The Islamic Arts Museum

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is located adjacent to Perdana Botanical Gardens. It is the largest exhibit in Southeast Asia. It houses more than seven thousands top quality artifacts from the Islamic world and the replicas of Islamic Architecture.

The Islamic Arts Museum has 12 main galleries. The example of the galleries are The Quran and Manuscripts Gallery, The Islamic Architecture Gallery, The India Gallery, The Chinese Gallery, The Ancient Malay World Gallery and The Reconstructed Ottoman Syrian Room.

The Islamic Architecture Gallery showcases fine examples of Islamic architecture ranging from Africa to the Far East. There are the model of the Taj Mahal, the Masjid al-Haram and various other mosque design.

The Quran and Manuscripts Gallery exhibits the penmanship, ornate gold embellished texts and minimalist early Kufic works. The India Gallery reveals the world of the Mughals with their superb Islamic metalwork and examples of portraiture. The Chinese gallery showcases the merge of of Chinese and Islamic influences in the artworks including cloisonné wares and calligraphic scrolls.

The Ancient Malay World Gallery offers the usage of natural motifs such as plants, fruits and cloud in the Malay local arts such as textiles. Examples of wood carving, metal handicrafts and kris designs are also featured.

There are also displays on jewelleries, textiles, weapons, coins, metalwork, ceramics and wood carving from various Islamic civilisation. All the collections are displayed in chronological order either by region, by theme or by the technique used.

The museum is accessible by public transportation. The closest station is Kuala Lumpur KTM Komuter Station.

View official website.

Image by: Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi

Opening Hours

Monday – Sunday: 10.00 a.m – 6.00 p.m

Admission

Adult: RM 14
Student (with ID): RM 7
Senior Citizen: RM 7
Children under 6: Free

Location

Perdana, Jalan Lembah, Perdana Botanical Gardens, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

View map.

Hear From Others

Yet, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia remains a great and wonderful place to visit. It gives the visitors a didactic view of the richness and stunning diversity of the Islamic forms of Arts.

Christian Sorand
ChristMate

Inside 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. I was completely smitten with the domes. Instead of trying to photograph any exhibits (or looking at them much), I spent my time there looking at the domes and making my neck hurt in the process. 

Lina
LinasBackyard

The highlight of the museum for me, though, was the architecture section; given the wonderful space of the museum, which is an architectural gem in its own right, expectations were high for this section and it did not disappoint.

Dr Gabriele Nehe
NottArtHistory

Nearby Attractions

Parliament Building

The Malaysian Houses of Parliament is a building complex where the Malaysian Parliament assembles. It symbolizes the democracy practice in Malaysia.

National Monument

The National Monument is a sculpture that commemorates those who died in Malaysia’s struggle for freedom, principally against the Japanese occupation during World War II and the Malayan Emergency, which lasted from 1948 until 1960.

National Mosque

National Mosque is a symbol of Islam as the official religion in Malaysia. It is built with modern design and architecture to show prosperity and openness.