.nms.ac.uk","phone":"+ 44 (0)300 123 6789","email":"info@nms.ac.uk"},"7712e497-33e4-5529-91c3-47abff00f87c":{"name":"National Archaeological Museum","description":"The National Archaeological Museum (Museo Arqueológico Nacional or MAN) is Spain’s most important museum of history. It preserves, researches and presents its collections of archaeology, art and history to the public. In doing so, the museum aspires to offer all visitors an accurate, attractive, interesting and critical interpretation of the meaning of objects from the past, in the hopes that a deeper knowledge of history will help them to better analyse and understand the reality of today. Given the relevance and scope of its collections, the National Archaeological Museum is comparable in its specialty to prominent Spanish museums (Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofía or the Royal Collections Gallery), by showing our country’s diversity and affluence in terms of cultural history.  \n  \nThe museum occupies a monumental building in the heart of the Salamanca quarter, one of Madrid’s busiest shopping and leisure districts, and is strategically positioned along the Recoletos-Prado artery, which boasts the highest concentration of art and culture institutions in the city. The museum’s magnificent building in the heart of Madrid offers a historical infrastructure — complete with building, garden and fence —which is fully renovated and accessible.  \n  \nThe MAN has grown and evolved constantly since it was created in 1867, almost 160 years ago, and is still changing today to meet the needs of the 21st century. After a complete overhaul between 2008 and 2014, the institution reopened in April 2014 with a brand-new look and layout, claiming its place among Europe’s most modern museums. The renovated building is divided into six floors and has a total surface area of nearly 30,000 m2, of which 18,304 m2 are reserved for public use (the permanent exhibition alone occupies 9,239 m2). The museum has also been fitted out with different service areas, including a spacious vestibule, café, shop and activity rooms.  \n  \nThe MAN’s extraordinary collection, which includes a large number of priceless historical and cultural artefacts, comprises over one million archaeological, historical and artistic objects.  \n  \nIts holdings are vast and varied: Palaeolithic bifaces, practically the only tool in existence for millennia; delicate ivory carvings that combine aesthetic appeal with practical functionality; prehistoric engravings found in the Cave of El Castillo, evidence of humanity’s earliest artistic and symbolic expressions; the abstract aesthetics of the “Idol of Extremadura”; the classical, timeless beauty of the Lady of Elche; ancient Roman sculptures; the extraordinary treasure of Guarrazar; the Romanesque crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha; the lovely equestrian figure of Hector by Il Filarete; and the ornamental paintings of Luis Paret on a Baroque armchair are just some of the treasures it houses.  \n  \nThe Museum's Islamic Art collection largely comes from the different historical periods of Al-Andalus, the name that the Muslims gave to the territory they conquered in the Iberian Peninsula. The aesthetic quality achieved by Andalusian art is demonstrated in the capitals, arches, marble panels and alabaster and plaster decorations of the period, especially from the Caliphate of Córdoba. Added to this is the museum's collection of decorative and highly refined objects made in the Andalusian palace workshops, such as metal, ivory and glazed ceramics. Likewise, a large collection of objects is preserved that show the symbiosis of Hispano-Islamic and Christian forms in the Iberian Peninsula, as the dome of the Torrijos Palace.","city":"Madrid","address":"Serrano, 13  \n28001  \nMadrid, Spain","website":"http://www.man.es/","phone":"+34 91 577 79 12","fax":"+34 91 432 68 40","email":"secretaria.man@mecd.es"},"77acfda5-2885-5fb7-ac55-8d070a83e4c2":{"name":"Department of Antiquities of Jordan","description":"The Department of Antiquities (DoA) of Jordan was established in 1923 under the management of Mr. Ridha Tawfeq who relocated it from Jarash to Amman. The first piece of Jordanian legislation concerning antiquities was written in 1934 and called Law No. 24. It was amended by Law No.21 in 1988, and in 2004 it was replaced with Law No.22.  \n  \nThe main goal of the DoA is to protect all antiquities. This was defined per the law as any movable or immovable object made, written, inscribed, built, discovered, or modified by human being. This includes caves, sculpture, coins, pottery, manuscripts and other kinds of manufactured products which indicate the beginning and development of science, arts, handicrafts, religions, traditions of previous civilisations, or any addition or renovation.  \n  \nThe DoA is an independent department that has its own budget and director within the Jordanian Government.  \n  \nThe DoA is responsible for the implementation of archeological policy in Jordan. The DOA provides comprehensive information on antiquities and presents archaeological assets in a manner that supports national identity and serves the educational culture, while considering these as a major factor to attract tourism to the Kingdom.","city":"Amman","address":"Amman 3rd circle, abdel Munem al refae Street  \nP.O. Box 88,  \nAmman 11118  \nJordan","website":"http://www.doa.gov.jo","phone":"+962 64644336","fax":"+962 64615848","email":"info@doa.gov.jo"},"7df32468-b6ba-51bb-bf7d-829daebb9ef6":{"name":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","description":"The Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation in Morocco is a historical, scientific, cultural, educational, and recreational space unique to Morocco and Africa. It is the result of the commitment by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs to preserve Morocco’s hydraulic heritage.  \n  \nThe museum was established in recognition of Moroccan ingenuity in water management through tools and techniques historically adapted to the country’s ecosystems and geomorphology. It serves as a tribute to the dam policy and water laws introduced by the late King Hassan II. It acknowledges the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in developing modern water infrastructure, which led to the National Water Strategy for 2030 and the National Water Plan for 2020–2050.  \n  \nThis museum is the first building specifically designed to showcase the history of water management in Morocco. Its inauguration was honoured by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan on 5 January 2017, and it opened to the public in May of that year. In June 2019, the Crown Prince was elected to the steering committee of Wamu-Net, a global network of water museums affiliated with UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP). In 2021, he was promoted to the position of vice president.  \n  \nBeyond its primary mission of raising awareness about the importance of water resources, and urging short- and long-term behavioural changes in water usage, the museum encourages visitors to appreciate Moroccan water engineering through the centuries.  \nAs a bridge between past and present, the Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco invites people to experience the history, heritage, and rich hydraulic culture of Morocco, and to share that heritage through accessible scientific and cultural programs intended for a wide audience.  \n  \nThe museum covers 20,000 square metres. It includes permanent exhibition space; rooms for education, events, and meetings; a cafeteria, gift shop, and offices. Its ideal location at the entrance to the *Palmeraie* (Palm Grove) enhances the social and cultural life of Marrakech.","city":"Marrakech","address":"Entrance of the palm grove circuit Abdelkrim El Khattabi Avenue Road to Casablanca- Marrakech 40000.","website":"www.museeaman.ma","fax":"+212524291592","email":"museemohammedvi.aman@gmail.com"},"7dfff38c-303b-557b-9cb3-9735ce4cab7b":{"name":"National Museum of Anthropology","description":"The National Museum of Anthropology is Spain's first anthropological museum. Its establishment was due in large part to the efforts of one Pedro González Velasco, a doctor of Segovian heritage, and was officially inaugurated in 1875 by King Alfonso XII to serve as a museum that showcased objects relating to anatomy and anthropology. The current museum hosts an exhibition room that pays tribute to this inaugural history.  \n  \nAfter the museum became a public institution, under the authority of the former Natural History Cabinet, it was converted into the National Museum of Natural Sciences. Subsequently, under the auspices of Spain’s Higher Council for Scientific Research, the site was rededicated as the Museum of Anthropology, Ethnography and Prehistory and later a National Museum of Ethnology, making it a museum dedicated exclusively to cultural anthropology.  \n  \nVelasco’s original collection was augmented by objects brought back by expeditions organised by Spanish scientific institutions in the last years of the nineteenth century. The acquisition of these objects were paid for by the funds of the Museum of Natural Sciences. Amongst these are a collection of ethnographic objects that formed part of the 1887 Philippine Exhibition, the last colonial exhibition of the Spanish Empire that was organised in Madrid’s ‘Parque del Retiro’. The Museum’s collection have grown since the 1960s, thanks to donations and acquisitions made by the General Directorate of Fine Arts, Cultural Property, Archives and Libraries.","city":"Madrid","address":"C/ Alfonso XII, 68  \n28014 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"http://mnantropologia.mcu.es","phone":"+34 91 530 64 18/91 539 59 95","fax":"+34 91 467 70 98","email":"antropologico@mecd.es"},"85fff507-bb71-531b-85a8-f2b6d6324d8e":{"name":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","description":"Built in Honolulu, Hawai'i from 1936–1938, Shangri La overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head and houses Doris Duke’s (1912–1993) collection of Islamic art. Of the many homes that Duke inhabited, Shangri La is the only one that she built from the ground up and filled from the inside out.  \n  \nThe five-acre complex integrates a 14,000-square-foot house, a Playhouse, and a pool, comprising a series of interlocking spaces, both indoors and out: rooms, courtyards, lanais, terraces, gardens, and numerous water features. While design and early construction were underway, Duke traveled extensively in the Middle East, visiting historical monuments and providing the architect with photographs of architectural decoration to be incorporated into Shangri La's design. She also placed large commissions with contemporary artisans in India, Morocco, Iran, and Syria to create art and architectural elements, utilizing traditional forms, patterns, and means of fabrication.  \n  \nFor nearly 60 years, Doris Duke continued to collect Islamic art, ultimately forming a collection of about 2,500 objects, many of which are embedded into the structure of the house. Iranian ceramic tile panels, carved and painted ceilings from Morocco, jali (perforated screen) doors and windows, and textiles and carpets create a living environment of Islamic art and architectural decoration.  \n  \nThe later centuries of production (c. 1600–1940) are better represented, and ceramics, metalwork, wood, glass and textiles are favored over the arts of the book and works on paper. The collection ranges from items of the finest artistic quality, including medieval Persian tilework and painted interiors from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Damascus, to ethnographic objects such as leather saddles and a bedouin-style tent, reflecting Duke's broad and inclusive sense of aesthetics.  \n  \nToday, Shangri La is nationally recognized for its high artistic value and as one of Hawai'i's most architecturally significant homes. It is open to the public for guided tours and educational programs such as lectures, performances and occasional symposia. Shangri La also supports residencies for contemporary artists and for scholars researching Islamic art.","city":"Honolulu","address":"4055 Papu Circle  \nHonolulu, HI 96816","website":"http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/","phone":"(808) 734-1941","fax":"(808) 732-4361","email":"shangrilahawaii@ddcf.org"},"89f613d2-8723-5be8-8e46-487f9dae46f4":{"name":"Swiss National Museum","description":"Three museums – the National Museum Zurich, the Château de Prangins and the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz – as well as the collections centre in Affoltern am Albis – are united under the umbrella of the Swiss National Museum (SNM). The permanent exhibitions at the museums present Swiss history from its beginnings to the present, and give an insight into Swiss identities and the rich tapestry of our country’s history and culture. Temporary exhibitions on current topics add to the experience.","city":"Zurich","address":"Swiss National Museum  \nMuseumstrasse, 2  \nP.O. Box 8021  \nZurich  \nSwitzerland","website":"http://www.nationalmuseum.ch","phone":"+41 44 218 65 11","fax":"+41 44 211 29 49","email":"info@nationalmuseum.ch"},"8a41ae85-1217-5a1f-a8f2-68da1d74234d":{"name":"National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art","description":"The National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art is the oldest museum in Algeria and Africa. The collection was set up in 1835, five years after the French occupation, by the then Governor General Marshal Clauzel who appointed Adrien Berbrugger as its first curator. From 1838 onward, the early museum hosted pieces, of Algerian provenance, from Antiquity up until the Ottoman periods. Between 1838 and 1896, this early museum occupied different places of the lower Casbah, before settling in a beautiful park located on the heights of Mustapha Pasha - now known as the Park of Liberty - where it was officially inaugurated in 1897.  \n  \nSince then these two divisions of the museum’s collection, Antiquity and Islamic, have continued to grow. This collection makes it possible to exhibit the history of Algeria from its Libyan-Punic era through to the 20th century. The objects are displayed in two separate buildings: one houses the pre-Islamic collection whilst the other houses the collection of Islamic art, which was inaugurated in May 2003.  \n  \nThe ancient collection is very rich and includes collections of mosaics, sculptures, Libyan and Latin inscriptions, coins and medals, bronze, ivory, bone, ceramics and wooden objects.  \n  \nThe Islamic section was formed from the first collection of 1854, which included Algerian and Oriental objects. It has gradually been enriched by pieces uncovered through archaeological excavations carried throughout the country. This wide-ranging collection includes sculpted plasterboard from 10th century Sedrata, marble or plaster sculptures of the 11th century Qal'a of Beni Hammad as well as the chairs of the 11th century Almoravid mosques in Algiers and the 12th century mosque of Nedroma.  \n  \nThe furniture arts of North Africa is also widely represented in this museum. Shop windows contain Ottoman-era embroidery, clothing, ceramics, weapons, jewellery, chiselled brass and worked repoussé that comes from the urban centres as well as rural areas. Manuscripts and miniatures complete the collection.  \n  \nThe museum’s numismatic collection is exhibited in a reading room that was inaugurated in May 2006.","city":"Algiers","address":"177, bd Krim-Belkacem, Parc de la Liberté  \nAlgiers, Algeria","website":"https://m-culture.gov.dz/index.php/fr/mus%C3%A9es","phone":"+213 0 21 68 11 29","fax":"+213 0 21 68 12 56","email":"museemna@musee-antiquites.art.dz"},"8ea7243d-fe8e-5011-a9ca-75ebd26660ac":{"name":"Ministry of Culture, Directorate for Cultural Heritage","description":"The Directorate of Cultural Heritage is part of the Ministry of Culture. Its mission is to ensure the protection, conservation, restoration, maintenance and promotion of the architectural, archaeological and ethnographic heritage. It is also in charge of the country’s museums and its various artistic treasures.","city":"Rabat","address":"Avenue Michlifen, 17  \nAgdal, Rabat  \nMorocco","website":"www.minculture.gov.ma","phone":"+212 537 274 001 / 03","fax":"+212 537 274 002"},"95483cda-d367-5af3-ad0e-2779b97409cb":{"name":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","description":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) is a cultural organisation based on a Kuwaiti private art collection owned by Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, founder of The al-Sabah Collection and his wife, DAI director general and co-founder Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah.  \n  \nEstablished in 1983, DAI was created to manage The al-Sabah Collection, an esteemed collection of Islamic art on permanent loan to the State of Kuwait under the auspices of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. The collection preserves and presents all aspects of Islamic art and includes more than 20,000 pieces extending from Spain to China, from the 1st – 13th centuries AH/7th – 19th centuries AD.  \n  \nSince its inception, DAI has grown from a single focus organisation to an internationally recognised cultural organisation. DAI’s main activities include:  \n  \n• An annual Cultural Season (lectures, music concerts, forum, workshops, children’s programme, quarterly magazine/journal, quarterly newsletter, cultural expeditions)  \n• Travelling exhibitions and loans  \n• Conservation training programmes  \n• Research and excavation projects  \n  \nWith a highly specialised library, DAI is also involved in the publication of scholarly books on Islamic art and culture.  \n  \nWhile the rehabilitation project of DAI’s buildings at the Kuwait National Museum is underway, the Amricani Cultural Centre is the temporary home of DAI. The Amricani Cultural Centre is the ground for most of the organization’s activities and events, including local temporary exhibitions and DAI’s cultural season events.","city":"Kuwait City","address":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah  \nAmricani Cultural Centre  \nP.O. BOX: 23996 Safat 13100 Kuwait","website":"https://daralatharalislamiyyah.com/en/home-page-en/","phone":"+965 2240 0992","fax":"+965 2246 7770","email":"info@darmuseumkw.org"},"a05b0a22-d90a-5e08-85e3-53fd66868e26":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art","description":"The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is a pioneering project spotlighting the cultural vision of the State of Qatar, both in the region and across the world. Under the guiding vision of His Excellency, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the project is the cornerstone for the State of Qatar in its establishment as a global capital of culture.  \n  \nThe 35,500 sq. m museum was designed by I.M. Pei, taking inspiration from the 13th-century *sabil* (ablutions fountain) of the 9th-century Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun in Cairo. The museum comprises a five-level main building and a two-storey Education Wing, connected across a fountain courtyard. The main building’s angular planes form ascending pinnacles, rising around an atrium. Inside, a dome is revealed, concealed from outside view by the walls of a central tower. A window on the building’s north side rises to a height of 54 m., providing dramatic views from all five floors. The ground floor is home to a temporary gallery space for touring international exhibitions and the café, giftshop and Information Services. The museum’s permanent exhibition is installed on two floors of galleries designed by the French firm Jean-Michel Wilmotte & Associés. The fourth floor contains temporary galleries showcasing the research topics of museum staff, using items either not seen in the permanent galleries or with new information to see them in a new way.  \n  \n**Overview of the collections**  \nThe MIA houses artefacts highlighting the creative achievements of the Islamic world's richest cultures and spanning nearly a thousand years. The collection represents the full scope of Islamic art in all media, from manuscripts to ceramics, metalwork, glass, stone, ivory, textiles, wood, precious stones and jewellery.  \n  \nThe permanent exhibition of *c.* 850 artefacts offers an insight into the diverse art of the Islamic world. Two floors are dedicated to the exploration of historical eras and interpretation of the themes of Islamic art and material culture, from the 8th century to the cusp of the 19th century.  \n  \nThe MIA also holds thousands more objects, some destined to be seen in future displays and others providing a resource for education and research.  \n  \nHighlights of the collection include: a distinguished group of carpets and textiles, a range of Ayyubid and Mamluk metalwork and enamelled glass, an outstanding strength in early ceramics, a comprehensive collection of astrolabes and scientific instruments, masterpieces of Mughal jewellery and rare manuscripts and miniatures.  \n  \n**The Department of Education and Information**  \nThe department’s main goal is to create materials, programmes and workshops that will engage the public, allowing them to explore the world through Islamic art, promoting a culture of learning within an atmosphere of knowledge and entertainment.  \n  \n**The Curatorial Department**  \nThe department of internationally trained curators is committed to studying, documenting and publicising the MIA’s collection and establishing the MIA as a world-class centre of scholarly research.  \n  \n**The Conservation Department**  \nSet to become a leading regional service centre for museums, the department is committed to restoring, preserving and caring for the collection through the application of innovative scientific methods.  \n  \n**International partnerships**  \nThe MIA is committed to building a network of partnerships around the world and offering institutes and museums collective access to information, research and images. It has strong ties with many world-class museums and collections, including the Louvre, France, the British Museum, UK, the Victoria & Albert Museum, UK, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA, the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Germany, the Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, the Gulbenkian, Portugal, and the National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art, Algeria.","city":"Doha","address":"Museum of Islamic Art roundabout, the Corniche  \nPostal Address: P.O. Box 2777  \nDoha, Qatar","website":"http://mia.org.qa/","phone":"+974 4422 4444","fax":"+974 4422 4447","email":"infomia@qma.org.qa; educationmia@qma.org.qa; librarymia@qma.org.qa"},"a257e0a0-fae7-5fd8-8ac0-b41ac86f5c03":{"name":"Bait Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qasimi Museum","description":"Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Qasimi in Kalba first opened its doors as a museum on December 5, 1999. and reopend after renovation in 2022.  \n  \nLocated in Kalba on the east coast of the Arabian peninsula, Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Qasimi is one of the most beautiful heritage houses in the UAE. It was built between 1899 and 1901, and was the residence of the local ruler, Sheikh Saeed and his family.  \n  \nThe house was built between 1899 and 1901 in the local traditional style and consists of two sections, eastern and western separated by a wall. The eastern section includes the entrance, *Al Majlis* (meeting room), *Murrabba'a* (square defensive tower) and *Mazaqhel* (loop holes). The outer Majlis overlooking the shore, and is devoted to visitors. The western section houses the private family quarters. The galleries tell the story of the house, the ruling family and local history over the last 200 years.","city":"Kalba","address":"Kalba Square - Al Galah - Kalba - Sharjah - United Arab Emirates","website":"https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","email":"infor@sma.gov.ae"},"a40bf5c0-8027-5a07-a50b-1b6f056d38bf":{"name":"Jordan River Foundation","description":"The Jordan River Foundation (JRF) is a Jordanian non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in 1995 and Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah.","city":"Amman","website":"http://www.jordanriver.jo/"},"a61ee6e4-a22c-5b69-9e0b-e4320040e5f4":{"name":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","description":"The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was the first museum in Turkey to bring together works of Islamic art. It was founded in 1914 as the Museum of Islamic Foundations and housed in the Imaret building of the Süleymaniye Complex, built by the great Turkish architect Sinan in the 16th century. The museum was renamed the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts after the declaration of the republic and moved to its present location in the 16th-century Ibrahim Paşa Palace in 1983.  \n  \nThe core collection of the museum comprises Islamic artworks collected from across the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. These works include carpets, manuscripts, metalwork, glassware, ceramics, woodwork and ethnographic materials. The collection represents an extensive period ranging from the rise of Islam to the 20th century and the vast geographical area ruled by the Ottoman Empire.  \n  \nThe carpets, numbering some 1,700, in their quality and variety constitute one of the most important collections of carpets in the world, so that the museum is sometimes thought of as a carpet museum. But the museum also has other outstanding collections: the manuscripts collection represents all the ruling Islamic states from the AH 1st / AD 7th century to the 20th century across a wide geographical area. The metalwork collection allows visitors to follow the development of Turkish metalwork in Anatolia and the rich collection of woodwork ranges from the AH 3rd / AD 9th century to the Ottoman period. The glassware and pottery collections include artefacts recovered during excavations at renowned Abbasid centres such as Samarra and Keshan (Iran) and Raqqa (Syria) as well as artefacts from the Anatolian Turkish period. The stonework, most bearing inscriptions, includes examples from the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Seljuq and Ottoman periods. The ethnographic department is the newest section.  \n  \nThe museum also organises, hosts and participates in temporary national and international exhibitions.  \n  \nAfter the grand restoration works The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts re-opened in April 2014, exactly 100 years after its foundation, with special exhibitions to celebrate its hundredth anniversary.","city":"İstanbul","address":"İbrahim Paşa Sarayı Atmeydanı Sok. No: 46  \nSultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey","website":"https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/tiem","phone":"+90 212 518 18 05 / 06","fax":"+90 212 518 18 07","email":"tiem@tiem.gov.tr"},"aa83efa6-6a45-5fd6-adf6-3d369fe66c16":{"name":"National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions","description":"Inaugurated in 1961, the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions (NMPAT) is located in the lower casbah neighborhood, also known as \\*Souk el Djemaa\\*, where a poultry market used to take place on Fridays. The museum’s main goal is to promote the Algerian, traditional and rural heritage. Its inception dates back to the early 20th century, with the aim of boosting manual know-how and craftmanship while safeguarding local traditions. The museum was first set in a palace built in 1570 by Ramdane Pacha. By the end of the 18th century, it went to Hassan Khaznadji, treasurer to Dey Mohamed Ben Othman, who gave it to his daughter Khedaoudj. Legend has it that the young princess had lost her sight, struck by her own beauty while admiring her reflection in a mirror. The palace was then inhabited by Jacob Cohen Bacri, a rich wheat trader. After French colonisation in 1830, the French government turned the building into the first city hall of Algiers. In 1860, part of the palace was transformed to welcome Empress Eugenia de Montijo. During her visit, Aziza Bacri, Jacob Cohen Bacri’s granddaughter was her interpreter. In 1987, a decree officially turned Dar Khedaoudj El Amia into the NMPAT. The collection has been made possible thanks to several purchases and donations. It consists of items made for domestic use, some of which were made for competitions for the best artisan of France as well as products by famous Algeria craftsmen. Visitors can admire copper flasks, silver chests, colourful fabrics displaying geometric patterns from the Boussaada area, rugs from Chechar, ceramics from Taher and the Aures, knotted rugs weavings from the Babar area, jewels, traditional costumes and furniture from the city of Algiers. The collection also includes musical instruments, home furnishing fabrics woven with silk threads from the M'zab, costumes and embroideries, pottery and tools made by the Targuis, by the Kabyles or from the Aures, as well as silver rings from Timimoun and Tamanrasset, and fibulas from Setif and El Bayadh. An exhibition room is dedicated to mirrors. Among these delicately ornate objects, one is suspected to have led to princess Khedaoudj’s blindness. Beside the ethnographic collection, the Museum keeps a photographic fund with over 20,000 items, including ancient photos, Ektachromes, diapositives and black and white pictures. Please contact \\[management@museumwnf.net\\]() for further updates of this content.","city":"Algiers","address":"9 rue Mohamed Akli Malek  \nCasbah 16000, Algiers  \nAlgeria","website":"http://cnra.dz/atlas/musee-national-des-arts-et-traditions-populaires/","phone":"+213 21 43 99 08"},"ade41604-f524-5e89-9783-ad827a3b4e8f":{"name":"Cerrahpaşa Medical History Museum","description":"During the 1893 cholera epidemic in Istanbul, Takiyeddin Paşa Konağı (Mansion of Takiyeddin Pasha) in Cerrahpaşa district was purchased by the municipality and turned into a cholera hospital to treat and isolate patients. In 2005, the building opened as Cerrahpaşa Medical History Museum. Most of the objects exhibited date to the late Ottoman and early Republican period. The collection includes Turkish medical manuscripts, plant pictures copied from old plant books and copies of Ottoman and Seljuq miniatures documenting the historical development of Turkish medical history. There is a collection of apparatus, instruments and tools used for medical education, photographs of education, research and diagnostic laboratories where these materials were used, and drawings, portraits, edicts, insignia and badges.  \n  \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_  \n  \nThe Museum is currently closed for restoration (March 2019).","city":"Istanbul","address":"Tıp Tarihi Müze Müdürlüğü Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi  \nYerleşkesi Kocamustafapaşa Caddesi, 53  \nFatih, Istanbul  \nTurkey  \n  \nCerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi  \nKocamustafapaşa Caddesi, 53  \n34098 Cerrahpaşa  \nFatih, Istanbul  \nTurkey","phone":"+90 212 414 30 00","fax":"+90 212 632 00 25","email":"ctfmuze@istanbul.edu.tr"},"af01a84d-b174-5718-b9a7-b741c8957086":{"name":"The British Museum","description":"The British Museum was established by Act of Parliament in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all “studious and curious persons”. The founding collection was that of Sir Hans Sloane, a wealthy physician and collector. The original British Museum comprised three departments: Printed Books; Manuscripts (including coins); and Natural and Artificial Productions, which included everything from sculpture to mineral samples and zoological specimens. In January 1759 the British Museum opened its doors to the public.  \n  \nAs a product of the Enlightenment, the museum's job was to be a storehouse of knowledge for the use and benefit of the public, advancing all fields of scholarship. The museum therefore aimed to collect all kinds of material; it remains one of the few places in the world in which it is possible to see the world under one roof. During the 19th century the museum acquired representative collections of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities, as well as material from across the Islamic world.  \n  \nThe museum itself had to grow to offer space to display the growing collections. Between 1823 and 1847 the original building was replaced by four large wings built around a central courtyard. In 1854 construction began on the iconic Round Reading Room in the central courtyard. The natural history collections were given their own home in the new Museum of Natural History in 1881. By 1973 the British Library and British Museum were administratively separated, and in 1999 the new British Library building opened at St Pancras. The British Museum site was expanded and modernised. In 2000 the Great Court opened, envisioned as a sunny piazza at the centre of the building, with up-to-date facilities such as lecture theatres, an education centre and facilities for school children, as well as restaurants and shops. In 2014 the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre opened to the public, offering state-of-the-art facilities to care for, manage, research and display the collections.","city":"London","address":"Great Russell St.,  \nLondon WC1B 3DG  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"http://www.britishmuseum.org","phone":"+44 20 7323 8000 / 8299","fax":"+44 20 7323 8616","email":"information@britishmuseum.org"},"b01aedf8-4844-5526-8c45-e7dc4bd7a559":{"name":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","description":"The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation aims to display, interpret, research and further develop the museum's collections for a wide range of local, national and international audiences, and to stimulate knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of Islamic art, history, science and culture.  \n  \nThe magnificent building that houses the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation first opened in 1987 as the Souq al-Majarrah and quickly became a popular landmark, both among the people of Sharjah themselves and visiting tourists. The building was only the second of its kind in the Gulf region, after Sharjah’s “’New”’ or “Central’’ Souq constructed in 1977, to use traditional, Arab-Islamic design elements in its ground-plan and décor. The building with its impressive architecture and attractive design features was subsequently renovated and reopened in 2008 as the Museum of Islamic Civilisation. Its most outstanding feature is its majestic, gilt central dome, decorated on the inside with an intricate mosaic depicting the night sky and the signs of the zodiac.  \n  \nThe building now transformed into a state-of-the art cultural venue, the new **Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation**, houses more than five thousand exquisite Islamic artefacts from all over the Islamic World, arranged according to themes over seven spacious galleries and display areas.  \n  \nOn the ground floor you can visit the **Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith**, the **Ibn al Haitham Gallery of Islamic Science and Innovation**, a prominent display of **Islamic Coinage**, and the **Al Majarrah Gallery for temporary exhibitions** which is scheduled to hold regular exhibitions of international standing.  \n  \nThe entire first floor of the **Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation** is devoted to **Islamic Art**. Four spacious galleries take the visitor on a journey of artistic discovery which starts in the early Islamic period and leads all the way to modern times. Start your explorations with a visit to our state-of-the-art audiovisual show. Enjoy stunning images from all over the Muslim world and learn about the artistic achievements of its calligraphers and artisans.","city":"Sharjah","address":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, Corniche Road, Al Majarrah Area, Sharjah.  \nPostal address: P.O.BOX 39939, Sharjah.","website":"https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","phone":"+97165655455","fax":"+97165652988","email":"info@islamicmuseum.ae"},"b3d5e8a5-90ae-5442-bf21-9067f8e77ed1":{"name":"Cerralbo Museum","description":"Cerralbo Palace, now Museum, was built between 1884 and 1892 in a historicist style with classical echoes, also shared by its garden. It contains the collections of Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, 17th Marquis of Cerralbo (1845–1922), a politician, historian, collector and pioneer of archaeology in Spain. After his death, he bequeathed his collection to the Spanish state. Paintings, furniture, clocks, porcelain, lamps, sculptures, arms and armour, textiles, books, coins and archaeological objects are displayed in the various rooms where the first inhabitants of the palace led their daily lives. Cerralbo Museum also has the distinction of being one of the few buildings in Madrid that shows the original decorative ambience of an aristocratic residence, thoroughly restored in the first decade of the 21st century.","city":"Madrid","address":"C / Ventura Rodríguez, 17  \n28008 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"http://museocerralbo.mcu.es/","phone":"+34 915 47 36 46 / 47","fax":"+34 915 59 11 71","email":"museo.cerralbo@mecd.es"},"b43ae2c6-2060-5819-bd1c-dd9ca66b9f11":{"name":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","description":"With 100,000 objects dating from ancient times to the present, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest art museum in the western United States. A museum of international stature as well as a vital part of Southern California, LACMA shares its vast collections through exhibitions, public programs, and research facilities that attract nearly a million visitors annually.  \n  \nLACMA’s seven-building complex is located on twenty acres in the heart of Los Angeles, halfway between the ocean and downtown. The campus is undergoing a ten-year expansion and renovation known as the Transformation and designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop.  \n  \nLACMA’s collections encompass the geographic world and virtually the entire history of art. The museum houses a highly significant collection of Islamic art. These widely diverse arts, from an area extending from southern Spain to Central Asia, trace the distinctive visual imagination of Islamic artists over a period of fourteen hundred years. The collection consists of over 1,700 works, of which some 150 examples are on view; these include glazed ceramics, inlaid metalwork, enameled glass, carved wood and stone, and manuscript illustration, illumination, and calligraphy. Particular strengths of the collection are glazed pottery and tiles from Iran and Turkey; glass, especially from the late seventh to the mid-thirteenth century; and Persian and Turkish arts of the book.  \n  \nThe museum began to concentrate seriously on Islamic art in 1973, with the acquisition of the Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, the generous gift of Joan Palevsky. Although the Heeramaneck collection forms the nucleus of the Islamic holdings, the focus and scope of the collection have developed considerably since 1973. Two important additions, both gifts, occurred in the 1980s. In 1985 the noted collector Edwin Binney, 3rd, bequeathed more than one hundred works, in particular examples of the arts of the book and ceramics of the Ottoman period. Approximately fifty glass objects, primarily of the early Islamic period, from Hans and Varya Cohn's splendid collection were given to the museum in 1988. The collection has been augmented further over the past two decades through gift and purchase, most notably the acquisition in 2002 of the Madina Collection of Islamic Art, made possible in large part by a generous gift from longtime LACMA benefactor and Trustee Camilla Chandler Frost. Its addition has created a new international focus on Los Angeles and on LACMA.","city":"Los Angeles","address":"5905 Wilshire Boulevard  \nLos Angeles, CA 90036","website":"http://www.lacma.org/","phone":"323 857 6000","email":"publicinfo@lacma.org"},"b4586981-2102-51f3-a3a7-5094a3b23509":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Numismatic Museum of the al-Maghreb Bank**  \nRabat, Morocco  \n  \n**National Library**  \nRabat, Morocco  \n  \n**Badi Palace**  \nMarrakesh, Morocco  \n  \n**Royal Library**  \nRabat, Morocco  \n  \n**Ethnographic Museum**  \nTetouan, Morocco  \n  \n**Archeological Museum**  \nTetouan, Morocco  \n  \n**Museum of Ceramics**  \nSalé, Morocco  \n  \n**Kasbah Museum**  \nTangiers, Morocco","city":"Rabat, Marrakech, Tetouan, Salé, Tangiers"},"b9d4d5c0-eec7-520a-a392-d3dac5d50347":{"name":"Tiraz: Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress","description":"Tiraz is the home of the most complete collection of Palestinian, Jordanian, and other Arab costumes from the 19th and 20th centuries, with over 2000 costumes and weavings. It is a Jordan-based institution dedicated to preserving the Widad Kawar Collection and promoting the vibrant cultural heritage of Palestine, Jordan, and wider Arab living traditions.","city":"Amman","address":"19 Riad Mufleh Street  \nAmman  \nJordan","website":"http://tirazcentre.org/","phone":"+962 77 672 7209","email":"info@tirazcentre.org"},"bd5ab87c-f83d-5fb3-87a9-cae4d57dff07":{"name":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","description":"Sharjah Heritage Museum first opened its doors in 2005. It has been renovated and re-opened in 2012 in Bait Saeed Al Taweel Al Shamsi, in the Heart of Sharjah.  \n  \nThe museum offers a great chance to engage in the rich heritage of Sharjah and Emirati culture, with a focus on lifestyle, deep rooted customs such as hospitality, traditions, trade and traditional knowledge. A visitor can explore the diverse environments of coast, desert and mountain that was naturally reflected in their lifestyle, habits and crafts. The museum provides a child-friendly atmosphere, with a series of folklore tales, old sayings and puzzles.","city":"Sharjah","address":"P O Box 39939, Al-Layyeh, Sharjah, UAE","website":"https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","phone":"+971 6 5680006","fax":"+971 6 5566003","email":"info@sma.gov.ae"},"c0c2fa4f-c38c-578e-8cc1-4703cc60b8a9":{"name":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","description":"The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was the first museum in Turkey to bring together works of Islamic art. It was founded in 1914 as the Museum of Islamic Foundations and housed in the Imaret building of the Süleymaniye Complex, built by the great Turkish architect Sinan in the 16th century. The museum was renamed the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts after the declaration of the republic and moved to its present location in the 16th-century Ibrahim Paşa Palace in 1983.  \n  \nThe core collection of the museum comprises Islamic artworks collected from across the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. These works include carpets, manuscripts, metalwork, glassware, ceramics, woodwork and ethnographic materials. The collection represents an extensive period ranging from the rise of Islam to the 20th century and the vast geographical area ruled by the Ottoman Empire.  \n  \nThe carpets, numbering some 1,700, in their quality and variety constitute one of the most important collections of carpets in the world, so that the museum is sometimes thought of as a carpet museum. But the museum also has other outstanding collections: the manuscripts collection represents all the ruling Islamic states from the AH 1st / AD 7th century to the 20th century across a wide geographical area. The metalwork collection allows visitors to follow the development of Turkish metalwork in Anatolia and the rich collection of woodwork ranges from the AH 3rd / AD 9th century to the Ottoman period. The glassware and pottery collections include artefacts recovered during excavations at renowned Abbasid centres such as Samarra and Keshan (Iran) and Raqqa (Syria) as well as artefacts from the Anatolian Turkish period. The stonework, most bearing inscriptions, includes examples from the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Seljuq and Ottoman periods. The ethnographic department is the newest section.  \n  \nThe museum also organises, hosts and participates in temporary national and international exhibitions.  \n  \nAfter the grand restoration works The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts re-opened in April 2014, exactly 100 years after its foundation, with special exhibitions to celebrate its hundredth anniversary.","city":"İstanbul","address":"İbrahim Paşa Sarayı Atmeydanı Sok. No: 46  \nSultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey","website":"https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/tiem","phone":"+90 212 518 18 05 / 06","fax":"+90 212 518 18 07","email":"tiem@tiem.gov.tr"},"c79c9bf0-7954-5ad4-95e9-6020467c3765":{"name":"Istanbul Water Museum (İstanbul Su Müzesi)","description":"Established in January 2021 within Topkar Inc., the Istanbul Water Museum is dedicated to water, water civilisation and the cultural heritage of the Turkish bath.  \n  \nThe Topçu family, which owns the company, has cultivated for four generations a tradition of preserving everyday household objects. As one of Türkiye’s leading manufacturers of bathroom and kitchen fittings, the family united this passion with their profession and began collecting faucets, water vessels and related objects over 25 years ago, laying the foundation of the museum’s collection. In 2008, they became officially registered collectors with the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.  \n  \nThe collection encompasses themes such as the relationship between water and humanity; fountains; sebils and faucets; water and belief; water and healing; cleanliness, bathing and hammam culture; and Istanbul’s famous spring waters. The collection includes a wide range of water-related objects, manuscripts, ephemera, postcards, engravings, paintings, calligraphy, marbling (*ebru*) and miniature artworks. Artefacts dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and early Republican eras are exhibited chronologically and, in some sections, thematically across two galleries totalling 800 square metres. The Istanbul Water Museum is a member and Türkiye’s representative of the UNESCO Global Network of Water Museums (WAMU-Net).  \n  \nTopkar regards the museum as a sustainable social responsibility project aimed at promoting water and hammam culture, preserving endangered traditions, fostering public awareness of water use and creating lasting cultural memory. The Topkar family celebrates its 40th anniversary with this meaningful initiative.","city":"Istanbul","address":"İkitelli OSB. Mh. Hürriyet Bulvarı No:54 Başakşehir-İstanbul-Türkiye 34490","website":"http://www.istanbulsumuzesi.org","phone":"+90 486 20 20"},"c8825cec-041d-5069-bbce-82c394d5e619":{"name":"National Museum Oman","description":"The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman, established by royal decree in 2013 and opened July 30, 2016, is the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day. As a national institution with global outreach, the museum is dedicated to ensuring that Oman’s cultural heritage is understood and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally. Further, it aims to provide opportunities for cultural expression, innovation, and the transfer of traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.  \n  \nThe museum is located in the heart of Muscat in a purpose-designed building. The total area of the building is 13,700 square metres (147,000 sq ft), including 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) allocated for 14 permanent galleries – The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others. A further 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) are allocated for temporary exhibitions.  \n  \nThe National Museum houses 5,466 objects and offers 43 digital immersive experiences, a fully equipped Learning Centre, conservation facilities, an ultra-high definition cinema, and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. The museum contains a voluminous collection of prehistoric metallic artefacts. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors can learn about the various processes that artefacts go through before they are put on display.","city":"Muscat","address":"P.O.Box: (1105)  \n113 Muscat","website":"https://www.nm.gov.om/","email":"booking@nm.gov.om"},"ca0e325c-0944-502c-ac42-7a2a27464669":{"name":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","description":"The 'institut du monde arabe' (Museum of the Arab world) in Paris houses a museum, labeled as a \"Musée de France,\" dedicated to the discovery and promotion of Arab culture. Located in the heart of the French capital, it holds a rich and diverse collection of artworks, historical objects, and cultural artifacts representing the various facets of the Arab world beyond stereotypes, showcasing its full diversity of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and faiths, from its origins to the present day. The museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions explore various themes covering a historical range from ancient Mediterranean civilizations to contemporary times, thanks to a rich collection of Islamic art and ethnographic objects as well as a collection of modern and contemporary artworks. The remarkable architecture of the building, designed by Jean Nouvel, blends tradition and modernity, offering visitors an immersive and captivating experience. The museum also offers educational activities, lectures, film screenings, and special events throughout the year, aiming to raise awareness about the richness and diversity of Arab culture. With its commitment to promoting intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, the Institut du monde arabe's museum is a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts and curious individuals eager to explore the treasures of Arab heritage.","city":"Paris","address":"1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard  \nPlace Mohammed V  \n75 236 Paris Cédex 5","website":"https://www.imarabe.org/fr","phone":"+33 (0)1 40 51 38 38"},"cc176d16-7f00-5907-8a82-b1f3d06b7d4d":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Zagreb**  \nCity Museum  \nCroatian History Museum  \nDiocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese  \nMetropolitan Library, Valvasor Collection of prints and drawings  \nStrossmayer Gallery of Old Masters  \nZagreb Cathedral Treasury  \n  \n**Dubrovnik**  \nDubrovnik Cultural History Museum  \nMuseum of Icons of the Serbian Orthodox Church Community  \n  \n**Ilok**  \nCity Museum  \n  \n**Klanjec**  \nFranciscan Monastery  \n  \n**Osijek**  \nGallery of Fine Arts  \n  \n**Požega**  \nDiocese Museum of the Požega Diocese  \n  \n**Trakošćan**  \nTrakošćan Castle  \n  \n**Varaždin**  \nCity Museum"},"cda4e9a0-f14d-5a98-b6ce-3f8077d29e19":{"name":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","description":"The MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art – is one of the foremost museums of its kind in the world. The building located on Stubenring in the 1st district of Vienna was founded in 1863 as the k.k. Österreichisches Museum für Kunst und Industrie (Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry) and today houses a unique collection of applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art.  \n  \nThe MAK collection encompasses European and international decorative arts ranging from the Early Middle Ages to the present. The museum's main holdings include textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture and metalwork as well as exquisite objects of the Wiener Werkstätte (craftworks) and Art Nouveau. Its collection of Oriental carpets and East Asian art are of the highest international significance.  \n  \nAmong the objects from the Islamic world, the collection of Oriental carpets is pre-eminent, and the museum holds the largest collection worldwide of paintings of the *Hamzanama* from the era of the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Important examples of the applied arts are preserved in the MAK Asia Collection, most notably include objects from Iran and the Ottoman Empire.","city":"Vienna","address":"Stubenring, 5  \nA-1010 Wien  \nAustria","website":"http://www.mak.at","phone":"+43 1 711 36-248","fax":"+43 1 713 10 26","email":"office@MAK.at"},"ce882b84-4e7b-5d76-9fe9-a1770bcc0da5":{"name":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museums)","description":"Founded in 1998 by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) is the Sheikh’s brainchild and a monument to his enduring passion for collecting international items of peculiar and historical relevance.  \n  \nA museum with a global perspective, FBQ brings together over 30,000 objects from across the ages and a multitude of cultures. It represents, in effect, a modern version of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, the historic and eclectic room of marvels from the Renaissance.  \n  \nThe journey through more than 30 galleries ranges from the prehistoric to the present day, encompassing several themes: Islamic art, Qatari heritage, carpets, weapons, vehicles, jewellery and currency. Gallery highlights also include a rebuilt Syrian house and the Quran room. The artefacts showcased in FBQ’s galleries embody Islam’s visual culture and its far-reaching traditions from southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The thematic presentation of the works draws attention to the similarities of artistic forms and cultural expressions and their interdependence among societies.  \n  \nFBQ is much more than a museum. Since the construction of the main museum in Al Shahaniya in 1998 using local stone and traditional turrets, FBQ has been fulfilling the museum founder’s aim to create and share a new cultural heritage for Qatar and beyond. With the establishment of the Carpet Museum in the heart of Doha in 2014 and the addition of the Car Museum, the FBQ complex of museums aims to inspire people to engage with cultural heritage by sharing stories from near and far. FBQ strives to foster cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, education and public programs, both locally and internationally.  \n  \nIn 2010, the museum was selected by Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage as one of the cultural landmarks of the ‘Doha 2010 Capital of Culture’ activities.","city":"Doha","address":"Zone 80, Street 9999 Building No. 365, Al Samariya  \nAl Shahaniya, Doha Qatar  \nP.O. Box number 006","website":"www.fbqmuseum.org","phone":"+974 4486 1444","fax":"+974 4486 2555","email":"info@fbqmuseum.org"},"cf8ec428-5799-50a3-9650-91f330ba6493":{"name":"Dar Jamaï Museum","description":"The Jamai Palace was built in 1882 by Mokhtar bin Larbi Jamai, the grand vizier of the sultan Moulay Hassan I, according to an inscription in the reception hall. The French bought it in 1912, and they converted it successively into a hospital, a military court, and in 1920, into the “Museum of Indigenous Arts”, devoted to the handicrafts of Meknes and the surrounding mountainous Middle Atlas and Rif regions. Inspired by Spanish-Maghrebi design and decoration, Dar Jamai was created to meet the needs of private and public life.  \n  \n**Museum Collections**  \n  \nOn the ground floor, three rooms dedicated to ceramics from Fez and Tafilalet, ceramics from Meknes-Fez and painted and sculpted wood lead to the central patio. Two rooms formerly reserved for women also open onto the patio; one is dedicated to costumes and embroidery, the other to urban and rural jewellery.  \n  \nThe vizier’s private Moorish bath displays *hammam* objects such as wooden buckets, small brass containers, woolen gloves, and the like.  \n  \nThe room of old ironwork includes panels with keys, padlocks, knockers, chandeliers, locks, and a complete set of blacksmithing tools.  \n  \nPottery from the Rif region, Zarhoun pottery and metalwork are displayed in the former kitchens, while pavilions and corridors are decorated with various small carpets and manuscripts.  \n  \nThe textile room has two looms, tapestries and blankets.  \n  \nUpstairs, the bride’s room and the *koubba*, where the vizier received his distinguished guests – a sumptuous cupola decorated with terracotta tiles and stucco – is covered by a painted and carved cedar ceiling. This ceremonial salon with alcoves is furnished in the Makhzen tradition: brass, Rabat carpets, sofas, embroidered silks from Meknes, Rabat and Salé, velvets embroidered in gold, leather cushions, mosquito nets, and more.  \n  \nThe last room is devoted to weapons from the Rif, Souss and Tafilalet regions of Morocco.","city":"Meknès","address":"Place Hadim  \nMeknès, Morocco","phone":"+212 535 540 863","fax":"Not available"},"d10f1d84-ce50-539f-aad0-624ff1d3e8c9":{"name":"Topkapı Palace Museum","description":"Topkapı Palace, the administrative and residential palace of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, was completed by AH 882 / AD 1478 after the city had been conquered by Mehmed II. It was used continuously by the Ottoman rulers until they moved to the palaces built along the Bosphorus in the 13th / 19th century. After the declaration of the Republic of Turkey, the palace became a museum on 3 April 1924 by order of Atatürk.  \nThe palace became a grandiose, multi-functional structure through continual development and additional construction by different sultans, which also reflects the institutional structure of the Ottoman Empire. The splendour and multi-level structure of Ottoman protocol and hierarchy can clearly be seen in the architecture. Even the rise and the fall of the empire found its artistic expression in the palace. As well as being a stage for the dramatic events of the past, this palace is one of the few examples of its kind that survived along with its historical lifestyle.  \n  \nAmong the items exhibited in the museum are portraits and costumes of the sultans, Chinese and Japanese porcelains used in the palace, metal kitchenware, Yıldız porcelain and glassware, European porcelain and silver items, Islamic and Turkish weapons. Holy relics of Prophet Mohammed and the first caliphs that were brought from Medina in the early 10th / 16th century by Selim I are exhibited in the Holy Relics section. Among those relics are the mantle of the Prophet Mohammed, his swords and his foot print.  \n  \nFour thrones, aigrette-holders, the Topkapı dagger and the diamond of Kaşıkçı are the most famous examples of the items from the treasury of the Ottomans. The museum's archive holds important documents of correspondence of the Ottoman Sultans and its library contains famous manuscripts from the Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods.  \n  \nTopkapı Palace Museum operates under the Directorate of National Palaces of the Presidency of the Republic.","city":"Istanbul","address":"Sultanahmet  \nFatih, İstanbul, Turkey","website":"https://www.millisaraylar.gov.tr/en","phone":"+90 212 512 04 80; +90 212 236","fax":"+90 212 259 32 92","email":"info@ millisaraylar.gov.tr"},"d2b9c791-32d7-590a-9a1b-3f6766d360d6":{"name":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museums)","description":"Founded in 1998 by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) is the Sheikh’s brainchild and a monument to his enduring passion for collecting international items of peculiar and historical relevance.  \n  \nA museum with a global perspective, FBQ brings together over 30,000 objects from across the ages and a multitude of cultures. It represents, in effect, a modern version of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, the historic and eclectic room of marvels from the Renaissance.  \n  \nThe journey through more than 30 galleries ranges from the prehistoric to the present day, encompassing several themes: Islamic art, Qatari heritage, carpets, weapons, vehicles, jewellery and currency. Gallery highlights also include a rebuilt Syrian house and the Quran room. The artefacts showcased in FBQ’s galleries embody Islam’s visual culture and its far-reaching traditions from southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The thematic presentation of the works draws attention to the similarities of artistic forms and cultural expressions and their interdependence among societies.  \n  \nFBQ is much more than a museum. Since the construction of the main museum in Al Shahaniya in 1998 using local stone and traditional turrets, FBQ has been fulfilling the museum founder’s aim to create and share a new cultural heritage for Qatar and beyond. With the establishment of the Carpet Museum in the heart of Doha in 2014 and the addition of the Car Museum, the FBQ complex of museums aims to inspire people to engage with cultural heritage by sharing stories from near and far. FBQ strives to foster cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, education and public programs, both locally and internationally.  \n  \nIn 2010, the museum was selected by Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage as one of the cultural landmarks of the ‘Doha 2010 Capital of Culture’ activities.","city":"Doha","address":"Zone 80, Street 9999 Building No. 365, Al Samariya  \nAl Shahaniya, Doha Qatar  \nP.O. Box number 006","website":"www.fbqmuseum.org","phone":"+974 4486 1444","fax":"+974 4486 2555","email":"info@fbqmuseum.org"},"d321bef5-3599-590f-a696-aa3a0d57d455":{"name":"Benaki Museum","description":"The Benaki Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Greece operating as a foundation under private law. It was founded in 1931 by Antoni Benaki, a member of a leading Greek family of Alexandria. The current museum is decentralised: its hub is the neoclassical mansion presenting the evolution of Greek art from the Neolithic period to the present day. The autonomous buildings include the exhibition centre on Pireos Street, the historical archives in the Delta house, the Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika gallery and the Museum of Islamic Art.  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art is a renovated neoclassical building in Athens’ historic centre near the ancient Agora. It opened in 2004 to house the collection formed by Antoni Benaki during the early part of the 20th century, while he was living in Egypt. Subsequently enriched by other donations, today it contains c. 10,000 objects from the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, North Africa and India. It demonstrates the evolution of Islamic art up to the Ottoman period and corresponding developments to the middle of the 20th century. The collection includes ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, glassware, ivories, funerary steles and arms and armour.  \n  \nThe visitor first finds exhibits from the 7th to the 12th century. Highlights are lustreware, door panels from Iraq, Fatimid metalwork, *tiraz* textiles and a unique reed mat from 10th-century Tiberias. The second gallery exhibits objects from the 12th to the 16th century with Seljuq ceramics, Mamluk metalwork and pottery and highlights a brass box with the signature of Isma’il ibn al-Ward al-Mawsili dated 1220 and the astrolabe of Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj dated 1328/29.  \n  \nThe third gallery displays a marble-lined reception room from a 17th-century Cairo mansion and its fountain, *qamariyya* windows and a *mashrabiyya* screen. Other exhibits include Iznik pottery and a 16th-century velvet saddle from Bursa. The last gallery presents arms and armour, and Qajar jewellery collected by Argine Salvagos, sister of the founder.  \n  \nDuring preservation work, a section of the ancient city wall of Athens from the 4th century BC was uncovered and remains *in situ* at basement level, accessible to visitors.","city":"Athens","address":"22 Agion Asomaton & 12 Dipilou Street  \nAthens  \nGreece","website":"http://www.benaki.gr/","phone":"+30 210 325 1311","fax":"+30 210 322 5550","email":"islamic_collection@benaki.gr"},"d4a98989-670f-57f0-806b-0923d3e7b276":{"name":"National Museum Oman","description":"The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman, established by royal decree in 2013 and opened July 30, 2016, is the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day. As a national institution with global outreach, the museum is dedicated to ensuring that Oman’s cultural heritage is understood and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally. Further, it aims to provide opportunities for cultural expression, innovation, and the transfer of traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.  \n  \nThe museum is located in the heart of Muscat in a purpose-designed building. The total area of the building is 13,700 square metres (147,000 sq ft), including 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) allocated for 14 permanent galleries – The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others. A further 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) are allocated for temporary exhibitions.  \n  \nThe National Museum houses 5,466 objects and offers 43 digital immersive experiences, a fully equipped Learning Centre, conservation facilities, an ultra-high definition cinema, and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. The museum contains a voluminous collection of prehistoric metallic artefacts. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors can learn about the various processes that artefacts go through before they are put on display.","city":"Muscat","address":"P.O.Box: (1105)  \n113 Muscat","website":"https://www.nm.gov.om/","email":"booking@nm.gov.om"},"d8cdb3eb-45fb-5ddf-a4cb-305d3f9d955b":{"name":"Istanbul Postal Museum","description":"The Istanbul Postal Museum is dedicated to the historical development of mail and telecommunication services in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, exhibiting related equipment, instruments and postage stamps.  \n  \nThe museum is situated inside the Main Post Office building in Sirkeci quarter of Fatih district in Istanbul. The museum has a separate entrance and occupies four storeys in the western part of the building. It informs visitors about the country’s history of communication and telecommunication services, which officially began on 23 October 1840 with the foundation of the Ottoman Ministry of Post. Established on 6 May 2000 by the Turkish Post, the museum consists of four sections for mail, telegraphy, telephony and postage stamps. Photographs taken during the construction of the building are also displayed.","city":"Istanbul","address":"Hobyar Mahallesi,  \nBüyük Postane Caddesi, 25  \nFatih, Istanbul  \nTurkey","website":"www.ptt.gov.tr","phone":"+90 212 519 19 99","fax":"+90 212 512 09 49","email":"istav-muze@ptt.gov.tr"},"dbeada8d-19e8-5b4c-af80-b2facb57070d":{"name":"The Jordan Museum","description":"The Jordan Museum is a national institution that aims to preserve and present Jordan's rich cultural heritage. Ras al-‘Ayn is located in the dynamic downtown area of Amman. 1.5 million years of Jordanian history, cultural heritage and innovation are presented in a series of beautifully designed galleries. In addition, the Jordan Museum heritage documentation and restoration centre serves as a comprehensive centre for archivists and scholars studying the history and culture of Jordan.  \n  \nThe Jordan Museum aims to persuade visitors to explore the cultural sites and cities in Jordan. Two main exhibitions are employed in the galleries; the chronological narrative of Jordanian history presented in nine main themes: the environment, food, art and architecture, cultural interaction and trade, politics and military, industry, communication and writing, religion, and day-to-day life in Jordan. Among the chronological galleries, are complementary thematic exhibits that present specific subjects irrespective of their time. The displays focus is on the story of innovation. The original context and the function of artefacts is emphasised rather than treating them as “objects d’art”. Treasures of Jordanian Art displays unique aesthetic objects from the collection. On permanent exhibit is the most ancient human statues in the world, the 9700-year-old *‘Ayn Ghazal’* statues, and the unique Dead Sea Copper Scroll.  \n  \nIn addition to the permanent galleries, there are temporary indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. On a rotating basis, the museum offers the opportunity to explore themes in depth using travelling exhibitions as well as in-house special exhibitions.","city":"Amman","address":"Amman Ras al-‘Ayn next to Greater Amman Municipality  \nP.O Box 830157,  \nAmman 11183  \nJordan","website":"http://www.jordanmuseum.jo/","phone":"+962 6 4629317","fax":"+962 6 4629312","email":"info@jordanmuseum.jo"},"dbffb8f8-6183-5d07-a911-b7386d37aaab":{"name":"Lázaro Galdiano Museum","description":"The Museo Lázaro Galdiano is a result of the generous spirit of collector D. Jose Lázaro, who left to the Spanish state under his will of 1947 his house, library of 20,000 volumes and 13,000 artworks.  \nThe museum was installed in the neo-Renaissance palace that was the Lázaro family home and opened in 1951. In 2005 it was restored, with a rearrangement of the collections that highlights the importance of Spanish art. The museum spaces evoke the places where the collection was enjoyed by the leading intellectuals of the time. Works by Goya, El Greco, Velázquez, Reynolds, Isenbrandt, Hubert van Eyck and Constable coexist with important collections of sculpture, ivories, enamels, bronzes and textiles. José Lázaro took special interest in Hispano-Muslim art and art of the first Spanish Renaissance.","city":"Madrid","address":"C/ Serrano, 122  \n28006 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"www.flg.es","phone":"+34 91 561 60 84","fax":"+34 91 561 77 93","email":"amparo.lopez@flg.es"},"defa425b-fe47-5a8e-bb82-33721be61de9":{"name":"Batha Museum","description":"Built in 1885, the original building was a courthouse and summer residence of the Alaouite sultan Moulay Hassan I before being renovated as a museum in 1915. The Batha Museum brings together archaeological collections, architectural elements and ethnographic objects relating to the city of Fez and its surrounding area. Since a reorganisation in 2006, the museum’s theme has revolved around spiritual life and the art of living.  \n  \nThrough large rooms overlooking the patio and garden, the tour begins with the city’s Islamic origins: manuscripts illuminated with gold leaf, liturgical wooden objects, planispheric brass astrolabes – and a rare example of a leather astrolabe dial. One section is dedicated to architectural elements. Wood is featured: friezes, panels, lintels and other corbels from different dynasties display Moroccan craftsmanship. Besides their artistic value, some pieces are historical and archaeological treasures, such as the beam dating from AD 877, the oldest wood in Islamic Morocco, evidence of the city of Kairouan’s artistic influences.  \n  \nZelliges (handmade terracotta tiles) are a distinctive feature of Moroccan-Andalusian Islamic architecture, with excellent collections here in the Batha Museum, with some dating back to the 14th century.  \n  \nAlso on exhibit are traditional arts from Fez, whose richness and variety are manifested in a collection of delicate embroidery in a single thread colour, and a variety of ornaments and wedding dresses for brides typically from the cities. There is also a rich collection of tin-based ceramics enamelled in a monochrome blue-grey.  \n  \nVisitors can discover rural crafts and museum-quality objects like jewellery and pottery outside the city of Fez.","city":"Fès","address":"Ksar El Batha  \nPlace du 11 janvier  \nFès, Morocco","phone":"+212 53 563 41 16"},"e4a45e50-1dd1-5680-88c5-cd761132d6ed":{"name":"Regional Gallery of Sicily - Abatellis Palace","description":"The Regional Gallery of Sicily showcases the evolution of the figurative arts within Palermo and Western Sicily from the 12th to 18th centuries. The palace that houses the museum was built in 1495 as the residence of Francesco Abatellis, Master of Sicily’s ports, and stands as an important representative of Gothic-Catalan architecture within the region. After the death of Abatellis, part of the building adjoining the palace was converted in 1527 into a convent for the Benedictine Nuns of the church of Santa Maria della Pietà. This was then later turned into a Dominican Monastery. During the Second World War, the palace sustained considerable bombing damage in 1943, leading to initiatives for its complete restoration. The museum was finally opened to the public on the 23rd of June 1954.  \n  \nThe present layout of the museum is the result of collaborative efforts between the curator Giorgio Vigni and the Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa throughout the years 1953-54.  \n  \nThe permanent museum exhibition is divided into two sections; sculpture is located on the ground floor whilst paintings are located on the upper floor.  \n  \nThe Gallery's collections come from acquisitions, donations and confiscations of property belonging to suppressed religious organisations. Before being grouped together in the current headquarters, these works were part of the Royal University Pinacoteca, then collections of the National Museum of Palermo. The works of Islamic art preserved in the Gallery come mainly from the city of Palermo where they were recovered during restoration works and architectural restructuring of the most important Arab-Norman sites. These include the Norman Palace (later the Royal Palace), the church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio called the Martorana, the church of San Giacomo la Mazzara (which no longer exists) and the Casa Maturano, a building adjacent to the church of Martorana. Other objects, particularly wood and ceramics, were purchased mainly from the Egyptian antiquities market by the then director of the Royal Museum, Antonio Salinas, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.","city":"Palermo","address":"Via Alloro, 4  \n90133  \nPalermo, Italy","website":"http://www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzoabatellis/","phone":"+39 091 6230011","fax":"+39 091 6165305","email":"gall.abatellis@regione.sicilia.it"},"edb8cc68-6a7b-575f-9541-6421a991bf33":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Hama Museum**  \nHama, Syria"},"ee0a71f8-dc12-5d5d-b02a-4402969e8274":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art","description":"The Museum of Islamic Arts of Kairouan is located in Raqqada, in a former presidential palace that was converted into a cultural and educational centre in 1986. It contains four rooms on the main floor and upstairs.  \n  \nOn the ground floor are:  \n– The ceramics room, which houses objects dating back to the Aghlabid, Fatimid and Hafsid eras. Those of the Aghlabid era are characterised by the use of metallic lustre glazes, archaic Kufic script and stylised zoomorphic and anthropomorphic images. This room displays a collection of blue Iznik ceramic tiles from Anatolia.  \n  \n– The hall of the Great Mosque, which houses religious objects such as friezes with floral and epigraphic motifs that form part of the roofing. There is also a reconstruction of the *mihrab* from the mosque and the door of the *maqsoura* (private enclosure).  \n  \n– The Lapidary Inscriptions Room, which is under development, will house flat, prismatic and column-barrel gravestones from the Kairouan Cemetery. It will also contain the inscription of the foundation of the city of Sabra al-Mansouriya, characterised by its writing style and its imposing size.  \n  \n\\- The Sabra al-Mansouriya Hall, expected to receive objects from the Sabra excavation, now contains the casting furnace found on the same site.  \n  \nUpstairs:  \nThe glass cases of the coin and jewellery room hold a large collection of coins dating back to the Aghlabid, Fatimid, Hafsid and Ottoman eras, showing their evolution over time. This room also contains glass objects from the Sabra site and the lantern from al-Mouiz.  \n  \nThe manuscript room contains a rich collection of parchment Qur’an folios from the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan displaying the evolution of writing and ornamentation styles (3rd / 9th to the 13th / 19th century). The collection owes its unique reputation to the famous “blue parchment” of the 4th / 10th century. Enclosing these folios are leather bindings embossed with floral and geometric designs.  \n  \nAn exhibition such as this one helps us interpret the history of the city of Kairouan. The newer Sabra Hall, the Hall of Lapidary Inscriptions and the Hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan will further our understanding.","city":"Kairouan","address":"Musée des arts islamiques  \nKairouan-Raqqada","phone":"+216 77 228126","fax":"+216 77 228469"},"f0c1b6b9-8198-5a97-9aea-8ebedfa90ca3":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art","description":"At the order of Khedive Ismail Pasha in 1880 the collection of archaeological rarities from the Islamic era was begun in the mosque of Al- Hakim. The Council for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities, created in 1881 in association with the Ministry of Awqaf, supervised the House of Arab Antiquities, as it was then known, until 1930 when the museum was taken into the Ministry of Education.  \n  \nThe museum acquired only from mosques and public buildings in its first 20 years. Then it undertook its first excavation in 1910 in the vicinity of Doronka in Upper Egypt and a second excavation south of Cairo uncovering a section of the city of Fustat (first Islamic capital of Egypt).  \n  \nThe museum acquired many items through donations. King Fu’ad I gave a valuable collection of textiles, scales and seals as did King Farouk, Amir Muhammad Ali and Amir Yusuf Kamal. Amir Kamal al-Din Hussein, Yakub Artin Pasha and Ali Ibrahim Pasha also donated complete collections.  \n  \nThe collections, amounting to 7082 artefacts, were transferred to their current building, when the present museum was inaugurated in December 1903. In 1952, the name of the museum was changed to the ‘Museum of Islamic Art’ to reflect the scope of the collection: objects produced in the Islamic world and dating from the beginning of the Islamic era (AD 7th century) to the end of the AD 19th century. The number of recorded objects has now reached 103,000.  \n  \nThe collections include enamelled glass lamps, Egyptian ceramics and a rare collection of filigree waterpot filters of unpainted earthenware renowned for their lacework designs. There are also collections of woodwork, textiles and stones with inscriptions, while the collection of carpets is considered to be one of the greatest of its kind. Collections of scientific instruments display the extent to which Islamic civilisation has contributed to knowledge in many different fields. There is also an extraordinary collection of seals, weights, measures, gold, silver and copper coins.  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art, having one of the most comprehensive and complete Islamic art collections in the world continues to develop and expand its collections and to modernise the building with its 25 halls, facilities and archaeological garden.","city":"Cairo","website":"https://www.miaegypt.org/","phone":"+20 2 2390 1520"},"f2c2b5c1-dd0f-5208-8f82-ff80d06d5bde":{"name":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museums)","description":"Founded in 1998 by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) is the Sheikh’s brainchild and a monument to his enduring passion for collecting international items of peculiar and historical relevance.  \n  \nA museum with a global perspective, FBQ brings together over 30,000 objects from across the ages and a multitude of cultures. It represents, in effect, a modern version of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, the historic and eclectic room of marvels from the Renaissance.  \n  \nThe journey through more than 30 galleries ranges from the prehistoric to the present day, encompassing several themes: Islamic art, Qatari heritage, carpets, weapons, vehicles, jewellery and currency. Gallery highlights also include a rebuilt Syrian house and the Quran room. The artefacts showcased in FBQ’s galleries embody Islam’s visual culture and its far-reaching traditions from southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The thematic presentation of the works draws attention to the similarities of artistic forms and cultural expressions and their interdependence among societies.  \n  \nFBQ is much more than a museum. Since the construction of the main museum in Al Shahaniya in 1998 using local stone and traditional turrets, FBQ has been fulfilling the museum founder’s aim to create and share a new cultural heritage for Qatar and beyond. With the establishment of the Carpet Museum in the heart of Doha in 2014 and the addition of the Car Museum, the FBQ complex of museums aims to inspire people to engage with cultural heritage by sharing stories from near and far. FBQ strives to foster cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, education and public programs, both locally and internationally.  \n  \nIn 2010, the museum was selected by Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage as one of the cultural landmarks of the ‘Doha 2010 Capital of Culture’ activities.","city":"Doha","address":"Zone 80, Street 9999 Building No. 365, Al Samariya  \nAl Shahaniya, Doha Qatar  \nP.O. Box number 006","website":"www.fbqmuseum.org","phone":"+974 4486 1444","fax":"+974 4486 2555","email":"info@fbqmuseum.org"},"f5c11bd8-33ca-5552-a5d9-8437afd6ee27":{"name":"The Lebanese University","description":"The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. The university has 17 faculties across Lebanon and serves various cultural, religious and social groups of students and teachers.  \n  \nThe independent university enjoys administrative, academic and financial freedom. Among its educational goals are creating a unique mix of cultures and providing the basic and essential education to allow students to enter various professions.  \n  \nIn spite of the crisis in the region that has existed since 1975, leaving wounds and tragedies, the Lebanese University has remained the national home of science. Rivalling the most prestigious universities in Lebanon and abroad, and leading the process of human development that spread all over the country, its graduates became ambassadors of Lebanon in all the corners of the earth.  \n  \nOur university respects the national demand for academic freedom, which has become a right of scholars and specialists, based on laws and international conventions and regional organisations and sometimes more, applying the important rules of human rights: the right of learning and seeking knowledge with higher education and participation in international projects to develop academic programmes and exchange of research.The university has maintained the quality of higher education, although we seek more contact with the spirit of this modern age and its promising accomplishments by increasing relations and agreements with other universities and institutions all over the world. In spite of the political pressures on the people of the university and attempts to split them into factions, the majority of them have remained faithful to the spirit of the national organisation and the struggles of the early pioneers who insisted on building the edifice of national higher education, in the framework of the values of freedom and justice.","city":"Beirut","address":"Central Administration, Museum, Beirut  \n  \nPostal address: P.O. Box 6573/14 Badaro, Museum  \nBeirut  \nLebanon","website":"http://www.ul.edu.lb/","phone":"+961 1 612830; 1 612831","email":"ibady@ul.edu.lb"},"f6a3053d-d710-547e-be54-96097d448f7a":{"name":"National Museum of Damascus","description":"The National Museum in Damascus was established under the supervision of the Ministry of Education in 1919. The original core of this museum's contents was initially kept at the Madrasa al-'Adiliya. The collection gradually increased and the discovery of the Umayyad palace of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi in the Syrian desert in 1936 further spurred into action plans for a newer and bigger museum. A building located next to Al-Takiyya al-Sulaymaniya was chosen for the establishment of the National Museum of Damascus.  \n  \nQasr Al-Hayr Al-Gharbi added new emphasis to the importance of devoting more attention to the Islamic period and the Directors of Antiquities decided to incorporate these palatial finds into the National Museum of Damascus. After much hard work and technical expertise, the front façade of the Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi was transposed and carefully reconstructed as the National Museum's main entrance. The side halls and the second floor were designated for the most important artistic finds of this early Islamic palace. The completion of the display took several years and the official opening was celebrated in 1950.  \n  \nIn 1953 a three-storey wing was added to house and display ancient oriental antiquities, the Islamic period, modern Syrian art, and temporary exhibitions.  \n  \nOne of the more recent extensions included three double halls for the Islamic period, a new lecture hall and a library. The lecture hall was furnished as a 19th-century Damascene reception hall, a masterpiece of late decoration and ornamentation in its own right. The opening of this extension took place in 1963.  \n  \nIn 1974 there were further additions, this time devoted to the Palaeolithic period. And lastly, in 2004, the temporary exhibition wing was transformed into a permanent collection of Neolithic antiquities.  \n  \nAt present, the National Museum of Damascus consists of the following sections:  \n  \n1\\. Palaeolithic.  \n2\\. Neolithic.  \n3\\. Ancient Syrian Oriental.  \n4\\. Classical.  \n5\\. Islamic.  \n6\\. Modern Arts.","city":"Damascus","address":"Qasr el-Heir Street  \nDamascus, Syria","phone":"+963 11 2234331","fax":"+963 11 2247983","email":"sam.orient@mail.sy"},"f937f9c2-61b9-5201-b1ec-08251315e395":{"name":"National Museum of Decorative Arts","description":"The National Museum of Decorative Arts (MNAD) devotes its permanent collection to historical and current domestic spaces and allows visitors to experience the daily life of various cultures. Temporary exhibitions focus primarily on the contemporary designers and artists – both established and emerging – that create our environment. Through these visiting exhibits, the museum is able to display parts of the permanent collection kept in storage and generally not visible to the public.  \n  \nThe museum houses a permanent collection of over 70,000 objects from several geographic origins; mainly Spain, but also other European countries and the Far East. The collection covers a long chronological period. The oldest pieces date from the 4th century BC, but the chronological sequence goes from the 14th century until the first half of the 21st century, including the collection of avant-garde design as well as recent acquisitions of contemporary design.  \n  \nThis broad collection includes a full range of materials, techniques and typologies, including textiles, metalwork, furniture, ceramics, glass, costumes, silver, ironwork, ivory, photographs, prints and documents.  \n  \nIn 1934 the museum moved to its present location, a mansion built in 1878 by the architect José María González for Doña María del Carmen Espinosa, the Duchess of Santoña. Part of the original red-brick and stone facade, the imperial staircase of white Italian marble decorated with medallions and the Italian mosaic floors by Pellerin and Domenico still remain from the original concept of the building, a residence in the Romantic style. In the 1940s the architect Luis Moya added two floors above the original ones, structured in enfilade around a central court. Since then, the museum has undergone various improvements.","city":"Madrid","address":"C/ Montalbán, 12  \n28014 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"http://mnartesdecorativas.mcu.es/","phone":"+34 91 532 64 99","fax":"+34 91 523 20 86","email":"mnad@mecd.es"},"fea32901-ad4a-5972-8043-fd04f11ab0ee":{"name":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","description":"Interest in Islamic art has grown enormously in recent years. Reflecting this awareness, in December 1998 Malaysia became home to Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art. The building occupies 30,000 square metres, situated amid the leafy surroundings of central Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens.  \n  \nThe Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia houses more than ten thousand artefacts, as well as an exceptional library of Islamic art books. The art objects on display range from the tiniest pieces of jewellery to one of the world’s largest scale models of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The aim is to create a collection that is truly representative of the Islamic world. Instead of concentrating on works from the heartlands of Persia and the Middle East, IAMM also puts the emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast Asia are especially well represented. The third component of the Malaysian melting pot is India, which is also given special status. India, China and the Malay World are in an exceptional category. Other parts of the collection are displayed according to type rather than geographical origins in the museum’s 12 galleries.  \n  \nIranian tile workers transformed the iwan-style entrance into a ceramic tapestry that frames a welcoming verse from the Qur’an. On the roof, these artisans turned the dome-construction traditions of Central Asia into the building’s crowning glory. The turquoise-coloured domes are now a landmark on the Kuala Lumpur skyline.  \n  \nInside the building, the angularity of 21st century design is contrasted with the soft, rounded forms of the five domes that dominate the museum’s interior. Laboured over by craftsmen from Uzbekistan, these imposing features help form an ambience that is both airy and harmony. The seamless continuity of light and space is maintained throughout the galleries and into other areas of the museum, such as the library and the restaurant.","city":"Kuala Lumpur","address":"Jalan Lembah Perdana  \n50480 Kuala Lumpur  \nMalaysia","website":"http://www.iamm.org.my","phone":"+603 20927070; +603 22742020","fax":"+603 22740529","email":"info@iamm.org.my"}}
+{"01ed0e00-4aed-5afc-bdea-937514669d4b":{"name":"Victoria and Albert Museum","description":"The Victoria and Albert (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. When the museum opened to the public in 1852, its mission was to reform design by making works of art available to all, improving the public’s understanding of the subject and providing inspiration for designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections span over 5,000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world.  \n  \nThe V&A comprises a family of sites, including the V&A in South Kensington, Young V&A located in Bethnal Green, V&A Dundee in Scotland, the V&A Wedgwood Collection housed in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, V&A Gallery at Design Society in Shekou, China, and opening in 2024/25 will be V&A East located within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. Across these sites the museum showcases their collections to a wide range of audiences and aims to champion design and creativity in all its forms.  \n  \nThe V&A has specialised in collecting art and design from the Islamic world since the 1850s, and it was the first institution in the world to collect Islamic art in a systematic fashion. The museum's founders believed that Islamic ideas about structuring patterns and matching decoration to shape and function could improve British design. The collection grew to become the most significant in its field. Outstanding works include the AH 10th / AD 16th-century Ardabil carpet from Iran, a rock crystal ewer from AH 5th / AD 11th-century Egypt, and the world’s greatest collections of Islamic ceramics. The museum also houses the national collection of Islamic textiles.","city":"London","address":"Cromwell Road  \nSouth Kensington  \nSW7 2RL  \nLondon  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"http://www.vam.ac.uk","phone":"+44 207 9422000","fax":"+44 207 9422335"},"113e7cf6-f7c2-53aa-9442-5229ced56c72":{"name":"Museum Rietberg","description":"The Museum Rietberg is one of the largest art museums in Switzerland and is administered by the City of Zurich. With a focus on traditional and contemporary arts and cultures of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, it has some 23,000 objects and 37,000 ethnographic photographs in its collection. Most of the objects are on public display, either in the museum’s galleries or in its open storeroom.  \n  \nIn 1945, the City of Zurich bought the 67,000 square metres of the Rieterpark and the Villa Wesendonck. Then in 1949, the people of Zurich approved the plan to convert the Villa Wesendonck into a museum and to establish, at the same time, the Museum Rietberg. In 1952, the new museum finally opened its doors to the public. The complex consists of three nineteenth-century villas and a coach house, not to mention a recent underground extension opened in 2007.  \n  \nThe work of the Museum Rietberg is characterised by a high degree of professionalism, social inclusion, and diversity. The Museum aims to heighten awareness of the artistic achievements of individuals alongside those brought about by religious and social diversity. In so doing, it fulfils an important cultural mission in our increasingly globalised world.  \n  \nFurthermore, the Museum’s first-rate collection of international renown requires expert care, continuous academic study, including provenance research, while being actively expanded and managed. The institution ensures the transparency of the results of its research by making them largely available online.  \n  \nThe Museum Rietberg possesses both local and international connections with cultural institutions, collectors, and specialists in a variety of fields. It pursues a policy of long-term cooperation with countries of origin including Cameroon, India, Pakistan, and Peru.","city":"Zurich","address":"Gablerstrasse 15  \n8002 Zurich","website":"http://www.rietberg.ch","phone":"+41 44 415 31 31","email":"museum.rietberg@zuerich.ch"},"1232b5a2-7af1-5de4-a332-ff444943f8b0":{"name":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","description":"The MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art – is one of the foremost museums of its kind in the world. The building located on Stubenring in the 1st district of Vienna was founded in 1863 as the k.k. Österreichisches Museum für Kunst und Industrie (Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry) and today houses a unique collection of applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art.  \n  \nThe MAK collection encompasses European and international decorative arts ranging from the Early Middle Ages to the present. The museum's main holdings include textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture and metalwork as well as exquisite objects of the Wiener Werkstätte (craftworks) and Art Nouveau. Its collection of Oriental carpets and East Asian art are of the highest international significance.  \n  \nAmong the objects from the Islamic world, the collection of Oriental carpets is pre-eminent, and the museum holds the largest collection worldwide of paintings of the *Hamzanama* from the era of the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Important examples of the applied arts are preserved in the MAK Asia Collection, which most notably include objects from Iran and the Ottoman Empire.","city":"Vienna","address":"Stubenring, 5  \nA-1010 Vienna  \nAustria","website":"http://www.mak.at","phone":"+43 1 711 36-248","email":"office@MAK.at"},"1d0ff55d-dcd7-59a9-b95d-18903aa4ab05":{"name":"Benaki Museum","description":"The Benaki Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Greece operating as a foundation under private law. It was founded 1930 by Antonis Benakis, a member of a leading Greek family of Alexandria. The current museum is decentralised: its hub is the neoclassical mansion presenting the evolution of Greek culture from the Paleolithic period to the present day. The autonomous buildings include the exhibition centre on Pireos 138, the Toy Museum on the Athens seafront, the Ghika Gallery and the Museum of Islamic Art.  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art is a renovated neoclassical building in Athens’ historic centre near the ancient Agora. It opened in 2004 to house the collection formed by Antonis Benakis during the early part of the 20th century, while he was living in Egypt. Subsequently enriched by other donations, today it contains c. 10,000 objects from the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, North Africa and India. It demonstrates the evolution of Islamic art up to the 19th century and corresponding developments to the middle of the 20th century. The collection includes ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, glassware, ivories, funerary steles and arms and armour.  \n  \nThe visitor first finds exhibits from the 7th to the 12th century. Highlights are lustreware, door panels from Iraq, Fatimid metalwork, tiraz textiles and a unique reed mat from 10th-century Tiberias. Then follow objects from the 12th to the 16th century with Seljuq ceramics, Mamluk metalwork and pottery and highlights a brass box with the signature of Isma’il ibn al-Ward al-Mawsili dated 1220 and the astrolabe of Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj dated 1328/29.  \n  \nAnother gallery displays a marble-lined reception room from a 17th-century mansion in Cairo, together with its fountain, qamariyya windows and a mashrabiyya screen. Other noteworthy exhibits are the collection of Iznik pottery and a 16th-century velvet saddle from Bursa. The display concludes with arms and armour and an important collection of Qajar jewellery that was collected by Argine Salvagos, sister of the founder.  \n  \nDuring preservation work, a large section of the ancient city wall of Athens from the 4th century BC was uncovered and remains in situ at basement level, accessible to visitors.","city":"Athens","address":"22 Agion Asomaton & 12 Dipilou Street  \n10674 Athens","website":"http://www.benaki.gr/","phone":"+30 210 325 1311","fax":"+30 210 322 5550","email":"islamic_collection@benaki.gr"},"1db535b6-0ad9-580c-b2d0-66605f9e9d44":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Lisbon**  \nAncient Patriarch’s Palace, now Casa do Gaiato  \nArmy Museum  \nCalouste Gulbenkian Museum  \nChurch of St. Domingos de Benfica  \nLisbon’s Holy House of Mercy/Museum of São Roque  \nMacau Scientific and Cultural Centre Museum  \nMaritime Museum  \nNational Coach Museum  \nNational Library of Portugal  \nNational Museum of Ancient Art  \nPharmacy Museum  \n  \n**Alpiarça**  \nPatudos House, Alpiarça Museum  \n  \n**Alcobaça**  \nAlcobaça Monastery  \n  \n**Arouca**  \nSacred Art Museum of Arouca  \n  \n**Beja**  \nQueen Leonor Museum, Districtal Museum of Beja  \n  \n**Braga**  \nBraga Cathedral  \n  \n**Coimbra**  \nMachado de Castro National Museum  \nMuseum of Physics, University of Coimbra  \n  \n**Ílhavo**  \nVista Alegre Historic Museum  \n  \n**Oeiras**  \nOeiras Town Hall  \n  \n**Óbidos**  \nMunicipal Museum of Óbidos  \n  \n**Porto**  \nSoares dos Reis National Museum  \n  \n**Sardoal**  \nSardoal’s Holy House of Mercy  \n  \n**Viana do Castelo**  \nMuseum of Art and Archeology of Viana do Castelo  \n  \n**Vila Verde dos Francos**  \nOur Lady of the Visitation Convent  \n  \n**Vila Viçosa**  \nMuseum and Library of the House of Braganza  \n  \n**Viseu**  \nGrão Vasco Museum"},"1dc4a129-85b0-57d5-9622-15c790c4333f":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"Zisa Museum  \nAddress: Piazza Zisa, 1  \n90100 - Palermo  \nTel: +39 091 65 20 269  \n  \nCappella Palatina  \nAddress: P.zza del Risorgimento  \n90100 Palermo  \nTel: +39 091 6961111","city":"Palermo"},"2300bb0e-fc9f-55c5-ae2e-20f619a46cce":{"name":"Weltmuseum Wien","description":"The Weltmuseum Wien – formerly the Museum of Ethnology – houses comprehensive collections of ethnographic objects, historical photographs, and books on non-European civilisations, making it one of the world’s leading ethnographic museums. Its roots can be traced back to 1806, when the \"Imperial and Royal Ethnographic Collection\" was established as part of the combined Imperial and Royal Court Cabinet of Natural Objects, following the partial acquisition of the \"Cook Collection\" at a London auction. The continuously growing collections were transferred to the newly created “Department of Anthropology and Ethnography” of the Royal Court Museum of Natural History in 1876. Limited space and a goal of developing ethnology as a cultural science convinced political decision-makers to establish a unified, cohesive Museum of Ethnology. The “Museum of Ethnology” opened formally in 1928 taking up the entire building of the “Corps de Logis” in Neue Burg.  \n  \nIn 2001 the Museum of Ethnology was incorporated into the KHM-Museum Association. In April 2013 the Museum of Ethnology became the \"Weltmuseum Wien\" – a site of world cultures – at Vienna’s Heldenplatz. In October 2017, after extensive reparation and modernisation of the historical building, the Museum reopened in its entirety with 14 completely revised permanent exhibition galleries. The Museum’s collection, meanwhile, has expanded to well over 200,000 inventory numbers.","city":"Vienna","address":"Heldenplatz  \n1010 Vienna","website":"http://www.weltmuseumwien.at","phone":"+43 1 534 30-5052","email":"info@weltmuseumwien.at"},"2850ad3d-5837-53f2-9df3-168b86ffb478":{"name":"Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art (EIAC)","description":"The ‘Giuseppe Tucci’ Museum of Oriental Art opened to the public in 1958 and houses finds from several Italian archaeological missions conducted in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. As well as this are numerous objects purchased on the antique market, particularly those by Giuseppe Tucci during his voyages in Nepal and Tibet between 1928 and 1954.  \n  \nThe museum’s Islamic wing includes a rich collection of objects sourced from both archaeological excavations and private purchases. The provenance of the collection is wide-ranging including the items from the geographical territories that now make up the countries of Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and India. Chronologically the material covers an extensive period from the 8th to 19th centuries CE. The collection is arranged along different classes of production including; ceramics, metal works, miniatures, manuscripts, numismatics, jewellery, textile art, glass, arms & armour and wood.  \n  \nOf particular importance is the collection of archaeological finds from the palace of the Ghaznavid Sultan, Mas’ud III (1099-1115 CE) in Ghazni, Afghanistan. The archaeology of the site and its associated finds was brought to light by excavations conducted by the Archaeological Mission of the IsMEO (Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente) in the 1960’s. These consist mainly of elements of architectural decorations in brick and marble, marble funerary stones, ceramics and metals.  \n  \nThe museum's collection of Persian objects can be dated from the 8th to the 19th centuries. Ceramics from the Samanid (9th- 10th century) and Seljuk (11th -12th century) periods are well represented in the Museum collections. Ilkhanid period ceramics (13th -14th century), known for their use of ‘lajvardina’ glaze technique is also visible in the collections. The majority of metal objects within the Islamic collection stem from the Khorasan region of Eastern Iran and Western Afghanistan, a well-known historic centre for metallurgical production.  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \nSince September 2016, the National Museum of Oriental Art in Rome has merged into the new Museum of Civilisation, definitively closing in October 2017 for the transfer to its new headquarters in the Palazzo delle Scienze. While awaiting the definitive re-arrangement planned for the end of 2021, a temporary exhibition called “Open for Works” exhibits over 650 objects from the Oriental Museum (of which about 60 is considered Islamic Art) in the rooms of the Pigorini Museum.","city":"Rome","address":"Museo delle Civiltà | Museo d’arte orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”  \nPiazza Guglielmo Marconi, 14  \n00144 Rome, Italy","website":"https://www.museodellecivilta.it/","phone":"+39 06 549521","fax":"+39 06 54952310","email":"mu-civ@cultura.gov.it"},"2a23d23f-5624-56f3-828f-3db6b5689a95":{"name":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","description":"The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City – The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.  \n  \nSince it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.  \n  \nThe Met Fifth Avenue  \n1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)  \nNew York, NY 10028  \n+1 212 535 7710  \nSunday–Thursday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \nFriday and Saturday: 10:00am–9:00pm  \n  \nThe Met Breuer  \n945 Madison Avenue  \nNew York, NY 10021  \n+1 212 731 1675  \nClosed Monday  \nTuesday and Wednesday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \nThursday and Friday: 10:00am–9:00pm  \nSaturday and Sunday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \n  \nThe Met Cloisters  \n99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park  \nNew York, NY 10040  \n+1 212 923 3700  \nMarch–October: 10:00am–5:15pm  \nMay 27–September 2, 2016: Open late on Fridays until 7:30pm  \nNovember–February: 10:00am–4:45pm  \n  \nAll locations closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1. The Met Fifth Avenue closed the first Monday in May.","city":"New York","address":"The Met Fifth Avenue  \n1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)  \nNew York, NY 10028  \nSunday–Thursday: 10:00am–5:30pm  \nFriday and Saturday: 10:00am–9:00pm","website":"http://www.metmuseum.org","phone":"+1 212 535 7710"},"2b1c0dc0-0010-5164-be2c-49145ffe45bb":{"name":"Museum of Macedonia","description":"The National Museum of Macedonia is a complex museum institution comprising the museums of History, Ethnography and Art History. The museum collects, researches, maintains, exhibits and publishes on objects of movable heritage in these domains. It preserves evidence of the way of life and culture in these territories from the settling of Slavs in the 6th century AD till the end of World War II. The icon gallery exhibits a collection of medieval icons including several masterpieces of Byzantine art. The highlight of the permanent display is the icon of the Virgin of Pelagonia painted by Makarie in 1422. The ethnological exhibition takes pride in the magnificent collections of folk costumes, traditional jewellery, traditional architecture, intangible heritage and musical instruments, traditional weaving, crafts and traditional husbandry.  \n  \nThe museum also includes the Documentation Section, Conservation Lab and advanced Marketing Services. The Educational Section in the museum provides guided tours and carries out elaborate educational projects focusing on different target groups.  \n  \nExtensive publishing activities have been developed throughout the years. The Museum of Macedonia has issued numerous exhibition catalogues, periodicals, monographs, studies and other publications. These are available in the museum shop, which also organises production, sales and distribution of replicas of the most outstanding museum items. All the products in the shop can be purchased on the Internet and delivered to any address.","city":"Skopje","address":"Josif Mihajlovic, 7  \n1000 Skopje  \nRepublic of Macedonia (FYROM)","phone":"+389 2 3116 044","fax":"+389 2 3116 439","email":"musmk@t-home.mk"},"2bb1dd80-9c9b-5b6c-95f5-603929bd863d":{"name":"Victoria and Albert Museum","description":"The Victoria and Albert (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. When the museum opened to the public in 1852, its mission was to reform design by making works of art available to all, improving the public’s understanding of the subject and providing inspiration for designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections span over 5,000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world.  \n  \nThe V&A comprises a family of sites, including the V&A in South Kensington, Young V&A located in Bethnal Green, V&A Dundee in Scotland, the V&A Wedgwood Collection housed in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, V&A Gallery at Design Society in Shekou, China, and opening in 2024/25 will be V&A East located within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. Across these sites the museum showcases their collections to a wide range of audiences and aims to champion design and creativity in all its forms.","city":"London","address":"Cromwell Road  \nSouth Kensington  \nLondon SW7 2RL  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"www.vam.ac.uk","phone":"+44 20 7942 2000","fax":"+44 20 7942 2335","email":"contact@vam.ac.uk"},"2d1fcee2-b5ee-57c9-9036-8389d4947106":{"name":"Budapest History Museum","description":"In 2007 the Budapest History Museum celebrated the 120th anniversary of its foundation and the 100th anniversary of its first exhibition. The state-sponsored Museum is located at 10 sites among which are three museums – the Royal Palace, the Kiscell Museum and the Aquincum Museum – there are also the Turkish Burial Chapel of Gül Baba, the Medieval Synagogue, Hercules Villa and the Roman Baths.  \n  \nThe archaeologists at the Budapest History Museum lead excavations within the the capital and its surroundings, collect objects, documents and other works of art, and carry out research into the history of Budapest from the Palaeolithic era to the present. The museum publishes periodicals and other papers on the history of the city, and its experts participate in international research projects.  \n  \nIncorporated into the former Royal Castle, the Medieval Palace of Buda, was the seat of the Hungarian kings. Here, Permanent exhibitions present a historical survey of Buda and Pest from the Palaeolithic era to the end of the Avar period, and the history of Buda and Pest from the 17th to the 20th century. Famous Gothic statues found in the late 1970s are on display as are relics from the Middle Ages.  \n  \nIn the Baroque Monastery and Church of Kiscell, a permanent exhibition elucidates the history of the capital from the 19th to the 20th century, together with a gallery showing a selection of artworks by 19th- and 20th- century artists.  \n  \nThe Aquincum archaeological site provides working evidence of recent excavations, while a permanent exhibition in the late 19th-century museum building displays objects excavated on this site dating from the Antique Roman period. A new exhibition hall is currently under construction in a former electricity station built in 1930; it will provide a new, extensive exhibition on the history of ancient times.  \n  \nTemporary exhibitions are held in rooms on the ground floor and in the first-floor exhibition hall.","city":"Budapest","address":"Budapest History Museum  \nBuda Castle Building \"E\"  \nSzent György tér 2  \nBudapest 1014  \nHungary","website":"http://www.btm.hu","phone":"+36 1 487 8800","fax":"+36 1 487 8872","email":"btm@mail.btm.hu"},"31de84d4-3de2-5ea1-b1d4-c8712cbcb314":{"name":"Museum of Arts and Crafts","description":"The Museum of Arts and Crafts was founded in 1880 by the Croatian Art Society.  \n  \nThe organisation of the Museum derived from the theoretical foundations of the Arts and Crafts movement. In keeping with the spirit of the times, the Arts and Crafts School was opened in 1882. The new headquarters building of the Museum and the School was completed in 1888, in the old Fair Square, today's Marshal Tito Square.  \n  \nThe basic collections of museum objects were created mostly from the donations of patriots. They were augmented through the purchase of several important collections from private collectors and also by programmed acquisitions, both within the country and from abroad.  \n  \nUp to World War One the Museum's scientific, professional and collection policy respected the conception laid down in the original motives underlying its establishment.  \n  \nBetween the two World Wars the concept of the Museum changed from being a collection of items to a cultural, historical and artistic institution.  \n  \nAfter World War Two the concept of modern museum communication became important, with many activities intended to involve the public.  \n  \nThe permanent display, opened in 1962, was of particular importance. Its backbone was the collection of furniture which, guided by the idea of a complex art museum that values equally all the fields of plastic arts design, was displayed in synthesis with other objects.  \n  \nThe present permanent display, created in 1995, has built on the positive experiences of earlier displays and has been broadened by new thematic units. With modern spatial differentiation and new multimedia contents the museum has become an experience which, by placing the visitor in an atmosphere of tangible historical heritage, essentially determines him or her as a cultural being.  \n  \nFor the Baroque period the Museum's holdings include many outstanding European artefacts, especially in the applied arts, including one of the largest collections of Baroque church art in Croatia.","city":"Zagreb","address":"Trg maršala Tita, 10  \n10000 Zagreb  \nCroatia","website":"http://www.muo.hr","phone":"+385 1 4882111","fax":"+385 1 4828088","email":"muo@muo.hr"},"325b7505-1527-5442-99ea-6a40f8c43d3f":{"name":"Islamic Museum at Al-Aqsa Mosque","description":"The museum was officially inaugurated in AH 1341 / AD 1922. In AH 1348 / AD 1929, it was transferred to its present site in the southwestern corner of the Haram al-Sharif. The museum is administered through the Department of Islamic Awqaf in Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Ministry of Jordanian Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places.  \n  \nThe museum comprises three buildings with an exhibition space of over 1,000 square m. The oldest hall is from the AH 6th / AD 12th century and is a rare Crusader monument in the holy city. The second hall was an Ayyubid mosque (AH 7th / AD 13th century) historically known as al-Malikiya mosque or the Jami’a al-Mughariba. The third hall is known as the *al-Fakhriya* corner and its history goes back to the Mamluk period (AH 8th / AD 14th century).  \n  \nThe collection consists of artefacts and remains from the Islamic and non-Islamic epochs, representing various facets of Islamic civilisation ranging in geography, theme and period. Most of the artefacts represent the heritage of al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem and Palestine at large including cities such as Hebron and Nablus.  \n  \nThe museum contains woodwork from different Islamic eras, the oldest dating to the Umayyad period. Metalwork in iron, copper and silver includes the iron enclosure from the Dome of the Rock, candlesticks, swords, daggers, daises, incense burners, coins, rings and memorial pieces. The collection includes marble and glazed tiles that panelled the the Dome of the Rock in the period of Sultan Sülayman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) and his successors. There is a collection of earthenware, inscriptions on stone from different Islamic periods and its precursors, and columns and capitals from the Roman and Byzantine periods. There is a valuable collection of Qur’ans, the oldest from the AH 9th / AD 15 th century, and many Mamluk manuscripts whose themes deal with social and economic life in the holy city. The museum displays part of its textile collection, with costumes, grave coverings, pieces from the *kiswa* (covering) of the Ka’ba and pieces of carpet.","city":"Jerusalem","address":"Al-Haram al-Sharif  \nAmro  \nP.O. Box 75085  \nJerusalem","website":"http://www.facebook.com/islamic.museum1922/","phone":"02 6283286","fax":"02 6283286","email":"jerusalem.museum@gmail.com"},"33f89573-8b54-5c1a-86ba-1663e604740f":{"name":"Jordan Archaeological Museum","description":"The museum was founded in 1951 by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan on the Citadel of Amman on a hill called Jabal al-Qal’a. The building has a total measurement of 525 m2 on two floors. The ground floor is used for storage, and the first floor comprises the display area, which consists of three exhibition halls, and administrative offices.  \n  \nThe museum holds many artefacts found in various archaeological sites in Jordan representing the path of civilization in this area throughout its long history. The extensive collection is arranged chronologically by historical periods, from the Stone Ages to the Islamic periods.  \n  \nThe Islamic art collection is displayed in an exhibition hall in eleven showcases that consist of: pottery vessels from the Umayyad period to the Mamluk period; glazed vessels from the Mamluk period to the Ottoman period; steatite vessels from the Umayyad period; coins of all types and periods; metalwork and pottery vessels from the Umayyad to Mamluk periods; iron shields and swords from the Mamluk period; carved stones from the Umayyad period; four plaster replicas of architectural elements from Khirbat al-Mafjar Palace in Jericho (windows, lintel and a dome from the bath).  \n  \nLack of space prohibits the display of temporary exhibitions; however, the museum participates in many local and international exhibitions held in Jordan and abroad to show the history and archaeology of Jordan throughout the ages.  \n  \nThree curators sharing the responsibility of looking after the whole collection of the museum.","city":"Amman","address":"Citadel of Amman  \nP.O. Box 88  \nAmman, Jordan","phone":"+962 6 463 8795","fax":"+962 6 461 9768"},"36670bdc-150b-5f89-8906-79b8e4e2518d":{"name":"The David Collection","description":"The David Collection was founded by C. L. David (1878-1960), a prominent Danish attorney, who had begun to collect fine and decorative art in the 1910s. In this last field, he was aided by directors of the Danish Museum of Art and Design, who gradually also guided him to another area that had previously attracted little interest in Denmark: Islamic art. The Islamic part of David’s collection was, however, still rather modest at the time of his death in 1960.  \n  \nA bachelor and childless, C. L. David left his Copenhagen townhouse and works of art to a private foundation, along with financial means that made it possible to expand his collections. From the 1970s, a decision was consequently made to place increasing emphasis on expanding the Islamic holdings. The Islamic Collection has grown to become not only the museum’s most important, with over 4,000 objects, but also Scandinavia’s most significant in its field.  \n  \nThe Islamic Collection has been built up in keeping with the classical pattern for Western collections of this kind. It embodies works of art from Spain in the west to India in the east, but not works from Sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia. Chronologically, the collection ranges from works dating to shortly after the advent of Islam to the middle of the 19th century. The collection encompasses all types of materials, but since the small rooms of 19th-century buildings like C. L. David’s townhouse, now the museum’s home, make it impossible to exhibit large objects, the museum consequently has only a modest collection of carpets, and they are either of small size or fragments of larger carpets.  \n  \nFollowing the museum’s refurbishment and reinstallation of its collections in 2009, the David Collection is now divided into three parts: European 18th-Century Art, Danish Early Modern Art, and Islamic Art. The collection of Islamic Art is presented in a new, contemporary setting, enhanced by digital and other modern techniques used to elucidate the objects on display. The backbone of the collection is 20 chronological/geographical sections, but the display also contains special galleries for light-sensitive materials as well as others dedicated to themes such as cultural history and artistic techniques.","city":"Copenhagen","address":"Kronprinsessegade, 30  \nCopenhagen  \nDenmark  \n  \nPostal address: Kronprinsessegade 30-32","website":"http://www.davidmus.dk/en","phone":"+45 33734949","fax":"+45 33734948","email":"museum@davidmus.dk"},"38b8a503-bba9-5234-b7db-0bbb2a054c57":{"name":"Qatar Museums","description":"Qatar Museums connects the museums, cultural institutions and heritage sites in Qatar and creates the conditions for them to thrive and flourish. It centralises resources and provides a comprehensive organisation for the development of museums and cultural projects, with a long term ambition of creating a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure for Qatar. Under the patronage of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM is consolidating Qatar’s efforts to become a vibrant centre for the arts, culture and education, in the Middle East and beyond.  \n  \nSince its foundation in 2005, QM has overseen the development of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. The QM also manages the QM Gallery at Katara and the ALRIWAQ DOHA Exhibition Space. Future projects include the opening of the Fire Station: Artists in Residence in 2014 and the launch of the highly anticipated National Museum of Qatar and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.  \n  \nQM is committed to instigating Qatar’s future generation of arts, heritage and museum professionals. At its core is a commitment to nurturing artistic talent, creating opportunities and developing the skills to service Qatar’s emerging art economy. By means of a multi-faceted program and public art initiatives, QM seeks to push the boundaries of the traditional museum model, and create cultural experiences that spill out onto the streets and seek to involve the widest possible audiences. Through a strong emphasis on originating art and culture from within and fostering a spirit of national participation, QM is helping Qatar find its own distinctive voice in today’s global cultural debates.","city":"Doha","address":"Al-Dafna, Doha  \nQM Tower  \nP.O Box 2777  \nDoha, State of Qatar","website":"www.qm.org.qa/en","phone":"+974 4452 5555","fax":"+974 4452 5556"},"3b73a306-1129-5c8d-acba-8e34a39e132f":{"name":"The British Museum","description":"The British Museum was established by Act of Parliament in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all “studious and curious persons”. The founding collection was that of Sir Hans Sloane, a wealthy physician and collector. The original British Museum comprised three departments: Printed Books; Manuscripts (including coins); and Natural and Artificial Productions, which included everything from sculpture to mineral samples and zoological specimens. In January 1759 the British Museum opened its doors to the public.  \n  \nAs a product of the Enlightenment, the museum's job was to be a storehouse of knowledge for the use and benefit of the public, advancing all fields of scholarship. The museum therefore aimed to collect all kinds of material; it remains one of the few places in the world in which it is possible to see the world under one roof. During the 19th century the museum acquired representative collections of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities, as well as material from across the Islamic world.  \n  \nThe museum itself had to grow to offer space to display the growing collections. Between 1823 and 1847 the original building was replaced by four large wings built around a central courtyard. In 1854 construction began on the iconic Round Reading Room in the central courtyard. The natural history collections were given their own home in the new Museum of Natural History in 1881. By 1973 the British Library and British Museum were administratively separated, and in 1999 the new British Library building opened at St Pancras. The British Museum site was expanded and modernised. In 2000 the Great Court opened, envisioned as a sunny piazza at the centre of the building, with up-to-date facilities such as lecture theatres, an education centre and facilities for school children, as well as restaurants and shops. In 2014 the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre opened to the public, offering state-of-the-art facilities to care for, manage, research and display the collections.","city":"London","address":"Great Russell St., London WC1B 3DG  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"http://www.britishmuseum.org","phone":"+44 20 7323 8000 / 8299","fax":"+44 20 7323 8616","email":"information@britishmuseum.org"},"40411e66-c284-545a-b2ef-8e0e8a2c7f6e":{"name":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","description":"The Museum for Applied Arts (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg) is a museum of applied arts highlighting design, photography, fashion and graphic arts and crafts. The MKG was inaugurated in 1877 under its founding director Justus Brinckmann (1843-1915).  \n  \nThe Museums houses about 500,000 objects of art and design, covering a geographical scope from Europe, the Mediterranean Regions, to West and Asia. Over 4000 years of history of design and culture are presented, from Antiquity to the Present Age.  \n  \nThe Islamic Art wing is the oldest of its kind in Germany and has been part of the museum since its foundation. Justus Brinckmann acquired objects labelled Islamic Art in the context of the World Fairs in Vienna (1873) and Paris (1889). The initial focus of the collection were tiles and ceramics, which were acquired as decorative art.  \n  \nThe collection is significant for its outstanding individual objects. For example the *Divan Muhibbi* an illuminated volume of poetry (1554) by Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent or parts of the tile paneling of Buyan Kuli Khan’s mausoleum in Bukhara (Uzbekistan), fragments of a 16th century. Another masterpiece of the collection is a Safavid royal carpet.","city":"Hamburg","address":"Steintorplatz,  \nHamburg  \nGermany","website":"http://www.mkg-hamburg.de/","phone":"+49 (0)40 428134-880","fax":"+49 (0)40 428134-999","email":"service@mkg-hamburg.de"},"42fb6391-e1f6-527a-85db-f9638b02d667":{"name":"Higher Institute for the Study of Contemporary History of Tunisia, University of Manouba","description":"The Higher Institute for the Study of Contemporary History of Tunisia (ISHCT) is a research centre for contemporary history in Tunisia. It houses a microfilm archive, audio-visual witness records, a collection of photographs and a library available on request to researchers, journalists, activists and students wishing to conduct in-depth research into the history of the colonisation and decolonisation of Tunisia. There are four research and study units (UER) bringing together historical researchers dedicated to using the different resources to improve understanding of this period of Tunisian history: UER Archives, UER Repositories of Memory and Museums, UER Oral History and UER History. Through the publication of a review (RAWAFID), conference papers, seminars and scientific meetings, memories from witnesses and document collections, ISHCT hopes to enhance the university library in line with advances in documentation and  methodology, thereby helping to stimulate research into this historical period by setting up scientific exchanges in Tunisia and abroad.","city":"Tunis","address":"Campus Universitaire de la Manouba,  \n2010 La Manouba  \nTunis  \nTunisia","phone":"+216 716 009 50","fax":"+216 716 002 77","email":"ishmn@ishmn.rnu.tn"},"4e3dd315-a64b-5f7a-b98e-5f3b748094b8":{"name":"Museum of Applied Art","description":"The Museum of Applied Art was founded in 1950 as a specialised art museum with an initial collection of some 3,000 art pieces, collected by a painter Ljuba Ivanović. During the years the collection has been enriched by acquisitions, both by purchases and donations. Nowadays, the Museum holds more than 37,000 objects of applied art including pieces of great cultural and artistic value.  \n  \nThe oldest items in the Museum’s collections date from 4th century BC, and belong to the coin collection (coins from ancient Greece) of Metalwork and Jewellery Department, while the collections in Contemporary Applied Art Department contain objects of the most recent artistic production. The Museum also has Wood and Period Furniture Department, Textile and Costume Department, Photography and Print Room Department, Ceramics, Porcelain and Glass Department and Architecture Department.  \n  \nThe Museum has a dynamic exhibition programme, organising exhibitions within the Salon of Contemporary Applied Art, annual thematic study exhibitions as well as hosting domestic and foreign exhibitions. The permanent exhibition At the First Sight presents various items from the Museum’s historical collections.","city":"Belgrade","address":"Vuka Karadžića, 18  \n11000 Belgrade","website":"www.mpu.rs","phone":"+381 11 2626 494","fax":"+381 11 2629 121","email":"info@mpu.rs"},"559ab197-7289-5af4-a295-1118bde9afce":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum, State Museums","description":"**The Museum of Islamic Art is closed from October 2023 to March 2027 due to renovation and expansion works.**  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum Berlin is the only institution of its kind in Germany, the oldest in the West and with its c. 93,000 pieces it houses one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art from nearly all regions of Islamic rule.  \n  \nIts collections are especially rich in objects from an architectural context including the monumental façade of the caliphal palace of Mshatta (Jordan), dating from the mid-8th century. It is the largest artefact of Islamic Art in any museum worldwide. The unique dome from the Alhambra Palace in Granada (Spain) and 13th-century prayer niches from Kashan (Iran) and Konya (Turkey) are among the highlights. Most loved by our visitors is the finely painted wooden panelling of an upper-class house from Aleppo (Syria) from the early 17th century – it is the oldest surviving exemplar from the Ottoman World. Among the several archaeological groups from major excavations in the Islamic world the finds from the 9th-century caliphal capital of Samarra (Iraq) stand out. The collection also has a large number of important Ottoman and Persian carpets and bibliographical works of art, including numerous miniatures from the Mughal Empire.  \n  \nThe collection is displayed chronologically, allowing the visitor to follow the different stylistic phases of Islamic art and to develop a notion of the complex Islamic history and its artistic merits. Because of the large number of visitors (up to 900,000 yearly), only a small number of the most important works of art are on display. The museum will move inside Pergamon-Museum and will triple its exhibition space (3,000sq.m) by 2020. The layout and concept will discover new and innovative ways to present the cultural legacy.  \n  \nWith its rich art and archaeological collection, the Museum of Islamic Art is one of the leading research institutions dedicated to the material culture of the Middle East and neighbouring regions. Our many research, conservation and exhibition projects amount to a probing investigation of the urban legacies of the Near and Middle East. The institution houses important collections of archival photographs on Islamic art and architecture as well as an internationally outstanding library focused on art, architecture and archaeology in the world of Islam.","city":"Berlin","address":"Geschwister-Scholl-Straße, 6  \n10117 Berlin  \nGermany","website":"http://www.smb.museum/museen-und-einrichtungen/museum-fuer-islamische-kunst/home.html","phone":"+49 30 266 42 5201","fax":"+49 30 266 42 5202","email":"isl@smb.spk-berlin.de"},"57de3063-0978-5145-a700-a8b94f7e17a6":{"name":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","description":"The Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture is a creative initiative for the protection and revitalisation of water heritage in the Fertile Crescent and Arabian Peninsula. From its hub in Basra, where the Tigris-Euphrates river system meets the Gulf, it connects regionally through the flow of the waters and shared cultural and ecological heritage.  \n  \nThe initiative emerged from fieldwork by artist-researcher Rashad Salim with Safina Projects (since 2016), whose work to document and revive Iraq’s endangered maritime heritage highlights the role of boats as a means of movement and connection, both historically and today through the development of the Iraqi Heritage Boat Clubs Network and Water Scouts initiative.  \n  \nThe main Open Museum site was developed in 2021, when artisan builders in cooperation with Basra University’s architecture department constructed a series of buildings (using traditional reed and palm architecture techniques) to house Safina Projects’ collection. The Basra hub now includes a waterfront at Khora Marina (home of Basra Heritage Boat Club), and a maritime heritage exhibition at Basra Centre for Manuscripts and Heritage.  \n  \nThe collection includes traditional and historic boats and boat models; artifacts such as tools, materials and equipment used in boatbuilding and related crafts; and displays of archival photography and visual research. It continues to grow through workshops, study and creative development. Activities include educational and artistic projects, participation in conferences and festivals, and collaboration with local and international partners to build capacity in the maritime heritage and crafts sector.","city":"Basra","address":"Presidential Palaces Compound (adjacent to Basra Cultural Museum), Basra 61031","website":"https://www.watermuseums.net/network/open-museum-of-water-culture-basra-hub/","phone":"+964 771 125 2536"},"5a99ecbe-b976-5037-8760-a07c629142f6":{"name":"Kunsthistorisches Museum","description":"The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is one of the foremost museums in the world, with rich holdings comprising artworks from seven millennia - from Ancient Egypt to the late 18th century. The collections of Renaissance and Baroque art are of particular importance.  \n  \nThe KHM’s extensive holdings are on show at different locations: the main building on Ringstrasse houses the Picture Gallery, the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, the Coin Collection and the Kunstkammer.  \n  \nOther collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum are housed in the Neue Burg (i.e. the Collection of Historical Musical Instruments, the Collection of Arms and Armour, and the Ephesus Museum), in Hofburg Palace (the Treasury), and in Schönbrunn Palace (the Collection of Historical Carriages).  \n  \nThe collections on show at Ambras Palace are also part of the holdings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.  \n  \nSince January 2001, the Museum of Ethnology on Heldenplatz and the Austrian Theatre Museum on Lobkowitz Square have been incorporated into the KHM.","city":"Vienna","address":"Burgring, 5  \n1010 Vienna","website":"http://www.khm.at/","phone":"+43 1 525 24-0","email":"info@khm.at"},"5c5c9b16-1cb4-5775-8e5a-f521c4d1c2c0":{"name":"Islamic Museum of Australia","description":"The Islamic Museum of Australia is more than a museum – it’s a place where stories are shared, curiosity is welcomed, and connections are made. It invites people of all walks of life to step inside and discover the beauty, depth, and diversity of Islamic faith, history, and culture. Visitors leave with more than just knowledge; they leave with a sense of belonging, understanding, and appreciation for the threads that tie us together as a community.  \n  \nThrough art, history, and interactive displays, the museum celebrates both the global richness of Islam and the unique contributions of Muslim Australians. From intricate calligraphy and centuries-old traditions to contemporary creativity and everyday stories, each gallery offers a chance to see the world through a different lens. It’s a space where the past and present meet, and where heritage and innovation sit side by side.  \n  \nAt its heart, the museum is about people – connecting cultures, sparking conversations, and building empathy. Whether you come to learn something new, to share an experience with loved ones, or simply to enjoy the beauty of the exhibits, you’ll find a welcoming environment that encourages dialogue and inspires reflection. The museum reminds us that learning can be both joyful and enlightening, and that art and storytelling have the power to bring communities closer together.","city":"Victoria","address":"15 Anderson Road, Thornbury  \nVictoria 3071","website":"http://www.islamicmuseum.org.au","phone":"1300 915 171 (local calls only","email":"admin@islamicmuseum.org.au"},"5db20458-bdcf-5050-98fb-3fb2d1392a0a":{"name":"Museum for Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities","description":"When it was founded in 1954, the Museum for Mediterranean and Near East Antiquities comprised collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Cypriote antiquities. As a department of the National History Museum, the museum was primarily of an archaeological nature aimed at showing the origins of western civilization. However, in 1982, a large part of the Swedish collections of Islamic art were added to it, in response to increasing understanding of the Mediterranean countries as a region of close relations and interactions over the centuries. With its incorporation, in 1999, in the National Museum of World Culture, an organization consisting of the four Swedish state museums with foreign collections, the focus changed to the diversity of culture within the region of the Mediterranean and in relation to the rest of the world.  \n  \nThe Islamic collection of the museum consists of ceramics, metal works, textiles and miniatures, mostly from Iran and Turkey. It also includes well-known collections such as the so-called Hannibal collection of glass fragments. Although Sweden does not border any Islamic lands, there are many cultural objects in archives, libraries and other museums testifying to its diplomatic and commercial relations with Islamic countries. Examples from these institutions were selected to characterize the development of the Islamic collections in Sweden.  \n  \nThe Islamic collection is displayed in two rooms accessible from the main hall. As an introduction, the Muslim way of life is depicted by objects from a religious context. The exhibition itself displays artefacts from different regions and periods and of various materials according to aesthetic traditions. Located near finds from other Mediterranean cultures the exhibition encourages visitors to understand relationships, traditions and influences.","city":"Stockholm","address":"Fredsgatan 2  \nBox 16008  \n10321 Stockholm, Sweden","website":"http://www.varldskulturmuseerna.se/medelhavsmuseet/","phone":"+46 010 456 12 00","email":"info@medelhavsmuseet.se"},"6001ff30-e9b6-573e-a38c-5ac23b472e6c":{"name":"Saint Louis Art Museum","description":"Mission  \n  \nThe Saint Louis Art Museum collects, presents, interprets, and conserves works of art of the highest quality across time and cultures; educates, inspires discovery, and elevates the human spirit; and preserves a legacy of artistic achievement for the people of St. Louis and the world.  \n  \nHistory  \n  \nThe Saint Louis Art Museum was founded in 1879, at the close of a decade that saw the establishment of art museums in great cities across the eastern half of the United States. This Museum’s comprehensive collections bear witness to the inspirational and educational goals to which its founder aspired and the moral and democratic imperatives he embraced. What began as a collection of assorted plaster casts, electrotype reproductions, and other examples of good design in various media rapidly gave way to a great and varied collection of original works of art spanning five millennia and six continents. Today the quality and breadth of the Museum’s collection secure for it a place among the very best institutions of its kind.  \n  \n(*Saint Louis Art Museum Handbook of the Collection*)**","city":"Saint Louis","address":"1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park  \nSt. Louis, Missouri 63110","website":"http://www.slam.org","phone":"+1 314.721.0072","fax":"+1 314.721.6172","email":"info@slam.org"},"6021cc63-7507-5dd7-8c81-4b04847b92d2":{"name":"Ethnography Museum","description":"The Ethnography Museum is located on a hill donated by the General Directorate of Foundations to the Ministry of National Education. The architect Arif Hikmet (Koyunoğlu) is one of the most renowned architects of the early Republican period. The building has a rectangular plan with a single dome. The stone walls are faced with coarse sandstone, and the marble pediment has carved decoration.  \n  \nA special commission to collect and purchase artefacts was established in Istanbul, headed by Prof. Celal Esad (Arseven) in 1924 and then by Halil Ethem (Eldem), Director of Istanbul Museums, in 1925. 1,250 purchased artefacts were placed in the museum whose construction was completed in 1927. Hamit Zübeyr Koşay was appointed as the director. The equestrian bronze statue of Atatürk that stands in front of the Museum was made by the Italian sculptor B. Conanica at the request of the Ministry of National Education in 1927.  \n  \nOn 15 April 1928, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk) visited the museum and on his request the museum was opened to public on 18 July 1930 on the occasion of the visit of Afghan King Amanullah Han. In November 1938 the inner courtyard was reserved as a temporary mausoleum for Atatürk until his body was transferred to his own mausoleum, the Anıtkabir, in 1953. This section is stil kept as a symbolic cenotaph in Atatürk’s memory. Between 1953 and 1956, renovations were carried out for the International Museums Week in 1956 when the museum was reopened to the public.  \n  \nThe Ethnography Museum houses examples of Turkish art dating from the Seljuq period to modern times.  \n  \nTo the right of the entrance are halls displaying items related to the Anatolian wedding ceremony and bridal dresses, Turkish embroidery, Turkish carpets, Anatolian coffee culture and the circumcision ceremony.  \n  \nTo the left of the entrance are halls housing tile and glass artefacts, objects donated by Besim Atalay, Ottoman calligraphy and some of the finest wooden artefacts from the Seljuq and Emirate periods.","city":"Ankara","address":"Talatpaşa Bulvarı, Ülkü Sokak, 4  \n(Eski Türk Ocağı yanı) Opera  \nAnkara, Turkey","website":"https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=AET01&DistId=MRK","phone":"+90 312 311 30 07","fax":"+90 312 311 95 56","email":"ankaraetnografyamuze@kultur.gov.tr"},"64c2796c-d403-5a23-958e-760dfdfdff22":{"name":"Sharjah Museums Authority","description":"The Sharjah Museums Authority was established in 2006 as an independent government department by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.  \n  \nSharjah Museums Authority includes 16 museums covering Islamic art and culture, Arab and International, modern and contemporary art, archaeology, heritage, science, marine life and the history of Sharjah and the region.  \n  \nThe museum collections featured in this project come from: the Sharjah Art Museum, opened in April 1997 and the largest art museum in the Gulf with both temporary exhibitions and permanent collections by renowned artists; the Sharjah Heritage Museum, re-opened in the Heritage Area (Heart of Sharjah) in 2012 and dedicated to highlighting Sharjah’s rich traditions, customs and culture as a source of pride and inspiration to the people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its visitors; the Sharjah Maritime Museum, first opened in the Heritage Area in early 2003 to highlight the maritime life of the UAE and – in improved and expanded form – relocated to the Al Khan area in 2009 due to the importance of the sea and its significance in the region’s heritage; and the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, opened in 2008 as the first of its kind in the UAE, featuring more than 5,000 artefacts from all over the Islamic World, arranged to celebrate Islamic Faith, Science and Technology and Art.  \n  \nThe purpose of the Sharjah Museums Authority as a whole is to deliver the highest quality of museums services for the people of the Emirate of Sharjah and all its visitors, through its facilities, exhibitions, programmes of learning, research and community outreach. Sharjah Museums Authority aims to achieve locally and internationally an understanding, appreciation and respect for Sharjah’s identity and for the value of its cultural and natural heritage.","city":"Sharjah","address":"Al-Layyeh, Sharjah  \nP.O. Box 39939  \nTurkey","website":"www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","phone":"+971 65 56 60 02","fax":"+971 65 56 60 03","email":"info@smd.gov.ae"},"6a05cd70-3f9b-5480-8f66-c26e05087784":{"name":"Museums' System of the Province of Bologna","description":"A museums’ network created by Provincia di Bologna, offering a virtual tour through over 100 museums within Bologna and the surrounding area from the Po Valley, and the verdant hills up to the Apennine Mountains. Many different collections have been gathered into one virtual museum, inviting visitors to discover a rich heritage along five thematic paths (Archaeology, Arts, History, Sciences and Identity), and four geographic routes (Bologna, Imola and its surrounds, the Plains, and the Apennine Mountains).  \n  \nOn the agenda, a rich menu to suit all tastes: an intriguing starter is offered by the Etruscan and Roman heritage, set against the vestiges of our prehistoric ancestors. The arts follow, including those of the Middle Ages, illuminated manuscripts; the genius of Vitale da Bologna and the world-renowned Bolognese painters, the Carracci to Giorgio Morandi; the tradition of excellence in music honoured by Mozart, Farinelli and Rossini. Then there is a focus on History with Bologna’s most ancient University and its undisputed supremacy in scientific investigation, encompassing Ulisse Aldrovandi’s herbarium as well as Galvani’s and Marconi’s experiments. Take in the captivating stories of Risorgimento (“Resurgence”) after almost four centuries of magnificent papal authority; the grand events of World War Two, for example the Autumn Campaign of 1944; the subsequent suffering of the people, the struggles and resistance. Last but not least, from those museums dedicated to rural and industrial archaeology, the identity and character of people as rooted in agriculture and handicrafts and the technological innovations of more recent times.","city":"Bologna","address":"Via de’ Castagnoli, 3  \n40126 Bologna  \nItaly","website":"http://www.cittametropolitana.bo.it/cultura/Engine/RAServePG.php/P/267811390414/T/Guida-Musei","phone":"+39 051 6598470","fax":"+39 051 6598884","email":"sistemamusei@provincia.bologna.it"},"6dad7774-d6a4-55b6-8d2c-c7751bdd6b44":{"name":"Civic Museums of Ancient Art","description":"Three museums make up the Civic Museums of Ancient Art (Musei Civici d’Arte Antica) in Bologna. The Collezioni Comunali d’Arte (Municipal Art Collections) were instituted in 1936 in the Ancien Régime apartments of the papal legate in the City Hall. Housed here are works from the 13th to the 20th century. The collection – paintings, sculptures, furniture, furnishings and decorative objects – is the sum of 19th- and 20th-century bequests along with works that originally belonged to former ruling bodies of the city, including mythological and allegorical paintings (1713–1723) by Donato Creti. Works of the Emilian school (medieval painted and carved crosses; paintings by Vitale da Bologna, Jacopo di Paolo, Francia, Aspertini, Passerotti, the Carracci, Tiarini, Cagnacci, Crespi, Gandolfi and Palagi) are hung next to others by masters from all over Italy and abroad (Bonfigli, Moretti, Pirez, Signorelli, Bertoja, Gentileschi, Nuvolone, Hayez and Brullov). The rooms communicate the atmosphere of different artistic periods in Bolognese art.  \n  \nSince 1985, the Medieval Museum has been housed in the Renaissance Palazzo Ghisilardi. The items here come from several historical collections: the Baroque Wunderkammer of the Marquis Cospi; Luigi Ferdinando Marsili’s collection, one of the most important in Enlightenment Europe; collections of 19th-century artists (Baruzzi and Palagi). The Medieval sculpture department is at the heart the Museum’s identity. Among the masterpieces exhibited are examples of high Medieval craftsmanship, a cope embroidered in opus anglicanum with stories of the Life of Christ, a statue of Pope Boniface VIII in gilded copper, Gothic French ivories, important Renaissance and post-Renaissance items (weapons, armoury and glass) and Bolognese illuminated manuscripts. Renaissance and Baroque bronze sculptures include Giambologna’s model for the Neptune fountain, Algardi’s Saint Michael Archangel and Bernini’s bust of Pope Gregory XV Ludovisi.  \n  \nThe Davia Bargellini Museum was inaugurated in 1924 in the building of the same name. It includes a picture gallery (Vitale da Bologna, Michele di Matteo, Jacopo di Paolo, Prospero and Lavinia Fontana, Passerotti, Franceschini, Giuseppe Maria and Luigi Crespi) and a rich selection of objects of applied art recreating an authentic 18th-century Bolognese setting. Some items are particularly rare, such as the marionette theatre and a miniature of an 18th-century private house. Bolognese Baroque sculpture is represented by a wide display of works, mainly terracotta, dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries.","city":"Bologna","address":"Via Manzoni, 4  \n40121 Bologna  \nItaly","website":"http://www.museibologna.it/arteantica","phone":"+39 051 2193916","fax":"+39 051 232312","email":"museiarteantica@comune.bologna.it"},"71396e5b-ca3a-5c08-b428-1959e047ae57":{"name":"Jordan Folklore Museum","description":"The museum is located in the western section of Amman’s Roman theatre. Founded by the Department of Antiquities, it opened in 1975. The museum exhibits items of daily life in the cities and villages and of the Badu (Bedouin) groups who lived on the West and East Bank during the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Musical instruments, vessels and tools for domestic activities and craftsmanship illustrate traditional daily life and economic activities of the time. Tents, domestic furniture and items to prepare coffee illustrate the way of life, work and the rules of hospitality among Bedouin men and women. As well as the traditional products of the local society and economy, imported weapons and objects testify to how local communities came into contact with the inventions and commercial products that were changing the world in the 19th and early 20th century.","city":"Amman","address":"Quraysh Street  \nAmman","website":"goo.gl/DNPGbL"},"71715b75-3521-53ee-8c85-91fca0b977d0":{"name":"National Museums Scotland","description":"The collections of what is now National Museums Scotland were built over more than two centuries, with two strands of history coming together in the story of the organisation’s development. First the desire to have a museum reflecting Scottish history and second the wish to have a museum demonstrating international cultures, natural and physical sciences, and decorative art for Scotland.  \n  \nThe Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was founded in 1780, very much in the spirit of the Enlightenment, to collect the archaeology of Scotland. Its collections passed into public ownership in 1851 as the original collections of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. In 1985 the National Museum of Antiquities was amalgamated with the Royal Scottish Museum. The latter was founded in 1854 as the Industrial Museum of Scotland and reflected the impetus of Victorian ideals of education. It started international collecting and research as well as forming close links to the collections and teaching of Edinburgh University, which continue today. Renamed the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, it opened in its first bespoke buildings, designed by Francis Fowke, on Chambers Street in 1866. The 1985 amalgamation created the largest multi-disciplinary museum in Scotland, with 12 million items in its collections and the largest body of curatorial and conservation expertise in the country. Today, National Museums Scotland includes the National Museum of Scotland, the National War Museum, and the National Museums Collections Centre - a research, storage, and conservation facility in Edinburgh, as well as the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian, and the National Museum of Rural Life in Lanarkshire.  \n  \nNational Museums Scotland started acquiring material culture from West Asia and North Africa in 1854. Today, material from West Asia comprises more than 4,000 items from a geographical area that spans from Turkey to Central Asia to Yemen, alongside over 500 objects in our collections from North African countries. Dating from the 7th to the 21st centuries, they give an insight into the past and the present of the people living in these regions, particularly through representations of their different crafts, and the skills and social values associated with them. The museum’s collections reflect British and Scottish collectors’ interests in the Islamic world and embody entangled colonial histories and interrelations.","city":"Edinburgh","address":"Chambers Street,  \nEdinburgh EH1 1JF","website":"http://www.nms.ac.uk","phone":"+ 44 (0)300 123 6789","email":"info@nms.ac.uk"},"7712e497-33e4-5529-91c3-47abff00f87c":{"name":"National Archaeological Museum","description":"The National Archaeological Museum (Museo Arqueológico Nacional or MAN) is Spain’s most important museum of history. It preserves, researches and presents its collections of archaeology, art and history to the public. In doing so, the museum aspires to offer all visitors an accurate, attractive, interesting and critical interpretation of the meaning of objects from the past, in the hopes that a deeper knowledge of history will help them to better analyse and understand the reality of today. Given the relevance and scope of its collections, the National Archaeological Museum is comparable in its specialty to prominent Spanish museums (Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofía or the Royal Collections Gallery), by showing our country’s diversity and affluence in terms of cultural history.  \n  \nThe museum occupies a monumental building in the heart of the Salamanca quarter, one of Madrid’s busiest shopping and leisure districts, and is strategically positioned along the Recoletos-Prado artery, which boasts the highest concentration of art and culture institutions in the city. The museum’s magnificent building in the heart of Madrid offers a historical infrastructure — complete with building, garden and fence —which is fully renovated and accessible.  \n  \nThe MAN has grown and evolved constantly since it was created in 1867, almost 160 years ago, and is still changing today to meet the needs of the 21st century. After a complete overhaul between 2008 and 2014, the institution reopened in April 2014 with a brand-new look and layout, claiming its place among Europe’s most modern museums. The renovated building is divided into six floors and has a total surface area of nearly 30,000 m2, of which 18,304 m2 are reserved for public use (the permanent exhibition alone occupies 9,239 m2). The museum has also been fitted out with different service areas, including a spacious vestibule, café, shop and activity rooms.  \n  \nThe MAN’s extraordinary collection, which includes a large number of priceless historical and cultural artefacts, comprises over one million archaeological, historical and artistic objects.  \n  \nIts holdings are vast and varied: Palaeolithic bifaces, practically the only tool in existence for millennia; delicate ivory carvings that combine aesthetic appeal with practical functionality; prehistoric engravings found in the Cave of El Castillo, evidence of humanity’s earliest artistic and symbolic expressions; the abstract aesthetics of the “Idol of Extremadura”; the classical, timeless beauty of the Lady of Elche; ancient Roman sculptures; the extraordinary treasure of Guarrazar; the Romanesque crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha; the lovely equestrian figure of Hector by Il Filarete; and the ornamental paintings of Luis Paret on a Baroque armchair are just some of the treasures it houses.  \n  \nThe Museum's Islamic Art collection largely comes from the different historical periods of Al-Andalus, the name that the Muslims gave to the territory they conquered in the Iberian Peninsula. The aesthetic quality achieved by Andalusian art is demonstrated in the capitals, arches, marble panels and alabaster and plaster decorations of the period, especially from the Caliphate of Córdoba. Added to this is the museum's collection of decorative and highly refined objects made in the Andalusian palace workshops, such as metal, ivory and glazed ceramics. Likewise, a large collection of objects is preserved that show the symbiosis of Hispano-Islamic and Christian forms in the Iberian Peninsula, as the dome of the Torrijos Palace.","city":"Madrid","address":"Serrano, 13  \n28001  \nMadrid, Spain","website":"http://www.man.es/","phone":"+34 91 577 79 12","fax":"+34 91 432 68 40","email":"secretaria.man@mecd.es"},"77acfda5-2885-5fb7-ac55-8d070a83e4c2":{"name":"Department of Antiquities of Jordan","description":"The Department of Antiquities (DoA) of Jordan was established in 1923 under the management of Mr. Ridha Tawfeq who relocated it from Jarash to Amman. The first piece of Jordanian legislation concerning antiquities was written in 1934 and called Law No. 24. It was amended by Law No.21 in 1988, and in 2004 it was replaced with Law No.22.  \n  \nThe main goal of the DoA is to protect all antiquities. This was defined per the law as any movable or immovable object made, written, inscribed, built, discovered, or modified by human being. This includes caves, sculpture, coins, pottery, manuscripts and other kinds of manufactured products which indicate the beginning and development of science, arts, handicrafts, religions, traditions of previous civilisations, or any addition or renovation.  \n  \nThe DoA is an independent department that has its own budget and director within the Jordanian Government.  \n  \nThe DoA is responsible for the implementation of archeological policy in Jordan. The DOA provides comprehensive information on antiquities and presents archaeological assets in a manner that supports national identity and serves the educational culture, while considering these as a major factor to attract tourism to the Kingdom.","city":"Amman","address":"Amman 3rd circle, abdel Munem al refae Street  \nP.O. Box 88,  \nAmman 11118  \nJordan","website":"http://www.doa.gov.jo","phone":"+962 64644336","fax":"+962 64615848","email":"info@doa.gov.jo"},"7df32468-b6ba-51bb-bf7d-829daebb9ef6":{"name":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","description":"The Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation in Morocco is a historical, scientific, cultural, educational, and recreational space unique to Morocco and Africa. It is the result of the commitment by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs to preserve Morocco’s hydraulic heritage.  \n  \nThe museum was established in recognition of Moroccan ingenuity in water management through tools and techniques historically adapted to the country’s ecosystems and geomorphology. It serves as a tribute to the dam policy and water laws introduced by the late King Hassan II. It acknowledges the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in developing modern water infrastructure, which led to the National Water Strategy for 2030 and the National Water Plan for 2020–2050.  \n  \nThis museum is the first building specifically designed to showcase the history of water management in Morocco. Its inauguration was honoured by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan on 5 January 2017, and it opened to the public in May of that year. In June 2019, the Crown Prince was elected to the steering committee of Wamu-Net, a global network of water museums affiliated with UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP). In 2021, he was promoted to the position of vice president.  \n  \nBeyond its primary mission of raising awareness about the importance of water resources, and urging short- and long-term behavioural changes in water usage, the museum encourages visitors to appreciate Moroccan water engineering through the centuries.  \nAs a bridge between past and present, the Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco invites people to experience the history, heritage, and rich hydraulic culture of Morocco, and to share that heritage through accessible scientific and cultural programs intended for a wide audience.  \n  \nThe museum covers 20,000 square metres. It includes permanent exhibition space; rooms for education, events, and meetings; a cafeteria, gift shop, and offices. Its ideal location at the entrance to the *Palmeraie* (Palm Grove) enhances the social and cultural life of Marrakech.","city":"Marrakech","address":"Entrance of the palm grove circuit Abdelkrim El Khattabi Avenue Road to Casablanca- Marrakech 40000.","website":"www.museeaman.ma","fax":"+212524291592","email":"museemohammedvi.aman@gmail.com"},"7dfff38c-303b-557b-9cb3-9735ce4cab7b":{"name":"National Museum of Anthropology","description":"The National Museum of Anthropology is Spain's first anthropological museum. Its establishment was due in large part to the efforts of one Pedro González Velasco, a doctor of Segovian heritage, and was officially inaugurated in 1875 by King Alfonso XII to serve as a museum that showcased objects relating to anatomy and anthropology. The current museum hosts an exhibition room that pays tribute to this inaugural history.  \n  \nAfter the museum became a public institution, under the authority of the former Natural History Cabinet, it was converted into the National Museum of Natural Sciences. Subsequently, under the auspices of Spain’s Higher Council for Scientific Research, the site was rededicated as the Museum of Anthropology, Ethnography and Prehistory and later a National Museum of Ethnology, making it a museum dedicated exclusively to cultural anthropology.  \n  \nVelasco’s original collection was augmented by objects brought back by expeditions organised by Spanish scientific institutions in the last years of the nineteenth century. The acquisition of these objects were paid for by the funds of the Museum of Natural Sciences. Amongst these are a collection of ethnographic objects that formed part of the 1887 Philippine Exhibition, the last colonial exhibition of the Spanish Empire that was organised in Madrid’s ‘Parque del Retiro’. The Museum’s collection have grown since the 1960s, thanks to donations and acquisitions made by the General Directorate of Fine Arts, Cultural Property, Archives and Libraries.","city":"Madrid","address":"C/ Alfonso XII, 68  \n28014 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"http://mnantropologia.mcu.es","phone":"+34 91 530 64 18/91 539 59 95","fax":"+34 91 467 70 98","email":"antropologico@mecd.es"},"85fff507-bb71-531b-85a8-f2b6d6324d8e":{"name":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","description":"Built in Honolulu, Hawai'i from 1936–1938, Shangri La overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head and houses Doris Duke’s (1912–1993) collection of Islamic art. Of the many homes that Duke inhabited, Shangri La is the only one that she built from the ground up and filled from the inside out.  \n  \nThe five-acre complex integrates a 14,000-square-foot house, a Playhouse, and a pool, comprising a series of interlocking spaces, both indoors and out: rooms, courtyards, lanais, terraces, gardens, and numerous water features. While design and early construction were underway, Duke traveled extensively in the Middle East, visiting historical monuments and providing the architect with photographs of architectural decoration to be incorporated into Shangri La's design. She also placed large commissions with contemporary artisans in India, Morocco, Iran, and Syria to create art and architectural elements, utilizing traditional forms, patterns, and means of fabrication.  \n  \nFor nearly 60 years, Doris Duke continued to collect Islamic art, ultimately forming a collection of about 2,500 objects, many of which are embedded into the structure of the house. Iranian ceramic tile panels, carved and painted ceilings from Morocco, jali (perforated screen) doors and windows, and textiles and carpets create a living environment of Islamic art and architectural decoration.  \n  \nThe later centuries of production (c. 1600–1940) are better represented, and ceramics, metalwork, wood, glass and textiles are favored over the arts of the book and works on paper. The collection ranges from items of the finest artistic quality, including medieval Persian tilework and painted interiors from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Damascus, to ethnographic objects such as leather saddles and a bedouin-style tent, reflecting Duke's broad and inclusive sense of aesthetics.  \n  \nToday, Shangri La is nationally recognized for its high artistic value and as one of Hawai'i's most architecturally significant homes. It is open to the public for guided tours and educational programs such as lectures, performances and occasional symposia. Shangri La also supports residencies for contemporary artists and for scholars researching Islamic art.","city":"Honolulu","address":"4055 Papu Circle  \nHonolulu, HI 96816","website":"http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/","phone":"(808) 734-1941","fax":"(808) 732-4361","email":"shangrilahawaii@ddcf.org"},"89f613d2-8723-5be8-8e46-487f9dae46f4":{"name":"Swiss National Museum","description":"Three museums – the National Museum Zurich, the Château de Prangins and the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz – as well as the collections centre in Affoltern am Albis – are united under the umbrella of the Swiss National Museum (SNM). The permanent exhibitions at the museums present Swiss history from its beginnings to the present, and give an insight into Swiss identities and the rich tapestry of our country’s history and culture. Temporary exhibitions on current topics add to the experience.","city":"Zurich","address":"Swiss National Museum  \nMuseumstrasse, 2  \nP.O. Box 8021  \nZurich  \nSwitzerland","website":"http://www.nationalmuseum.ch","phone":"+41 44 218 65 11","fax":"+41 44 211 29 49","email":"info@nationalmuseum.ch"},"8a41ae85-1217-5a1f-a8f2-68da1d74234d":{"name":"National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art","description":"The National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art is the oldest museum in Algeria and Africa. The collection was set up in 1835, five years after the French occupation, by the then Governor General Marshal Clauzel who appointed Adrien Berbrugger as its first curator. From 1838 onward, the early museum hosted pieces, of Algerian provenance, from Antiquity up until the Ottoman periods. Between 1838 and 1896, this early museum occupied different places of the lower Casbah, before settling in a beautiful park located on the heights of Mustapha Pasha - now known as the Park of Liberty - where it was officially inaugurated in 1897.  \n  \nSince then these two divisions of the museum’s collection, Antiquity and Islamic, have continued to grow. This collection makes it possible to exhibit the history of Algeria from its Libyan-Punic era through to the 20th century. The objects are displayed in two separate buildings: one houses the pre-Islamic collection whilst the other houses the collection of Islamic art, which was inaugurated in May 2003.  \n  \nThe ancient collection is very rich and includes collections of mosaics, sculptures, Libyan and Latin inscriptions, coins and medals, bronze, ivory, bone, ceramics and wooden objects.  \n  \nThe Islamic section was formed from the first collection of 1854, which included Algerian and Oriental objects. It has gradually been enriched by pieces uncovered through archaeological excavations carried throughout the country. This wide-ranging collection includes sculpted plasterboard from 10th century Sedrata, marble or plaster sculptures of the 11th century Qal'a of Beni Hammad as well as the chairs of the 11th century Almoravid mosques in Algiers and the 12th century mosque of Nedroma.  \n  \nThe furniture arts of North Africa is also widely represented in this museum. Shop windows contain Ottoman-era embroidery, clothing, ceramics, weapons, jewellery, chiselled brass and worked repoussé that comes from the urban centres as well as rural areas. Manuscripts and miniatures complete the collection.  \n  \nThe museum’s numismatic collection is exhibited in a reading room that was inaugurated in May 2006.","city":"Algiers","address":"177, bd Krim-Belkacem, Parc de la Liberté  \nAlgiers, Algeria","website":"https://m-culture.gov.dz/index.php/fr/mus%C3%A9es","phone":"+213 0 21 68 11 29","fax":"+213 0 21 68 12 56","email":"museemna@musee-antiquites.art.dz"},"8ea7243d-fe8e-5011-a9ca-75ebd26660ac":{"name":"Ministry of Culture, Directorate for Cultural Heritage","description":"The Directorate of Cultural Heritage is part of the Ministry of Culture. Its mission is to ensure the protection, conservation, restoration, maintenance and promotion of the architectural, archaeological and ethnographic heritage. It is also in charge of the country’s museums and its various artistic treasures.","city":"Rabat","address":"Avenue Michlifen, 17  \nAgdal, Rabat  \nMorocco","website":"www.minculture.gov.ma","phone":"+212 537 274 001 / 03","fax":"+212 537 274 002"},"95483cda-d367-5af3-ad0e-2779b97409cb":{"name":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","description":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) is a cultural organisation based on a Kuwaiti private art collection owned by Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, founder of The al-Sabah Collection and his wife, DAI director general and co-founder Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah.  \n  \nEstablished in 1983, DAI was created to manage The al-Sabah Collection, an esteemed collection of Islamic art on permanent loan to the State of Kuwait under the auspices of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. The collection preserves and presents all aspects of Islamic art and includes more than 20,000 pieces extending from Spain to China, from the 1st – 13th centuries AH/7th – 19th centuries AD.  \n  \nSince its inception, DAI has grown from a single focus organisation to an internationally recognised cultural organisation. DAI’s main activities include:  \n  \n• An annual Cultural Season (lectures, music concerts, forum, workshops, children’s programme, quarterly magazine/journal, quarterly newsletter, cultural expeditions)  \n• Travelling exhibitions and loans  \n• Conservation training programmes  \n• Research and excavation projects  \n  \nWith a highly specialised library, DAI is also involved in the publication of scholarly books on Islamic art and culture.  \n  \nWhile the rehabilitation project of DAI’s buildings at the Kuwait National Museum is underway, the Amricani Cultural Centre is the temporary home of DAI. The Amricani Cultural Centre is the ground for most of the organization’s activities and events, including local temporary exhibitions and DAI’s cultural season events.","city":"Kuwait City","address":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah  \nAmricani Cultural Centre  \nP.O. BOX: 23996 Safat 13100 Kuwait","website":"https://daralatharalislamiyyah.com/en/home-page-en/","phone":"+965 2240 0992","fax":"+965 2246 7770","email":"info@darmuseumkw.org"},"a05b0a22-d90a-5e08-85e3-53fd66868e26":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art","description":"The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is a pioneering project spotlighting the cultural vision of the State of Qatar, both in the region and across the world. Under the guiding vision of His Excellency, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the project is the cornerstone for the State of Qatar in its establishment as a global capital of culture.  \n  \nThe 35,500 sq. m museum was designed by I.M. Pei, taking inspiration from the 13th-century *sabil* (ablutions fountain) of the 9th-century Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun in Cairo. The museum comprises a five-level main building and a two-storey Education Wing, connected across a fountain courtyard. The main building’s angular planes form ascending pinnacles, rising around an atrium. Inside, a dome is revealed, concealed from outside view by the walls of a central tower. A window on the building’s north side rises to a height of 54 m., providing dramatic views from all five floors. The ground floor is home to a temporary gallery space for touring international exhibitions and the café, giftshop and Information Services. The museum’s permanent exhibition is installed on two floors of galleries designed by the French firm Jean-Michel Wilmotte & Associés. The fourth floor contains temporary galleries showcasing the research topics of museum staff, using items either not seen in the permanent galleries or with new information to see them in a new way.  \n  \n**Overview of the collections**  \nThe MIA houses artefacts highlighting the creative achievements of the Islamic world's richest cultures and spanning nearly a thousand years. The collection represents the full scope of Islamic art in all media, from manuscripts to ceramics, metalwork, glass, stone, ivory, textiles, wood, precious stones and jewellery.  \n  \nThe permanent exhibition of *c.* 850 artefacts offers an insight into the diverse art of the Islamic world. Two floors are dedicated to the exploration of historical eras and interpretation of the themes of Islamic art and material culture, from the 8th century to the cusp of the 19th century.  \n  \nThe MIA also holds thousands more objects, some destined to be seen in future displays and others providing a resource for education and research.  \n  \nHighlights of the collection include: a distinguished group of carpets and textiles, a range of Ayyubid and Mamluk metalwork and enamelled glass, an outstanding strength in early ceramics, a comprehensive collection of astrolabes and scientific instruments, masterpieces of Mughal jewellery and rare manuscripts and miniatures.  \n  \n**The Department of Education and Information**  \nThe department’s main goal is to create materials, programmes and workshops that will engage the public, allowing them to explore the world through Islamic art, promoting a culture of learning within an atmosphere of knowledge and entertainment.  \n  \n**The Curatorial Department**  \nThe department of internationally trained curators is committed to studying, documenting and publicising the MIA’s collection and establishing the MIA as a world-class centre of scholarly research.  \n  \n**The Conservation Department**  \nSet to become a leading regional service centre for museums, the department is committed to restoring, preserving and caring for the collection through the application of innovative scientific methods.  \n  \n**International partnerships**  \nThe MIA is committed to building a network of partnerships around the world and offering institutes and museums collective access to information, research and images. It has strong ties with many world-class museums and collections, including the Louvre, France, the British Museum, UK, the Victoria & Albert Museum, UK, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA, the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Germany, the Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, the Gulbenkian, Portugal, and the National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art, Algeria.","city":"Doha","address":"Museum of Islamic Art roundabout, the Corniche  \nPostal Address: P.O. Box 2777  \nDoha, Qatar","website":"http://mia.org.qa/","phone":"+974 4422 4444","fax":"+974 4422 4447","email":"infomia@qma.org.qa; educationmia@qma.org.qa; librarymia@qma.org.qa"},"a257e0a0-fae7-5fd8-8ac0-b41ac86f5c03":{"name":"Bait Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qasimi Museum","description":"Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Qasimi in Kalba first opened its doors as a museum on December 5, 1999. and reopend after renovation in 2022.  \n  \nLocated in Kalba on the east coast of the Arabian peninsula, Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Qasimi is one of the most beautiful heritage houses in the UAE. It was built between 1899 and 1901, and was the residence of the local ruler, Sheikh Saeed and his family.  \n  \nThe house was built between 1899 and 1901 in the local traditional style and consists of two sections, eastern and western separated by a wall. The eastern section includes the entrance, *Al Majlis* (meeting room), *Murrabba'a* (square defensive tower) and *Mazaqhel* (loop holes). The outer Majlis overlooking the shore, and is devoted to visitors. The western section houses the private family quarters. The galleries tell the story of the house, the ruling family and local history over the last 200 years.","city":"Kalba","address":"Kalba Square - Al Galah - Kalba - Sharjah - United Arab Emirates","website":"https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","email":"infor@sma.gov.ae"},"a40bf5c0-8027-5a07-a50b-1b6f056d38bf":{"name":"Jordan River Foundation","description":"The Jordan River Foundation (JRF) is a Jordanian non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in 1995 and Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah.","city":"Amman","website":"http://www.jordanriver.jo/"},"a61ee6e4-a22c-5b69-9e0b-e4320040e5f4":{"name":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","description":"The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was the first museum in Turkey to bring together works of Islamic art. It was founded in 1914 as the Museum of Islamic Foundations and housed in the Imaret building of the Süleymaniye Complex, built by the great Turkish architect Sinan in the 16th century. The museum was renamed the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts after the declaration of the republic and moved to its present location in the 16th-century Ibrahim Paşa Palace in 1983.  \n  \nThe core collection of the museum comprises Islamic artworks collected from across the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. These works include carpets, manuscripts, metalwork, glassware, ceramics, woodwork and ethnographic materials. The collection represents an extensive period ranging from the rise of Islam to the 20th century and the vast geographical area ruled by the Ottoman Empire.  \n  \nThe carpets, numbering some 1,700, in their quality and variety constitute one of the most important collections of carpets in the world, so that the museum is sometimes thought of as a carpet museum. But the museum also has other outstanding collections: the manuscripts collection represents all the ruling Islamic states from the AH 1st / AD 7th century to the 20th century across a wide geographical area. The metalwork collection allows visitors to follow the development of Turkish metalwork in Anatolia and the rich collection of woodwork ranges from the AH 3rd / AD 9th century to the Ottoman period. The glassware and pottery collections include artefacts recovered during excavations at renowned Abbasid centres such as Samarra and Keshan (Iran) and Raqqa (Syria) as well as artefacts from the Anatolian Turkish period. The stonework, most bearing inscriptions, includes examples from the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Seljuq and Ottoman periods. The ethnographic department is the newest section.  \n  \nThe museum also organises, hosts and participates in temporary national and international exhibitions.  \n  \nAfter the grand restoration works The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts re-opened in April 2014, exactly 100 years after its foundation, with special exhibitions to celebrate its hundredth anniversary.","city":"İstanbul","address":"İbrahim Paşa Sarayı Atmeydanı Sok. No: 46  \nSultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey","website":"https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/tiem","phone":"+90 212 518 18 05 / 06","fax":"+90 212 518 18 07","email":"tiem@tiem.gov.tr"},"aa83efa6-6a45-5fd6-adf6-3d369fe66c16":{"name":"National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions","description":"Inaugurated in 1961, the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions (NMPAT) is located in the lower casbah neighborhood, also known as *Souk el Djemaa*, where a poultry market used to take place on Fridays. The museum’s main goal is to promote the Algerian, traditional and rural heritage. Its inception dates back to the early 20th century, with the aim of boosting manual know-how and craftmanship while safeguarding local traditions.  \n  \nThe museum was first set in a palace built in 1570 by Ramdane Pacha. By the end of the 18th century, it went to Hassan Khaznadji, treasurer to Dey Mohamed Ben Othman, who gave it to his daughter Khedaoudj. Legend has it that the young princess had lost her sight, struck by her own beauty while admiring her reflection in a mirror. The palace was then inhabited by Jacob Cohen Bacri, a rich wheat trader. After French colonisation in 1830, the French government turned the building into the first city hall of Algiers. In 1860, part of the palace was transformed to welcome Empress Eugenia de Montijo. During her visit, Aziza Bacri, Jacob Cohen Bacri’s granddaughter was her interpreter. In 1987, a decree officially turned Dar Khedaoudj El Amia into the NMPAT.  \n  \nThe collection has been made possible thanks to several purchases and donations. It consists of items made for domestic use, some of which were made for competitions for the best artisan of France as well as products by famous Algeria craftsmen. Visitors can admire copper flasks, silver chests, colourful fabrics displaying geometric patterns from the Boussaada area, rugs from Chechar, ceramics from Taher and the Aures, knotted rugs weavings from the Babar area, jewels, traditional costumes and furniture from the city of Algiers. The collection also includes musical instruments, home furnishing fabrics woven with silk threads from the M'zab, costumes and embroideries, pottery and tools made by the Targuis, by the Kabyles or from the Aures, as well as silver rings from Timimoun and Tamanrasset, and fibulas from Setif and El Bayadh.  \n  \nAn exhibition room is dedicated to mirrors. Among these delicately ornate objects, one is suspected to have led to princess Khedaoudj’s blindness.  \n  \nBeside the ethnographic collection, the Museum keeps a photographic fund with over 20,000 items, including ancient photos, Ektachromes, diapositives and black and white pictures.  \n  \nPlease contact [management@museumwnf.net](<mailto:management@museumwnf.net >) for further updates of this content.","city":"Algiers","address":"9 rue Mohamed Akli Malek  \nCasbah 16000, Algiers  \nAlgeria","website":"http://cnra.dz/atlas/musee-national-des-arts-et-traditions-populaires/","phone":"+213 21 43 99 08"},"ade41604-f524-5e89-9783-ad827a3b4e8f":{"name":"Cerrahpaşa Medical History Museum","description":"During the 1893 cholera epidemic in Istanbul, Takiyeddin Paşa Konağı (Mansion of Takiyeddin Pasha) in Cerrahpaşa district was purchased by the municipality and turned into a cholera hospital to treat and isolate patients. In 2005, the building opened as Cerrahpaşa Medical History Museum. Most of the objects exhibited date to the late Ottoman and early Republican period. The collection includes Turkish medical manuscripts, plant pictures copied from old plant books and copies of Ottoman and Seljuq miniatures documenting the historical development of Turkish medical history. There is a collection of apparatus, instruments and tools used for medical education, photographs of education, research and diagnostic laboratories where these materials were used, and drawings, portraits, edicts, insignia and badges.  \n  \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_  \n  \nThe Museum is currently closed for restoration (March 2019).","city":"Istanbul","address":"Tıp Tarihi Müze Müdürlüğü Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi  \nYerleşkesi Kocamustafapaşa Caddesi, 53  \nFatih, Istanbul  \nTurkey  \n  \nCerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi  \nKocamustafapaşa Caddesi, 53  \n34098 Cerrahpaşa  \nFatih, Istanbul  \nTurkey","phone":"+90 212 414 30 00","fax":"+90 212 632 00 25","email":"ctfmuze@istanbul.edu.tr"},"af01a84d-b174-5718-b9a7-b741c8957086":{"name":"The British Museum","description":"The British Museum was established by Act of Parliament in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all “studious and curious persons”. The founding collection was that of Sir Hans Sloane, a wealthy physician and collector. The original British Museum comprised three departments: Printed Books; Manuscripts (including coins); and Natural and Artificial Productions, which included everything from sculpture to mineral samples and zoological specimens. In January 1759 the British Museum opened its doors to the public.  \n  \nAs a product of the Enlightenment, the museum's job was to be a storehouse of knowledge for the use and benefit of the public, advancing all fields of scholarship. The museum therefore aimed to collect all kinds of material; it remains one of the few places in the world in which it is possible to see the world under one roof. During the 19th century the museum acquired representative collections of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities, as well as material from across the Islamic world.  \n  \nThe museum itself had to grow to offer space to display the growing collections. Between 1823 and 1847 the original building was replaced by four large wings built around a central courtyard. In 1854 construction began on the iconic Round Reading Room in the central courtyard. The natural history collections were given their own home in the new Museum of Natural History in 1881. By 1973 the British Library and British Museum were administratively separated, and in 1999 the new British Library building opened at St Pancras. The British Museum site was expanded and modernised. In 2000 the Great Court opened, envisioned as a sunny piazza at the centre of the building, with up-to-date facilities such as lecture theatres, an education centre and facilities for school children, as well as restaurants and shops. In 2014 the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre opened to the public, offering state-of-the-art facilities to care for, manage, research and display the collections.","city":"London","address":"Great Russell St.,  \nLondon WC1B 3DG  \nUnited Kingdom","website":"http://www.britishmuseum.org","phone":"+44 20 7323 8000 / 8299","fax":"+44 20 7323 8616","email":"information@britishmuseum.org"},"b01aedf8-4844-5526-8c45-e7dc4bd7a559":{"name":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","description":"The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation aims to display, interpret, research and further develop the museum's collections for a wide range of local, national and international audiences, and to stimulate knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of Islamic art, history, science and culture.  \n  \nThe magnificent building that houses the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation first opened in 1987 as the Souq al-Majarrah and quickly became a popular landmark, both among the people of Sharjah themselves and visiting tourists. The building was only the second of its kind in the Gulf region, after Sharjah’s “’New”’ or “Central’’ Souq constructed in 1977, to use traditional, Arab-Islamic design elements in its ground-plan and décor. The building with its impressive architecture and attractive design features was subsequently renovated and reopened in 2008 as the Museum of Islamic Civilisation. Its most outstanding feature is its majestic, gilt central dome, decorated on the inside with an intricate mosaic depicting the night sky and the signs of the zodiac.  \n  \nThe building now transformed into a state-of-the art cultural venue, the new **Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation**, houses more than five thousand exquisite Islamic artefacts from all over the Islamic World, arranged according to themes over seven spacious galleries and display areas.  \n  \nOn the ground floor you can visit the **Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith**, the **Ibn al Haitham Gallery of Islamic Science and Innovation**, a prominent display of **Islamic Coinage**, and the **Al Majarrah Gallery for temporary exhibitions** which is scheduled to hold regular exhibitions of international standing.  \n  \nThe entire first floor of the **Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation** is devoted to **Islamic Art**. Four spacious galleries take the visitor on a journey of artistic discovery which starts in the early Islamic period and leads all the way to modern times. Start your explorations with a visit to our state-of-the-art audiovisual show. Enjoy stunning images from all over the Muslim world and learn about the artistic achievements of its calligraphers and artisans.","city":"Sharjah","address":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, Corniche Road, Al Majarrah Area, Sharjah.  \nPostal address: P.O.BOX 39939, Sharjah.","website":"https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","phone":"+97165655455","fax":"+97165652988","email":"info@islamicmuseum.ae"},"b3d5e8a5-90ae-5442-bf21-9067f8e77ed1":{"name":"Cerralbo Museum","description":"Cerralbo Palace, now Museum, was built between 1884 and 1892 in a historicist style with classical echoes, also shared by its garden. It contains the collections of Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, 17th Marquis of Cerralbo (1845–1922), a politician, historian, collector and pioneer of archaeology in Spain. After his death, he bequeathed his collection to the Spanish state. Paintings, furniture, clocks, porcelain, lamps, sculptures, arms and armour, textiles, books, coins and archaeological objects are displayed in the various rooms where the first inhabitants of the palace led their daily lives. Cerralbo Museum also has the distinction of being one of the few buildings in Madrid that shows the original decorative ambience of an aristocratic residence, thoroughly restored in the first decade of the 21st century.","city":"Madrid","address":"C / Ventura Rodríguez, 17  \n28008 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"http://museocerralbo.mcu.es/","phone":"+34 915 47 36 46 / 47","fax":"+34 915 59 11 71","email":"museo.cerralbo@mecd.es"},"b43ae2c6-2060-5819-bd1c-dd9ca66b9f11":{"name":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","description":"With 100,000 objects dating from ancient times to the present, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest art museum in the western United States. A museum of international stature as well as a vital part of Southern California, LACMA shares its vast collections through exhibitions, public programs, and research facilities that attract nearly a million visitors annually.  \n  \nLACMA’s seven-building complex is located on twenty acres in the heart of Los Angeles, halfway between the ocean and downtown. The campus is undergoing a ten-year expansion and renovation known as the Transformation and designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop.  \n  \nLACMA’s collections encompass the geographic world and virtually the entire history of art. The museum houses a highly significant collection of Islamic art. These widely diverse arts, from an area extending from southern Spain to Central Asia, trace the distinctive visual imagination of Islamic artists over a period of fourteen hundred years. The collection consists of over 1,700 works, of which some 150 examples are on view; these include glazed ceramics, inlaid metalwork, enameled glass, carved wood and stone, and manuscript illustration, illumination, and calligraphy. Particular strengths of the collection are glazed pottery and tiles from Iran and Turkey; glass, especially from the late seventh to the mid-thirteenth century; and Persian and Turkish arts of the book.  \n  \nThe museum began to concentrate seriously on Islamic art in 1973, with the acquisition of the Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, the generous gift of Joan Palevsky. Although the Heeramaneck collection forms the nucleus of the Islamic holdings, the focus and scope of the collection have developed considerably since 1973. Two important additions, both gifts, occurred in the 1980s. In 1985 the noted collector Edwin Binney, 3rd, bequeathed more than one hundred works, in particular examples of the arts of the book and ceramics of the Ottoman period. Approximately fifty glass objects, primarily of the early Islamic period, from Hans and Varya Cohn's splendid collection were given to the museum in 1988. The collection has been augmented further over the past two decades through gift and purchase, most notably the acquisition in 2002 of the Madina Collection of Islamic Art, made possible in large part by a generous gift from longtime LACMA benefactor and Trustee Camilla Chandler Frost. Its addition has created a new international focus on Los Angeles and on LACMA.","city":"Los Angeles","address":"5905 Wilshire Boulevard  \nLos Angeles, CA 90036","website":"http://www.lacma.org/","phone":"323 857 6000","email":"publicinfo@lacma.org"},"b4586981-2102-51f3-a3a7-5094a3b23509":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Numismatic Museum of the al-Maghreb Bank**  \nRabat, Morocco  \n  \n**National Library**  \nRabat, Morocco  \n  \n**Badi Palace**  \nMarrakesh, Morocco  \n  \n**Royal Library**  \nRabat, Morocco  \n  \n**Ethnographic Museum**  \nTetouan, Morocco  \n  \n**Archeological Museum**  \nTetouan, Morocco  \n  \n**Museum of Ceramics**  \nSalé, Morocco  \n  \n**Kasbah Museum**  \nTangiers, Morocco","city":"Rabat, Marrakech, Tetouan, Salé, Tangiers"},"b9d4d5c0-eec7-520a-a392-d3dac5d50347":{"name":"Tiraz: Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress","description":"Tiraz is the home of the most complete collection of Palestinian, Jordanian, and other Arab costumes from the 19th and 20th centuries, with over 2000 costumes and weavings. It is a Jordan-based institution dedicated to preserving the Widad Kawar Collection and promoting the vibrant cultural heritage of Palestine, Jordan, and wider Arab living traditions.","city":"Amman","address":"19 Riad Mufleh Street  \nAmman  \nJordan","website":"http://tirazcentre.org/","phone":"+962 77 672 7209","email":"info@tirazcentre.org"},"bd5ab87c-f83d-5fb3-87a9-cae4d57dff07":{"name":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","description":"Sharjah Heritage Museum first opened its doors in 2005. It has been renovated and re-opened in 2012 in Bait Saeed Al Taweel Al Shamsi, in the Heart of Sharjah.  \n  \nThe museum offers a great chance to engage in the rich heritage of Sharjah and Emirati culture, with a focus on lifestyle, deep rooted customs such as hospitality, traditions, trade and traditional knowledge. A visitor can explore the diverse environments of coast, desert and mountain that was naturally reflected in their lifestyle, habits and crafts. The museum provides a child-friendly atmosphere, with a series of folklore tales, old sayings and puzzles.","city":"Sharjah","address":"P O Box 39939, Al-Layyeh, Sharjah, UAE","website":"https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/","phone":"+971 6 5680006","fax":"+971 6 5566003","email":"info@sma.gov.ae"},"c0c2fa4f-c38c-578e-8cc1-4703cc60b8a9":{"name":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","description":"The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was the first museum in Turkey to bring together works of Islamic art. It was founded in 1914 as the Museum of Islamic Foundations and housed in the Imaret building of the Süleymaniye Complex, built by the great Turkish architect Sinan in the 16th century. The museum was renamed the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts after the declaration of the republic and moved to its present location in the 16th-century Ibrahim Paşa Palace in 1983.  \n  \nThe core collection of the museum comprises Islamic artworks collected from across the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. These works include carpets, manuscripts, metalwork, glassware, ceramics, woodwork and ethnographic materials. The collection represents an extensive period ranging from the rise of Islam to the 20th century and the vast geographical area ruled by the Ottoman Empire.  \n  \nThe carpets, numbering some 1,700, in their quality and variety constitute one of the most important collections of carpets in the world, so that the museum is sometimes thought of as a carpet museum. But the museum also has other outstanding collections: the manuscripts collection represents all the ruling Islamic states from the AH 1st / AD 7th century to the 20th century across a wide geographical area. The metalwork collection allows visitors to follow the development of Turkish metalwork in Anatolia and the rich collection of woodwork ranges from the AH 3rd / AD 9th century to the Ottoman period. The glassware and pottery collections include artefacts recovered during excavations at renowned Abbasid centres such as Samarra and Keshan (Iran) and Raqqa (Syria) as well as artefacts from the Anatolian Turkish period. The stonework, most bearing inscriptions, includes examples from the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Seljuq and Ottoman periods. The ethnographic department is the newest section.  \n  \nThe museum also organises, hosts and participates in temporary national and international exhibitions.  \n  \nAfter the grand restoration works The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts re-opened in April 2014, exactly 100 years after its foundation, with special exhibitions to celebrate its hundredth anniversary.","city":"İstanbul","address":"İbrahim Paşa Sarayı Atmeydanı Sok. No: 46  \nSultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey","website":"https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/tiem","phone":"+90 212 518 18 05 / 06","fax":"+90 212 518 18 07","email":"tiem@tiem.gov.tr"},"c79c9bf0-7954-5ad4-95e9-6020467c3765":{"name":"Istanbul Water Museum (İstanbul Su Müzesi)","description":"Established in January 2021 within Topkar Inc., the Istanbul Water Museum is dedicated to water, water civilisation and the cultural heritage of the Turkish bath.  \n  \nThe Topçu family, which owns the company, has cultivated for four generations a tradition of preserving everyday household objects. As one of Türkiye’s leading manufacturers of bathroom and kitchen fittings, the family united this passion with their profession and began collecting faucets, water vessels and related objects over 25 years ago, laying the foundation of the museum’s collection. In 2008, they became officially registered collectors with the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.  \n  \nThe collection encompasses themes such as the relationship between water and humanity; fountains; sebils and faucets; water and belief; water and healing; cleanliness, bathing and hammam culture; and Istanbul’s famous spring waters. The collection includes a wide range of water-related objects, manuscripts, ephemera, postcards, engravings, paintings, calligraphy, marbling (*ebru*) and miniature artworks. Artefacts dating from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and early Republican eras are exhibited chronologically and, in some sections, thematically across two galleries totalling 800 square metres. The Istanbul Water Museum is a member and Türkiye’s representative of the UNESCO Global Network of Water Museums (WAMU-Net).  \n  \nTopkar regards the museum as a sustainable social responsibility project aimed at promoting water and hammam culture, preserving endangered traditions, fostering public awareness of water use and creating lasting cultural memory. The Topkar family celebrates its 40th anniversary with this meaningful initiative.","city":"Istanbul","address":"İkitelli OSB. Mh. Hürriyet Bulvarı No:54 Başakşehir-İstanbul-Türkiye 34490","website":"http://www.istanbulsumuzesi.org","phone":"+90 486 20 20"},"c8825cec-041d-5069-bbce-82c394d5e619":{"name":"National Museum Oman","description":"The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman, established by royal decree in 2013 and opened July 30, 2016, is the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day. As a national institution with global outreach, the museum is dedicated to ensuring that Oman’s cultural heritage is understood and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally. Further, it aims to provide opportunities for cultural expression, innovation, and the transfer of traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.  \n  \nThe museum is located in the heart of Muscat in a purpose-designed building. The total area of the building is 13,700 square metres (147,000 sq ft), including 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) allocated for 14 permanent galleries – The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others. A further 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) are allocated for temporary exhibitions.  \n  \nThe National Museum houses 5,466 objects and offers 43 digital immersive experiences, a fully equipped Learning Centre, conservation facilities, an ultra-high definition cinema, and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. The museum contains a voluminous collection of prehistoric metallic artefacts. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors can learn about the various processes that artefacts go through before they are put on display.","city":"Muscat","address":"P.O.Box: (1105)  \n113 Muscat","website":"https://www.nm.gov.om/","email":"booking@nm.gov.om"},"ca0e325c-0944-502c-ac42-7a2a27464669":{"name":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","description":"The 'institut du monde arabe' (Museum of the Arab world) in Paris houses a museum, labeled as a \"Musée de France,\" dedicated to the discovery and promotion of Arab culture. Located in the heart of the French capital, it holds a rich and diverse collection of artworks, historical objects, and cultural artifacts representing the various facets of the Arab world beyond stereotypes, showcasing its full diversity of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and faiths, from its origins to the present day. The museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions explore various themes covering a historical range from ancient Mediterranean civilizations to contemporary times, thanks to a rich collection of Islamic art and ethnographic objects as well as a collection of modern and contemporary artworks. The remarkable architecture of the building, designed by Jean Nouvel, blends tradition and modernity, offering visitors an immersive and captivating experience. The museum also offers educational activities, lectures, film screenings, and special events throughout the year, aiming to raise awareness about the richness and diversity of Arab culture. With its commitment to promoting intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, the Institut du monde arabe's museum is a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts and curious individuals eager to explore the treasures of Arab heritage.","city":"Paris","address":"1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard  \nPlace Mohammed V  \n75 236 Paris Cédex 5","website":"https://www.imarabe.org/fr","phone":"+33 (0)1 40 51 38 38"},"cc176d16-7f00-5907-8a82-b1f3d06b7d4d":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Zagreb**  \nCity Museum  \nCroatian History Museum  \nDiocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese  \nMetropolitan Library, Valvasor Collection of prints and drawings  \nStrossmayer Gallery of Old Masters  \nZagreb Cathedral Treasury  \n  \n**Dubrovnik**  \nDubrovnik Cultural History Museum  \nMuseum of Icons of the Serbian Orthodox Church Community  \n  \n**Ilok**  \nCity Museum  \n  \n**Klanjec**  \nFranciscan Monastery  \n  \n**Osijek**  \nGallery of Fine Arts  \n  \n**Požega**  \nDiocese Museum of the Požega Diocese  \n  \n**Trakošćan**  \nTrakošćan Castle  \n  \n**Varaždin**  \nCity Museum"},"cda4e9a0-f14d-5a98-b6ce-3f8077d29e19":{"name":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","description":"The MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art – is one of the foremost museums of its kind in the world. The building located on Stubenring in the 1st district of Vienna was founded in 1863 as the k.k. Österreichisches Museum für Kunst und Industrie (Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry) and today houses a unique collection of applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art.  \n  \nThe MAK collection encompasses European and international decorative arts ranging from the Early Middle Ages to the present. The museum's main holdings include textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture and metalwork as well as exquisite objects of the Wiener Werkstätte (craftworks) and Art Nouveau. Its collection of Oriental carpets and East Asian art are of the highest international significance.  \n  \nAmong the objects from the Islamic world, the collection of Oriental carpets is pre-eminent, and the museum holds the largest collection worldwide of paintings of the *Hamzanama* from the era of the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Important examples of the applied arts are preserved in the MAK Asia Collection, most notably include objects from Iran and the Ottoman Empire.","city":"Vienna","address":"Stubenring, 5  \nA-1010 Wien  \nAustria","website":"http://www.mak.at","phone":"+43 1 711 36-248","fax":"+43 1 713 10 26","email":"office@MAK.at"},"ce882b84-4e7b-5d76-9fe9-a1770bcc0da5":{"name":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museums)","description":"Founded in 1998 by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) is the Sheikh’s brainchild and a monument to his enduring passion for collecting international items of peculiar and historical relevance.  \n  \nA museum with a global perspective, FBQ brings together over 30,000 objects from across the ages and a multitude of cultures. It represents, in effect, a modern version of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, the historic and eclectic room of marvels from the Renaissance.  \n  \nThe journey through more than 30 galleries ranges from the prehistoric to the present day, encompassing several themes: Islamic art, Qatari heritage, carpets, weapons, vehicles, jewellery and currency. Gallery highlights also include a rebuilt Syrian house and the Quran room. The artefacts showcased in FBQ’s galleries embody Islam’s visual culture and its far-reaching traditions from southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The thematic presentation of the works draws attention to the similarities of artistic forms and cultural expressions and their interdependence among societies.  \n  \nFBQ is much more than a museum. Since the construction of the main museum in Al Shahaniya in 1998 using local stone and traditional turrets, FBQ has been fulfilling the museum founder’s aim to create and share a new cultural heritage for Qatar and beyond. With the establishment of the Carpet Museum in the heart of Doha in 2014 and the addition of the Car Museum, the FBQ complex of museums aims to inspire people to engage with cultural heritage by sharing stories from near and far. FBQ strives to foster cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, education and public programs, both locally and internationally.  \n  \nIn 2010, the museum was selected by Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage as one of the cultural landmarks of the ‘Doha 2010 Capital of Culture’ activities.","city":"Doha","address":"Zone 80, Street 9999 Building No. 365, Al Samariya  \nAl Shahaniya, Doha Qatar  \nP.O. Box number 006","website":"www.fbqmuseum.org","phone":"+974 4486 1444","fax":"+974 4486 2555","email":"info@fbqmuseum.org"},"cf8ec428-5799-50a3-9650-91f330ba6493":{"name":"Dar Jamaï Museum","description":"The Jamai Palace was built in 1882 by Mokhtar bin Larbi Jamai, the grand vizier of the sultan Moulay Hassan I, according to an inscription in the reception hall. The French bought it in 1912, and they converted it successively into a hospital, a military court, and in 1920, into the “Museum of Indigenous Arts”, devoted to the handicrafts of Meknes and the surrounding mountainous Middle Atlas and Rif regions. Inspired by Spanish-Maghrebi design and decoration, Dar Jamai was created to meet the needs of private and public life.  \n  \n**Museum Collections**  \n  \nOn the ground floor, three rooms dedicated to ceramics from Fez and Tafilalet, ceramics from Meknes-Fez and painted and sculpted wood lead to the central patio. Two rooms formerly reserved for women also open onto the patio; one is dedicated to costumes and embroidery, the other to urban and rural jewellery.  \n  \nThe vizier’s private Moorish bath displays *hammam* objects such as wooden buckets, small brass containers, woolen gloves, and the like.  \n  \nThe room of old ironwork includes panels with keys, padlocks, knockers, chandeliers, locks, and a complete set of blacksmithing tools.  \n  \nPottery from the Rif region, Zarhoun pottery and metalwork are displayed in the former kitchens, while pavilions and corridors are decorated with various small carpets and manuscripts.  \n  \nThe textile room has two looms, tapestries and blankets.  \n  \nUpstairs, the bride’s room and the *koubba*, where the vizier received his distinguished guests – a sumptuous cupola decorated with terracotta tiles and stucco – is covered by a painted and carved cedar ceiling. This ceremonial salon with alcoves is furnished in the Makhzen tradition: brass, Rabat carpets, sofas, embroidered silks from Meknes, Rabat and Salé, velvets embroidered in gold, leather cushions, mosquito nets, and more.  \n  \nThe last room is devoted to weapons from the Rif, Souss and Tafilalet regions of Morocco.","city":"Meknès","address":"Place Hadim  \nMeknès, Morocco","phone":"+212 535 540 863","fax":"Not available"},"d10f1d84-ce50-539f-aad0-624ff1d3e8c9":{"name":"Topkapı Palace Museum","description":"Topkapı Palace, the administrative and residential palace of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, was completed by AH 882 / AD 1478 after the city had been conquered by Mehmed II. It was used continuously by the Ottoman rulers until they moved to the palaces built along the Bosphorus in the 13th / 19th century. After the declaration of the Republic of Turkey, the palace became a museum on 3 April 1924 by order of Atatürk.  \nThe palace became a grandiose, multi-functional structure through continual development and additional construction by different sultans, which also reflects the institutional structure of the Ottoman Empire. The splendour and multi-level structure of Ottoman protocol and hierarchy can clearly be seen in the architecture. Even the rise and the fall of the empire found its artistic expression in the palace. As well as being a stage for the dramatic events of the past, this palace is one of the few examples of its kind that survived along with its historical lifestyle.  \n  \nAmong the items exhibited in the museum are portraits and costumes of the sultans, Chinese and Japanese porcelains used in the palace, metal kitchenware, Yıldız porcelain and glassware, European porcelain and silver items, Islamic and Turkish weapons. Holy relics of Prophet Mohammed and the first caliphs that were brought from Medina in the early 10th / 16th century by Selim I are exhibited in the Holy Relics section. Among those relics are the mantle of the Prophet Mohammed, his swords and his foot print.  \n  \nFour thrones, aigrette-holders, the Topkapı dagger and the diamond of Kaşıkçı are the most famous examples of the items from the treasury of the Ottomans. The museum's archive holds important documents of correspondence of the Ottoman Sultans and its library contains famous manuscripts from the Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods.  \n  \nTopkapı Palace Museum operates under the Directorate of National Palaces of the Presidency of the Republic.","city":"Istanbul","address":"Sultanahmet  \nFatih, İstanbul, Turkey","website":"https://www.millisaraylar.gov.tr/en","phone":"+90 212 512 04 80; +90 212 236","fax":"+90 212 259 32 92","email":"info@ millisaraylar.gov.tr"},"d2b9c791-32d7-590a-9a1b-3f6766d360d6":{"name":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museums)","description":"Founded in 1998 by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) is the Sheikh’s brainchild and a monument to his enduring passion for collecting international items of peculiar and historical relevance.  \n  \nA museum with a global perspective, FBQ brings together over 30,000 objects from across the ages and a multitude of cultures. It represents, in effect, a modern version of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, the historic and eclectic room of marvels from the Renaissance.  \n  \nThe journey through more than 30 galleries ranges from the prehistoric to the present day, encompassing several themes: Islamic art, Qatari heritage, carpets, weapons, vehicles, jewellery and currency. Gallery highlights also include a rebuilt Syrian house and the Quran room. The artefacts showcased in FBQ’s galleries embody Islam’s visual culture and its far-reaching traditions from southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The thematic presentation of the works draws attention to the similarities of artistic forms and cultural expressions and their interdependence among societies.  \n  \nFBQ is much more than a museum. Since the construction of the main museum in Al Shahaniya in 1998 using local stone and traditional turrets, FBQ has been fulfilling the museum founder’s aim to create and share a new cultural heritage for Qatar and beyond. With the establishment of the Carpet Museum in the heart of Doha in 2014 and the addition of the Car Museum, the FBQ complex of museums aims to inspire people to engage with cultural heritage by sharing stories from near and far. FBQ strives to foster cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, education and public programs, both locally and internationally.  \n  \nIn 2010, the museum was selected by Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage as one of the cultural landmarks of the ‘Doha 2010 Capital of Culture’ activities.","city":"Doha","address":"Zone 80, Street 9999 Building No. 365, Al Samariya  \nAl Shahaniya, Doha Qatar  \nP.O. Box number 006","website":"www.fbqmuseum.org","phone":"+974 4486 1444","fax":"+974 4486 2555","email":"info@fbqmuseum.org"},"d321bef5-3599-590f-a696-aa3a0d57d455":{"name":"Benaki Museum","description":"The Benaki Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Greece operating as a foundation under private law. It was founded in 1931 by Antoni Benaki, a member of a leading Greek family of Alexandria. The current museum is decentralised: its hub is the neoclassical mansion presenting the evolution of Greek art from the Neolithic period to the present day. The autonomous buildings include the exhibition centre on Pireos Street, the historical archives in the Delta house, the Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika gallery and the Museum of Islamic Art.  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art is a renovated neoclassical building in Athens’ historic centre near the ancient Agora. It opened in 2004 to house the collection formed by Antoni Benaki during the early part of the 20th century, while he was living in Egypt. Subsequently enriched by other donations, today it contains c. 10,000 objects from the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, North Africa and India. It demonstrates the evolution of Islamic art up to the Ottoman period and corresponding developments to the middle of the 20th century. The collection includes ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, glassware, ivories, funerary steles and arms and armour.  \n  \nThe visitor first finds exhibits from the 7th to the 12th century. Highlights are lustreware, door panels from Iraq, Fatimid metalwork, *tiraz* textiles and a unique reed mat from 10th-century Tiberias. The second gallery exhibits objects from the 12th to the 16th century with Seljuq ceramics, Mamluk metalwork and pottery and highlights a brass box with the signature of Isma’il ibn al-Ward al-Mawsili dated 1220 and the astrolabe of Ahmad ibn al-Sarraj dated 1328/29.  \n  \nThe third gallery displays a marble-lined reception room from a 17th-century Cairo mansion and its fountain, *qamariyya* windows and a *mashrabiyya* screen. Other exhibits include Iznik pottery and a 16th-century velvet saddle from Bursa. The last gallery presents arms and armour, and Qajar jewellery collected by Argine Salvagos, sister of the founder.  \n  \nDuring preservation work, a section of the ancient city wall of Athens from the 4th century BC was uncovered and remains *in situ* at basement level, accessible to visitors.","city":"Athens","address":"22 Agion Asomaton & 12 Dipilou Street  \nAthens  \nGreece","website":"http://www.benaki.gr/","phone":"+30 210 325 1311","fax":"+30 210 322 5550","email":"islamic_collection@benaki.gr"},"d4a98989-670f-57f0-806b-0923d3e7b276":{"name":"National Museum Oman","description":"The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman, established by royal decree in 2013 and opened July 30, 2016, is the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day. As a national institution with global outreach, the museum is dedicated to ensuring that Oman’s cultural heritage is understood and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally. Further, it aims to provide opportunities for cultural expression, innovation, and the transfer of traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.  \n  \nThe museum is located in the heart of Muscat in a purpose-designed building. The total area of the building is 13,700 square metres (147,000 sq ft), including 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) allocated for 14 permanent galleries – The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others. A further 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) are allocated for temporary exhibitions.  \n  \nThe National Museum houses 5,466 objects and offers 43 digital immersive experiences, a fully equipped Learning Centre, conservation facilities, an ultra-high definition cinema, and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. The museum contains a voluminous collection of prehistoric metallic artefacts. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors can learn about the various processes that artefacts go through before they are put on display.","city":"Muscat","address":"P.O.Box: (1105)  \n113 Muscat","website":"https://www.nm.gov.om/","email":"booking@nm.gov.om"},"d8cdb3eb-45fb-5ddf-a4cb-305d3f9d955b":{"name":"Istanbul Postal Museum","description":"The Istanbul Postal Museum is dedicated to the historical development of mail and telecommunication services in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, exhibiting related equipment, instruments and postage stamps.  \n  \nThe museum is situated inside the Main Post Office building in Sirkeci quarter of Fatih district in Istanbul. The museum has a separate entrance and occupies four storeys in the western part of the building. It informs visitors about the country’s history of communication and telecommunication services, which officially began on 23 October 1840 with the foundation of the Ottoman Ministry of Post. Established on 6 May 2000 by the Turkish Post, the museum consists of four sections for mail, telegraphy, telephony and postage stamps. Photographs taken during the construction of the building are also displayed.","city":"Istanbul","address":"Hobyar Mahallesi,  \nBüyük Postane Caddesi, 25  \nFatih, Istanbul  \nTurkey","website":"www.ptt.gov.tr","phone":"+90 212 519 19 99","fax":"+90 212 512 09 49","email":"istav-muze@ptt.gov.tr"},"dbeada8d-19e8-5b4c-af80-b2facb57070d":{"name":"The Jordan Museum","description":"The Jordan Museum is a national institution that aims to preserve and present Jordan's rich cultural heritage. Ras al-‘Ayn is located in the dynamic downtown area of Amman. 1.5 million years of Jordanian history, cultural heritage and innovation are presented in a series of beautifully designed galleries. In addition, the Jordan Museum heritage documentation and restoration centre serves as a comprehensive centre for archivists and scholars studying the history and culture of Jordan.  \n  \nThe Jordan Museum aims to persuade visitors to explore the cultural sites and cities in Jordan. Two main exhibitions are employed in the galleries; the chronological narrative of Jordanian history presented in nine main themes: the environment, food, art and architecture, cultural interaction and trade, politics and military, industry, communication and writing, religion, and day-to-day life in Jordan. Among the chronological galleries, are complementary thematic exhibits that present specific subjects irrespective of their time. The displays focus is on the story of innovation. The original context and the function of artefacts is emphasised rather than treating them as “objects d’art”. Treasures of Jordanian Art displays unique aesthetic objects from the collection. On permanent exhibit is the most ancient human statues in the world, the 9700-year-old *‘Ayn Ghazal’* statues, and the unique Dead Sea Copper Scroll.  \n  \nIn addition to the permanent galleries, there are temporary indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. On a rotating basis, the museum offers the opportunity to explore themes in depth using travelling exhibitions as well as in-house special exhibitions.","city":"Amman","address":"Amman Ras al-‘Ayn next to Greater Amman Municipality  \nP.O Box 830157,  \nAmman 11183  \nJordan","website":"http://www.jordanmuseum.jo/","phone":"+962 6 4629317","fax":"+962 6 4629312","email":"info@jordanmuseum.jo"},"dbffb8f8-6183-5d07-a911-b7386d37aaab":{"name":"Lázaro Galdiano Museum","description":"The Museo Lázaro Galdiano is a result of the generous spirit of collector D. Jose Lázaro, who left to the Spanish state under his will of 1947 his house, library of 20,000 volumes and 13,000 artworks.  \nThe museum was installed in the neo-Renaissance palace that was the Lázaro family home and opened in 1951. In 2005 it was restored, with a rearrangement of the collections that highlights the importance of Spanish art. The museum spaces evoke the places where the collection was enjoyed by the leading intellectuals of the time. Works by Goya, El Greco, Velázquez, Reynolds, Isenbrandt, Hubert van Eyck and Constable coexist with important collections of sculpture, ivories, enamels, bronzes and textiles. José Lázaro took special interest in Hispano-Muslim art and art of the first Spanish Renaissance.","city":"Madrid","address":"C/ Serrano, 122  \n28006 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"www.flg.es","phone":"+34 91 561 60 84","fax":"+34 91 561 77 93","email":"amparo.lopez@flg.es"},"defa425b-fe47-5a8e-bb82-33721be61de9":{"name":"Batha Museum","description":"Built in 1885, the original building was a courthouse and summer residence of the Alaouite sultan Moulay Hassan I before being renovated as a museum in 1915. The Batha Museum brings together archaeological collections, architectural elements and ethnographic objects relating to the city of Fez and its surrounding area. Since a reorganisation in 2006, the museum’s theme has revolved around spiritual life and the art of living.  \n  \nThrough large rooms overlooking the patio and garden, the tour begins with the city’s Islamic origins: manuscripts illuminated with gold leaf, liturgical wooden objects, planispheric brass astrolabes – and a rare example of a leather astrolabe dial. One section is dedicated to architectural elements. Wood is featured: friezes, panels, lintels and other corbels from different dynasties display Moroccan craftsmanship. Besides their artistic value, some pieces are historical and archaeological treasures, such as the beam dating from AD 877, the oldest wood in Islamic Morocco, evidence of the city of Kairouan’s artistic influences.  \n  \nZelliges (handmade terracotta tiles) are a distinctive feature of Moroccan-Andalusian Islamic architecture, with excellent collections here in the Batha Museum, with some dating back to the 14th century.  \n  \nAlso on exhibit are traditional arts from Fez, whose richness and variety are manifested in a collection of delicate embroidery in a single thread colour, and a variety of ornaments and wedding dresses for brides typically from the cities. There is also a rich collection of tin-based ceramics enamelled in a monochrome blue-grey.  \n  \nVisitors can discover rural crafts and museum-quality objects like jewellery and pottery outside the city of Fez.","city":"Fès","address":"Ksar El Batha  \nPlace du 11 janvier  \nFès, Morocco","phone":"+212 53 563 41 16"},"e4a45e50-1dd1-5680-88c5-cd761132d6ed":{"name":"Regional Gallery of Sicily - Abatellis Palace","description":"The Regional Gallery of Sicily showcases the evolution of the figurative arts within Palermo and Western Sicily from the 12th to 18th centuries. The palace that houses the museum was built in 1495 as the residence of Francesco Abatellis, Master of Sicily’s ports, and stands as an important representative of Gothic-Catalan architecture within the region. After the death of Abatellis, part of the building adjoining the palace was converted in 1527 into a convent for the Benedictine Nuns of the church of Santa Maria della Pietà. This was then later turned into a Dominican Monastery. During the Second World War, the palace sustained considerable bombing damage in 1943, leading to initiatives for its complete restoration. The museum was finally opened to the public on the 23rd of June 1954.  \n  \nThe present layout of the museum is the result of collaborative efforts between the curator Giorgio Vigni and the Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa throughout the years 1953-54.  \n  \nThe permanent museum exhibition is divided into two sections; sculpture is located on the ground floor whilst paintings are located on the upper floor.  \n  \nThe Gallery's collections come from acquisitions, donations and confiscations of property belonging to suppressed religious organisations. Before being grouped together in the current headquarters, these works were part of the Royal University Pinacoteca, then collections of the National Museum of Palermo. The works of Islamic art preserved in the Gallery come mainly from the city of Palermo where they were recovered during restoration works and architectural restructuring of the most important Arab-Norman sites. These include the Norman Palace (later the Royal Palace), the church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio called the Martorana, the church of San Giacomo la Mazzara (which no longer exists) and the Casa Maturano, a building adjacent to the church of Martorana. Other objects, particularly wood and ceramics, were purchased mainly from the Egyptian antiquities market by the then director of the Royal Museum, Antonio Salinas, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.","city":"Palermo","address":"Via Alloro, 4  \n90133  \nPalermo, Italy","website":"http://www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzoabatellis/","phone":"+39 091 6230011","fax":"+39 091 6165305","email":"gall.abatellis@regione.sicilia.it"},"edb8cc68-6a7b-575f-9541-6421a991bf33":{"name":"Further Associated Museums","description":"**Hama Museum**  \nHama, Syria"},"ee0a71f8-dc12-5d5d-b02a-4402969e8274":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art","description":"The Museum of Islamic Arts of Kairouan is located in Raqqada, in a former presidential palace that was converted into a cultural and educational centre in 1986. It contains four rooms on the main floor and upstairs.  \n  \nOn the ground floor are:  \n– The ceramics room, which houses objects dating back to the Aghlabid, Fatimid and Hafsid eras. Those of the Aghlabid era are characterised by the use of metallic lustre glazes, archaic Kufic script and stylised zoomorphic and anthropomorphic images. This room displays a collection of blue Iznik ceramic tiles from Anatolia.  \n  \n– The hall of the Great Mosque, which houses religious objects such as friezes with floral and epigraphic motifs that form part of the roofing. There is also a reconstruction of the *mihrab* from the mosque and the door of the *maqsoura* (private enclosure).  \n  \n– The Lapidary Inscriptions Room, which is under development, will house flat, prismatic and column-barrel gravestones from the Kairouan Cemetery. It will also contain the inscription of the foundation of the city of Sabra al-Mansouriya, characterised by its writing style and its imposing size.  \n  \n\\- The Sabra al-Mansouriya Hall, expected to receive objects from the Sabra excavation, now contains the casting furnace found on the same site.  \n  \nUpstairs:  \nThe glass cases of the coin and jewellery room hold a large collection of coins dating back to the Aghlabid, Fatimid, Hafsid and Ottoman eras, showing their evolution over time. This room also contains glass objects from the Sabra site and the lantern from al-Mouiz.  \n  \nThe manuscript room contains a rich collection of parchment Qur’an folios from the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan displaying the evolution of writing and ornamentation styles (3rd / 9th to the 13th / 19th century). The collection owes its unique reputation to the famous “blue parchment” of the 4th / 10th century. Enclosing these folios are leather bindings embossed with floral and geometric designs.  \n  \nAn exhibition such as this one helps us interpret the history of the city of Kairouan. The newer Sabra Hall, the Hall of Lapidary Inscriptions and the Hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan will further our understanding.","city":"Kairouan","address":"Musée des arts islamiques  \nKairouan-Raqqada","phone":"+216 77 228126","fax":"+216 77 228469"},"f0c1b6b9-8198-5a97-9aea-8ebedfa90ca3":{"name":"Museum of Islamic Art","description":"At the order of Khedive Ismail Pasha in 1880 the collection of archaeological rarities from the Islamic era was begun in the mosque of Al- Hakim. The Council for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities, created in 1881 in association with the Ministry of Awqaf, supervised the House of Arab Antiquities, as it was then known, until 1930 when the museum was taken into the Ministry of Education.  \n  \nThe museum acquired only from mosques and public buildings in its first 20 years. Then it undertook its first excavation in 1910 in the vicinity of Doronka in Upper Egypt and a second excavation south of Cairo uncovering a section of the city of Fustat (first Islamic capital of Egypt).  \n  \nThe museum acquired many items through donations. King Fu’ad I gave a valuable collection of textiles, scales and seals as did King Farouk, Amir Muhammad Ali and Amir Yusuf Kamal. Amir Kamal al-Din Hussein, Yakub Artin Pasha and Ali Ibrahim Pasha also donated complete collections.  \n  \nThe collections, amounting to 7082 artefacts, were transferred to their current building, when the present museum was inaugurated in December 1903. In 1952, the name of the museum was changed to the ‘Museum of Islamic Art’ to reflect the scope of the collection: objects produced in the Islamic world and dating from the beginning of the Islamic era (AD 7th century) to the end of the AD 19th century. The number of recorded objects has now reached 103,000.  \n  \nThe collections include enamelled glass lamps, Egyptian ceramics and a rare collection of filigree waterpot filters of unpainted earthenware renowned for their lacework designs. There are also collections of woodwork, textiles and stones with inscriptions, while the collection of carpets is considered to be one of the greatest of its kind. Collections of scientific instruments display the extent to which Islamic civilisation has contributed to knowledge in many different fields. There is also an extraordinary collection of seals, weights, measures, gold, silver and copper coins.  \n  \nThe Museum of Islamic Art, having one of the most comprehensive and complete Islamic art collections in the world continues to develop and expand its collections and to modernise the building with its 25 halls, facilities and archaeological garden.","city":"Cairo","website":"https://www.miaegypt.org/","phone":"+20 2 2390 1520"},"f2c2b5c1-dd0f-5208-8f82-ff80d06d5bde":{"name":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museums)","description":"Founded in 1998 by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) is the Sheikh’s brainchild and a monument to his enduring passion for collecting international items of peculiar and historical relevance.  \n  \nA museum with a global perspective, FBQ brings together over 30,000 objects from across the ages and a multitude of cultures. It represents, in effect, a modern version of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, the historic and eclectic room of marvels from the Renaissance.  \n  \nThe journey through more than 30 galleries ranges from the prehistoric to the present day, encompassing several themes: Islamic art, Qatari heritage, carpets, weapons, vehicles, jewellery and currency. Gallery highlights also include a rebuilt Syrian house and the Quran room. The artefacts showcased in FBQ’s galleries embody Islam’s visual culture and its far-reaching traditions from southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The thematic presentation of the works draws attention to the similarities of artistic forms and cultural expressions and their interdependence among societies.  \n  \nFBQ is much more than a museum. Since the construction of the main museum in Al Shahaniya in 1998 using local stone and traditional turrets, FBQ has been fulfilling the museum founder’s aim to create and share a new cultural heritage for Qatar and beyond. With the establishment of the Carpet Museum in the heart of Doha in 2014 and the addition of the Car Museum, the FBQ complex of museums aims to inspire people to engage with cultural heritage by sharing stories from near and far. FBQ strives to foster cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, education and public programs, both locally and internationally.  \n  \nIn 2010, the museum was selected by Qatar’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage as one of the cultural landmarks of the ‘Doha 2010 Capital of Culture’ activities.","city":"Doha","address":"Zone 80, Street 9999 Building No. 365, Al Samariya  \nAl Shahaniya, Doha Qatar  \nP.O. Box number 006","website":"www.fbqmuseum.org","phone":"+974 4486 1444","fax":"+974 4486 2555","email":"info@fbqmuseum.org"},"f5c11bd8-33ca-5552-a5d9-8437afd6ee27":{"name":"The Lebanese University","description":"The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. The university has 17 faculties across Lebanon and serves various cultural, religious and social groups of students and teachers.  \n  \nThe independent university enjoys administrative, academic and financial freedom. Among its educational goals are creating a unique mix of cultures and providing the basic and essential education to allow students to enter various professions.  \n  \nIn spite of the crisis in the region that has existed since 1975, leaving wounds and tragedies, the Lebanese University has remained the national home of science. Rivalling the most prestigious universities in Lebanon and abroad, and leading the process of human development that spread all over the country, its graduates became ambassadors of Lebanon in all the corners of the earth.  \n  \nOur university respects the national demand for academic freedom, which has become a right of scholars and specialists, based on laws and international conventions and regional organisations and sometimes more, applying the important rules of human rights: the right of learning and seeking knowledge with higher education and participation in international projects to develop academic programmes and exchange of research.The university has maintained the quality of higher education, although we seek more contact with the spirit of this modern age and its promising accomplishments by increasing relations and agreements with other universities and institutions all over the world. In spite of the political pressures on the people of the university and attempts to split them into factions, the majority of them have remained faithful to the spirit of the national organisation and the struggles of the early pioneers who insisted on building the edifice of national higher education, in the framework of the values of freedom and justice.","city":"Beirut","address":"Central Administration, Museum, Beirut  \n  \nPostal address: P.O. Box 6573/14 Badaro, Museum  \nBeirut  \nLebanon","website":"http://www.ul.edu.lb/","phone":"+961 1 612830; 1 612831","email":"ibady@ul.edu.lb"},"f6a3053d-d710-547e-be54-96097d448f7a":{"name":"National Museum of Damascus","description":"The National Museum in Damascus was established under the supervision of the Ministry of Education in 1919. The original core of this museum's contents was initially kept at the Madrasa al-'Adiliya. The collection gradually increased and the discovery of the Umayyad palace of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi in the Syrian desert in 1936 further spurred into action plans for a newer and bigger museum. A building located next to Al-Takiyya al-Sulaymaniya was chosen for the establishment of the National Museum of Damascus.  \n  \nQasr Al-Hayr Al-Gharbi added new emphasis to the importance of devoting more attention to the Islamic period and the Directors of Antiquities decided to incorporate these palatial finds into the National Museum of Damascus. After much hard work and technical expertise, the front façade of the Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi was transposed and carefully reconstructed as the National Museum's main entrance. The side halls and the second floor were designated for the most important artistic finds of this early Islamic palace. The completion of the display took several years and the official opening was celebrated in 1950.  \n  \nIn 1953 a three-storey wing was added to house and display ancient oriental antiquities, the Islamic period, modern Syrian art, and temporary exhibitions.  \n  \nOne of the more recent extensions included three double halls for the Islamic period, a new lecture hall and a library. The lecture hall was furnished as a 19th-century Damascene reception hall, a masterpiece of late decoration and ornamentation in its own right. The opening of this extension took place in 1963.  \n  \nIn 1974 there were further additions, this time devoted to the Palaeolithic period. And lastly, in 2004, the temporary exhibition wing was transformed into a permanent collection of Neolithic antiquities.  \n  \nAt present, the National Museum of Damascus consists of the following sections:  \n  \n1\\. Palaeolithic.  \n2\\. Neolithic.  \n3\\. Ancient Syrian Oriental.  \n4\\. Classical.  \n5\\. Islamic.  \n6\\. Modern Arts.","city":"Damascus","address":"Qasr el-Heir Street  \nDamascus, Syria","phone":"+963 11 2234331","fax":"+963 11 2247983","email":"sam.orient@mail.sy"},"f937f9c2-61b9-5201-b1ec-08251315e395":{"name":"National Museum of Decorative Arts","description":"The National Museum of Decorative Arts (MNAD) devotes its permanent collection to historical and current domestic spaces and allows visitors to experience the daily life of various cultures. Temporary exhibitions focus primarily on the contemporary designers and artists – both established and emerging – that create our environment. Through these visiting exhibits, the museum is able to display parts of the permanent collection kept in storage and generally not visible to the public.  \n  \nThe museum houses a permanent collection of over 70,000 objects from several geographic origins; mainly Spain, but also other European countries and the Far East. The collection covers a long chronological period. The oldest pieces date from the 4th century BC, but the chronological sequence goes from the 14th century until the first half of the 21st century, including the collection of avant-garde design as well as recent acquisitions of contemporary design.  \n  \nThis broad collection includes a full range of materials, techniques and typologies, including textiles, metalwork, furniture, ceramics, glass, costumes, silver, ironwork, ivory, photographs, prints and documents.  \n  \nIn 1934 the museum moved to its present location, a mansion built in 1878 by the architect José María González for Doña María del Carmen Espinosa, the Duchess of Santoña. Part of the original red-brick and stone facade, the imperial staircase of white Italian marble decorated with medallions and the Italian mosaic floors by Pellerin and Domenico still remain from the original concept of the building, a residence in the Romantic style. In the 1940s the architect Luis Moya added two floors above the original ones, structured in enfilade around a central court. Since then, the museum has undergone various improvements.","city":"Madrid","address":"C/ Montalbán, 12  \n28014 Madrid  \nSpain","website":"http://mnartesdecorativas.mcu.es/","phone":"+34 91 532 64 99","fax":"+34 91 523 20 86","email":"mnad@mecd.es"},"fea32901-ad4a-5972-8043-fd04f11ab0ee":{"name":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","description":"Interest in Islamic art has grown enormously in recent years. Reflecting this awareness, in December 1998 Malaysia became home to Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art. The building occupies 30,000 square metres, situated amid the leafy surroundings of central Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens.  \n  \nThe Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia houses more than ten thousand artefacts, as well as an exceptional library of Islamic art books. The art objects on display range from the tiniest pieces of jewellery to one of the world’s largest scale models of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The aim is to create a collection that is truly representative of the Islamic world. Instead of concentrating on works from the heartlands of Persia and the Middle East, IAMM also puts the emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast Asia are especially well represented. The third component of the Malaysian melting pot is India, which is also given special status. India, China and the Malay World are in an exceptional category. Other parts of the collection are displayed according to type rather than geographical origins in the museum’s 12 galleries.  \n  \nIranian tile workers transformed the iwan-style entrance into a ceramic tapestry that frames a welcoming verse from the Qur’an. On the roof, these artisans turned the dome-construction traditions of Central Asia into the building’s crowning glory. The turquoise-coloured domes are now a landmark on the Kuala Lumpur skyline.  \n  \nInside the building, the angularity of 21st century design is contrasted with the soft, rounded forms of the five domes that dominate the museum’s interior. Laboured over by craftsmen from Uzbekistan, these imposing features help form an ambience that is both airy and harmony. The seamless continuity of light and space is maintained throughout the galleries and into other areas of the museum, such as the library and the restaurant.","city":"Kuala Lumpur","address":"Jalan Lembah Perdana  \n50480 Kuala Lumpur  \nMalaysia","website":"http://www.iamm.org.my","phone":"+603 20927070; +603 22742020","fax":"+603 22740529","email":"info@iamm.org.my"}}