Museum für Islamische Kunst

About the museum

Wilhelm von Bode founded an Islamic department in the newly opened Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum in 1904. Its foundation was the facade of the Umayyad desert palace of Mshatta, a gift from the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II to Emperor Wilhelm II, together with carpets from Bode's own collection. The first director, who served on a voluntary basis, was the Orientalist Friedrich Sarre.

In 1932 the collection moved to the upper floor of the south wing of the new Pergamonmuseum. During World War II, bombs destroyed one tower of the Mshatta facade, and a fire in a bunker destroyed numerous carpets. In East Berlin the museum reopened in 1954 as the Islamisches Museum, while in the West a separate museum was established in Dahlem in 1971. After reunification, the two parts were merged under the current name in 1992 and shown together in the Pergamonmuseum from 2000.

The collection comprises around 100,000 objects from the 7th to the 19th century from a region stretching from Spain and North Africa to Central and South Asia. The Pergamonmuseum has been closed for comprehensive renovation since October 2023. With the partial reopening on June 4, 2027, the museum will present itself completely anew in the north wing, in about twice as much space.

Highlights

• Facade of the early Islamic desert palace of Mshatta
• Aleppo Room with painted wood paneling
• Prayer niches from Konya and Kashan
• Dome from the Alhambra
• Important collection of historical knotted carpets

Permanent exhibitions

• Neupräsentation der Sammlung im Nordflügel des Pergamonmuseums – With the partial reopening of the Pergamonmuseum, the museum shows its collection in redesigned rooms with roughly twice the space, including the Mshatta facade and the Aleppo Room.

Founded

1904

Operated by

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Director

Stefan Weber

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The Staatliche Museen recommend traveling by public transport or bicycle.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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