Museum of Islamic Art hosts Rome mosque show from 22 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 10:16 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is hosting The Great Mosque of Rome - Immersive Experience from 22 September to 21 November 2026. The exhibition brings documentary film, virtual reality and digital technology into the museum's programme, linking a Roman landmark with Qatar's capital.
Organised by the Embassy of Italy in Qatar in collaboration with the museum and Qatar Creates, the presentation examines the architecture and cultural history of Rome's Great Mosque. It offers English-speaking visitors in Western Europe a dated opportunity to encounter the Italian project without travelling to Rome.
Rome mosque exhibition runs in Doha until 21 November
The exhibition opened to the public on 22 September 2026 and remains available until 21 November 2026. Qatar Tribune reports the exhibition dates and identifies the Embassy of Italy in Qatar as its promoter, with support from Sapienza University and the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.
The central film, Light upon Light - The Great Mosque of Rome by Paolo Portoghesi, runs for 24 minutes. It explores the architect's inspirations, cultural references, materials and craftsmanship. A virtual reality journey then presents the mosque through guide avatars in Arabic, English and Italian.
The Great Mosque of Rome was designed by Paolo Portoghesi with Vittorio Gigliotti and Sami Mousawi and was inaugurated in 1995. The Doha exhibition therefore connects a late twentieth-century Roman building with a museum whose collection traces Islamic art across centuries.
Pei's Doha building frames the immersive experience
Founded in 2008, the Museum of Islamic Art was designed by Chinese American architect I. M. Pei. It stands on Doha's Corniche, beside the city's waterfront, giving the temporary exhibition a setting shaped by both modern architecture and Qatar's maritime capital.
The museum's collection covers Islamic art from the seventh to the twentieth centuries, including manuscripts, metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, coins, precious stones and glass. The museum's official overview confirms its history, its Pei design and its reopening to the public on 5 October 2022 after a facilities enhancement project.
That setting adds a specific layer to the current programme: the immersive display does not simply show another building, but places Rome's Islamic architectural dialogue inside a Doha institution devoted to Islamic artistic traditions. The film and virtual reality elements also extend the museum's educational role beyond objects displayed in cases.
Visiting Museum of Islamic Art: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Great Mosque of Rome - Immersive Experience is at the Museum of Islamic Art from 22 September to 21 November 2026.
- The exhibition is open to the public and is free, according to the exhibition report; it uses documentary film and virtual reality rather than a conventional object-only display.
- The venue is on Doha's Corniche in Qatar, beside the city's waterfront. The museum's listed location is off Al Corniche Street.
- The virtual reality journey includes guide avatars in Arabic, English and Italian, while the documentary focuses on the mosque's architecture, materials and cultural references.
- Qatar's official language is Arabic and its currency is the Qatari riyal.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Museum of Islamic Art on social platforms
These links open searches for Museum of Islamic Art on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Museum of Islamic Art
When does the Rome mosque exhibition take place at the Museum of Islamic Art?
The Great Mosque of Rome - Immersive Experience runs from 22 September to 21 November 2026.
What is the Museum of Islamic Art?
It is a Doha museum founded in 2008 and designed by I. M. Pei, with collections of Islamic art from the seventh to the twentieth centuries.
Where is the Museum of Islamic Art and how do you get there?
The museum is on Doha's Corniche, off Al Corniche Street, beside the city's waterfront.
