Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. March 2015
Wow!
The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha Qatar proves that old adage - with unlimited money and labor you can do just about anything. No expense was spared on this place. The location is perfect, the architect world-renowned, and the collection superlative. Forgive my swoon, but it exceeded all expectations and gave me hope that a museum culture/appreciation of heritage WAS actually being cultivated in the Gulf States of the Middle East.
The museum overlooks the great sweep of the Bay of Doha and sits across from the glittering skyscrapers of the "West Bay". The museum coffee shop must be one of the best in the world, up there with "behind the clock" in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The grounds surrounding the building are immaculately landscaped and the front entrance is grand and ceremonial with an avenue of palms. Just the setting alone puts the place in a class of its own.
The building is one of Pei's last great creations and is a celebration of Islamic design. Geometric designs within geometric designs define both the interior and the exterior. It was designed to "wow" - it exceeds wow. The attention to detail in the building is at a level not seen since the 18th century palaces of Europe. It gives me hope that beautiful buildings CAN still be built in this world and done so lavishly.
The collection is also well-curated and "honest". The religious mullahs were not consulted, only art historians. The development of art in the region from pre-Islamic to Islamic is honestly represented. The only agenda is to display representative pieces from different places and times and weave them into a tapestry of "Islamic Art". I also like the fact that it is a stand-alone museum that the Qataris created. It is not the "Louvre in Exile" (Abu Dhabi) or some other such nonsense.
Perhaps the highlight of that last-minute holiday in Qatar and one of the best buildings I encountered in the entire Middle East, I would love a return visit.
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