Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem

Your trip to Jerusalem will not be complete without a visit to the Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem. The museum also known by the name L.A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art is situated in a convenient location which is near both the President’s residence and the Jerusalem Theater. The beginning of the story of the Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem starts from the love between Mrs. Vera Francis Salomons, daughter of Sir David Lionel Salomons and Professor Leo Aryeh Mayer, rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Both of them met through their work and starting working together to make a bridge between the Arabs and the Jews. The founding of the Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem was the result of this idea of the two and Vera Francis Salomon’s tribute to her professor.

Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem has nine galleries in which you will find in chronological order the development of Islam and Islamic art and culture from the 7th century to the present. Here you can have an insight into the conquests of the Arabs and the exhibits from various Islamic civilizations. The collections of the museum were assembled in between the years 1965 and 1979 from all over the world. All these art objects, for example chess pieces, playing cards, dominos, daggers, swords, helmets, carpets, jewelry textile, glass , metal and earthenware give us a clear picture of the art and culture during the Islamic rule in various countries. Things which you must see are the Mughal miniatures, Arabic calligraphy and Persian tiling. A collection of Islamic carpets can also be seen in the gallery.

When you enter the central hall of the Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem you will get an overview of the world of Islam and its culture and art through texts and films.
The gallery which is unique in collection is the one dedicated to the collection of watches by David Salomons. Here you will find wonderful timepieces made in Europe and music boxes also all from the 18th and the 19th centuries. The best is the collection of Bruquet watches from Paris dating from 1769 to 1823.

Another place in the Islamic Art Museum of Jerusalem that you must see is the research library, regarded as one of the best in the research market, having a collection of rare slides.