Museum of Islamic Art closes to visitors on 25 October

Qatar Museums will close the Museum of Islamic Art to the public on Sunday, 25 October 2026, creating a one-day access change in Doha during the autumn exhibition season.

Museum closure affects Doha visits on 25 October

The closure is listed in the museum's current events calendar and applies to public access on 25 October. No reason is given in the notice, so the practical consequence is clear: visitors cannot enter the galleries on that Sunday.

The same calendar lists public activity after the closure. Planet Kids Club and the English Tour: Through the Curator’s Eye are scheduled for 27 October 2026, while an Arabic curator-led tour is scheduled for 18 November 2026. These listings place the access interruption between continuing museum programmes rather than at the end of the autumn schedule.

The calendar also carries the exhibition Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion, which remains on view until 28 November 2026. Its date and venue are stated on the museum's own event page.

Pei building links the closure to a wider collection

Founded in 2008, the museum was designed by Chinese American architect I. M. Pei and stands on Doha's Corniche. Its collection covers Islamic art from the seventh to the twentieth centuries, including manuscripts, metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, textiles, coins, precious stones and glass.

The building's architectural identity and the date-specific closure create a useful distinction for visitors. The interruption affects entry to the museum, not the continuing cultural programme that the calendar places later in October and November.

Qatar Museums says the permanent galleries were reimagined and reinstalled during a ten-month facilities enhancement project begun in late 2021. The museum now displays more than 1,000 objects in its permanent galleries for the first time, alongside established works from its collection.

Uzbekistan exhibition remains part of the autumn programme

The Uzbekistan exhibition occupies the Sheikh Saoud Al Thani Temporary Exhibitions Gallery on the first floor. It is organised by the Museum of Islamic Art in collaboration with the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation.

Its four themes cover the cultural setting of Central Asia before the Islamic conquest, built environments and brickwork, intellectual history, and traditional crafts such as ceramics, dress, jewellery and silk textiles. That subject range gives the 25 October closure a precise visitor implication: the exhibition is unavailable on the closure date but remains scheduled through 28 November.

The museum's current programme calendar also lists the Ektashif Uzbekistan Exhibition until 28 November and library displays until 30 December. Those listings provide additional dates for planning a later visit.

Visiting Museum of Islamic Art: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The museum is closed to the public on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The closure affects entry to the galleries and the museum building.
• Later autumn access includes the English Tour: Through the Curator’s Eye on 27 October 2026 and an Arabic curator-led tour on 18 November 2026.
• The venue is off Al Corniche in Doha, Qatar, beside the city's waterfront promenade.
• Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion is scheduled to remain at the Sheikh Saoud Al Thani Temporary Exhibitions Gallery until 28 November 2026.

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Frequently asked questions about Museum of Islamic Art

What has changed at Museum of Islamic Art?

Qatar Museums has announced a public closure on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The notice does not state a reason.

Where is Museum of Islamic Art and how do you get there?

The museum is off Al Corniche in Doha, Qatar, beside the city's waterfront promenade.

What is Museum of Islamic Art?

It is a Doha museum founded in 2008 and designed by I. M. Pei, with collections spanning Islamic art from the seventh to the twentieth centuries.