Art museum, Museum
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Twelve permanent galleries trace 1,400 years of Islamic art from Southeast Asia to West Africa, with highlights including detailed scale models of famous mosques, Qur'anic manuscripts and side-by-side displays of calligraphic scripts.
The story
The permanent collection is arranged by theme: architecture, arms and armour, ceramics, China, coins and seals, India, jewellery, wood, the Malay world, metalwork, Qur'an and manuscripts, and textiles. Among the standouts are finely crafted scale models of Masjid al-Haram, Masjid an-Nabawi, the Blue Mosque, Badshahi Mosque and the Taj Mahal. In the calligraphy displays, Kufic, Eastern Kufic, Maghribi and Diwani scripts sit next to each other, showing how varied Arabic writing can be. Two special galleries host temporary shows, among them Tatreez, devoted to Palestinian embroidery. Beyond the exhibits, the museum offers self-guided gallery trails, educational activities and a Scholar's Library. It has published research titles on Islamic art for 25 years. A shop and the MOZA Restaurant make it easy to stay longer.
Good to know
TAGGG AI- ✦Allow around one to one and a half hours to see the galleries at a comfortable pace.
- ✦The museum is spacious, well organised and fully air-conditioned, so it is easy to explore at your own pace.
- ✦Check the current temporary exhibition before going; the Tatreez show on Palestinian embroidery has been a standout.
