House of Islamic Arts Showcases 1,000 Rare Artifacts Spanning Islamic History
The House of Islamic Arts, the first museum in Saudi Arabia dedicated exclusively to Islamic art, houses a distinguished collection representing various eras of Islamic civilization with high historical and cultural value.
Located in Jeddah Park, the museum features over 1,000 artifacts that offer visitors a journey across diverse cultures and time periods, enabling a deeper understanding of Islamic values and the region’s cultural, historical, and social heritage.
The museum comprises six galleries, each presenting a unique aspect of Muslim heritage. The first gallery traces the evolution of ceramics and glassmaking from the 1st to the 10th century AH, showcasing pottery—a craft with ancient roots that Muslims significantly developed. The second gallery is dedicated to Islamic metalworks produced between the 1st and 13th centuries AH, featuring intricately decorated items and daily-use vessels.
The third gallery displays 500 Islamic coins that were in circulation from the Prophet’s era to the modern period, illustrating the economic history of Muslim societies. The fourth gallery highlights the influence of Islamic art on other civilizations from the 2nd to the 13th century AH and examines how European cultures came to engage with Islamic artistic traditions.
The fifth gallery includes rare Qur’anic manuscripts dating from the 2nd to the 14th century AH, along with a range of Arabic calligraphy pieces and wooden tablets historically used for Qur’an memorization.
The sixth and final gallery focuses on textiles, including pieces from the interior and exterior coverings of the Kaaba and a rare example of the Shammi Gate curtain from the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, crafted during the Ottoman era in the 13th century AH.
Visitors conclude their tour at the museum’s library, which houses a rich collection of Arabic and English books covering Islamic heritage, history, culture, and literature—serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of Muslim scholars and civilizations.
