Paris's Institut du Monde Arabe (Institute of the Arab World), is a partnership of twenty-two Arab countries and France that acts as a pont cultural or cultural bridge between France and the Arab world.

Located on the Left Bank in the 5th arrondissement, (map), the Institut was opened to the public in 1987.

The Museum is one part of the Institut's broader mission. It describes itself as a museum of Arab-Muslim art and civilization.

Starting with the pre-Islamic period, archaeological artifacts trace the ancient history of the Arab world. The influence of the Phoenicians, Romans, and Christians is evident through the displays, which include stele, mosaics, sculptures, and decorative items.

The visit continues with Islamic art and the development of science in the Arab world, as early as the 9th century. Research in math, astronomy, medicine, and physics are all demonstrated through the collections.

Art from the 10th through the 18th centuries is also on display, with groupings of works from the Maghreb and Andalusia; Syria and Egypt; and Iran, Turkic Central Asia, Ottoman Turkey, and Mughul India. Works of art in ceramics, wood, metal, and glass are included, and a special section is devoted to carpets.

A final area of the museum focuses on art from the Maghreb (North Africa), from the 17th to the early 20th century.

The museum also regularly hosts special exhibitions of interest to the Arab world.

Métro: Jussieu, Cardinal Lemoine

Paris Museum Pass accepted.

Musée de l'Institut du Monde Arabe
1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard
Paris 75005
Tel +33 1 40 51 38 38

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