Al Faisal Museum for Arabian and Islamic Art

Al Faisal Museum for Arabian and Islamic Art is a Saudi museum in Riyadh, affiliated with the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, displaying its art collection of rare heritage pieces and unique manuscript and printed copies of the Qur'an. [1] Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, opened the museum in the evening of 6 Ramadan 1438 AH, corresponding to 1 June 2017. [1]

The establishment of Al Faisal Museum for Arabian and Islamic Art dates to 1405 AH. [7] It was officially opened in the evening of 6 Ramadan 1438 AH, corresponding to 1 June 2017, and presented examples of the art collection held by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. [1] It began receiving visitors from 3 June until 20 September 2017, then reopened after closing during the Eid al-Fitr holiday and continued to receive visitors until the end of Dhu al-Hijjah, corresponding to 20 September 2017. [2][3]

The museum is located at the headquarters of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, to which it is affiliated and which furnishes the art collection it holds. [1] The Center holds one of the world's largest collections of rare and unique original Arabic and Islamic manuscripts, comprising more than 178,000 original and photographed manuscripts. [5][7]

The museum presents its art collection across two halls: the first holds rare heritage pieces of Arabian and Islamic art, and the other holds the Center's unique collection of manuscript and printed copies of the Qur'an, known as Masahif al-Amsar. [1] It comprises more than 200 rare heritage pieces and unique manuscript and printed copies of the Qur'an dating from the second to the fourteenth Hijri century. [1] The holdings span household utensils, weapons and implements of war, the components and arts of bookmaking, medical instruments, coins, woodwork, pottery and textiles. [1]

The museum also comprises six museum collections: the King Faisal Memorial Collection, the Arabian and Islamic Art Collection, the Coins and Numismatics Collection, the Saudi Memory Unit, the Fine Arts Collection and the Center's History Collection. [7]

The museum takes part in marking cultural occasions; on the International Museum Day, observed on 25 April each year, it opened exceptionally until nine in the evening in 2018, and its programme included the Scientific Manuscripts Exhibition and the distribution of introductory booklets on the museum, the Center and their manuscripts, along with arranging trips for the public and transporting them in dedicated buses to the museum in Riyadh. [4]

On 8 February 2019, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, opened the exhibition "Wahj.. The Ornament of the Manuscript Page" at the museum, in the presence of Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman of the Board of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. [5] The exhibition comprises 60 examples of the Center's decorated Islamic manuscripts and miniatures, was open to the public for six months, and aims to introduce the types of Islamic manuscripts and the most renowned calligraphers and to highlight the aesthetics of ornamentation and gilding in Islamic art. [6]

Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, opened the exhibition "Asfar" in the evening of 27 February 2022; it comprises 36 rare manuscripts and printed works selected by the Center from its heritage treasures, divided into 6 sections. [7]

The Director of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in Riyadh Region considered Al Faisal Museum for Arabian and Islamic Art an effective addition to the sites, elements and components of urban attraction in the capital, and a new tourist attraction for the residents and visitors of Riyadh seeking cultural activities and heritage tourism. [2]

Q: Where is Al Faisal Museum for Arabian and Islamic Art located? A: In Riyadh, at the headquarters of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. [1]

Q: When was the museum opened? A: It opened in the evening of 6 Ramadan 1438 AH, corresponding to 1 June 2017. [1]

Q: How many pieces are displayed in the museum? A: More than 200 rare heritage pieces and unique manuscript and printed copies of the Qur'an, dating from the second to the fourteenth Hijri century. [1]

Q: What are the museum's most prominent collections? A: Six museum collections, including the King Faisal Memorial Collection, the Arabian and Islamic Art Collection and the Coins and Numismatics Collection. [7]

Q: What are the most prominent exhibitions the museum has hosted? A: The exhibition "Wahj.. The Ornament of the Manuscript Page" in 2019 and the exhibition "Asfar" in 2022, along with the Scientific Manuscripts Exhibition in 2018. [4][5][7]

Al Faisal Museum for Arabian and Islamic Art is among the sites of urban attraction in the capital, Riyadh [2], and displays its holdings through permanent museum collections and temporary exhibitions [7]. Related topics on the platform include Saudi National Museum, Al Tayebat Museum and Khuzam Palace Museum.