Built in 1998, this museum building is itself a marvel, with five grand domes carved and gilded by artisans from the Middle East. There are 12 permanent galleries covering different aspects of artistic expression, such as architecture, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and jewellery. Particularly impressive are the scale models of mosques and mausoleums from around the world, the intricately inscribed copies of the Qur’an dating to the eighth century and the exported Chinese ceramics featuring Islamic inscriptions commissioned by Muslim royals.
This museum is privately funded by the Albukhary Foundation, set up by Syed Mokthar Al-Bukhary, one of Malaysia’s richest philanthropists.
