Severe damage sustained from a car-bomb attack in 2014 resulted in this museum shutting its doors to the public for years but thankfully it has now been reopened. Cairo’s Museum of Islamic Art holds one of the most important collections of Middle Eastern artistry in the world. Ottoman tile work, Ayyubid ceramics, frescoes, delicately patterned wood-inlay, coinage, carved marble tombstones, and jewel-toned carpets, among other items are all on display.
Definitely spend some time perusing the illuminated Qurans and the exhibits of richly decorative ceramics, glassware, and metal-ware. Then move on to admire the heavily ornate jewelry collection and the rooms devoted to Astronomy and other sciences, where you’ll find highly detailed astrolabes and other equipment. A visit here is a journey through the breadth and wealth of Islamic heritage.
The museum sits on the edge of the Islamic Cairo district, so it’s a good place to either begin or end a visit to the neighborhood. It’s within easy walking distance (once you’ve crossed a hideously busy main road) to Bab Zuweila.
