On August 2, 2020, the Museum of Islamic Art opened A Falcon’s Eye: Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al Thani, a special exhibition featuring extraordinary artworks and artifacts acquired by Sheikh Saoud Al Thani (1966 – 2014), both as a passionate individual collector and on behalf of the State of Qatar. Sheikh Saoud served as Chairman for Qatar’s National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage from 1997 through 2005. His knowledge and interests ranged from wildlife preservation to the history of photography, from Egyptology to modern architecture, and from the exquisite gems and jewelry of the Arabian Gulf and Mughal India to contemporary art.

A Falcon’s Eye, running until April 10, 2021, features approximately 300 objects, some of which have never before been exhibited to the public. They range in date from the prehistoric Holocene period to the early 2000s and in geography from South America and Europe to the Arabian Gulf and China. These sweeping displays are presented in distinct, thematic groups reminiscent of the “cabinets of curiosities” or Wunderkammer that individual collectors assembled in the centuries before the first modern museums were established, and that fascinated Sheikh Saoud.

The exhibition fills the Museum of Islamic Art’s entire first-floor temporary exhibition space, which will be named in honor of Sheikh Saoud, and extends into the fourth-floor galleries and balcony. A small selection of objects has also been incorporated into the galleries as part of the Museum of Islamic Art’s permanent collection.

Hours, Tickets, and Visitor Guidelines

The Museum of Islamic Art is open from Sunday through Thursday, between the hours of 9:00 am 3:00 pm. Guests will be able to visit the MIA’s permanent collection (in addition to A Falcon’s Eye in the Temporary exhibition space) and gift shop. The MIA Café will offer minimal service from Saturday through to Thursday, and IDAM will operate at a limited capacity for dinner service.

In keeping with the guidelines set by the Ministry of Public Health, a limited number of visitors and staff will be allowed in the museum at a time. Visitors will be required to reserve tickets in advance on the Qatar Museums website: https://visit.qm.org.qa

Upon arrival visitors will be required to present a “green” health status on the Ehteraz virus-tracing app. Masks are required for all visitors (12 years of age and older). Each person will also be checked for a normal temperature reading at the entrance. Visitors who have a temperature or do not have a mask will not be allowed into the Museum of Islamic Art.

Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the location encouraging visitors to keep their hands clean. Signage reminding visitors to keep a safe distance from other visitors will also be visible on-site. Cloakrooms will be unavailable during this period. In addition, interactive features such as touchscreens will be temporarily removed, and gallery guides will be offered online only.

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