L. A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art, Jerusalem
   A few of the many beautiful exhibits at the L.A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art, Jerusalem. Photos © L.A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art. |
Opened in 1974, the L.A. Mayer Museum of Islamic Art is another jewel of a museum very worth visiting. However, it doesn't have quite as much to see as the Islamic Museum on the Temple Mount, if you have time for only one.
The L.A. Mayer Museum is named for and dedicated to the memory of Leo Arie Mayer, a scholar of Islamic art and archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Housed in a modern, purpose-built structure, the museum features a strong permanent collection of Islamic art and consistently superb visiting exhibitions.
The exhibits are organized chronologically into nine galleries, allowing visitors to trace the development of Islam from the 7th century to the present. Especially worth seeing are the samples of Persian tiling, Indian Moghul minatures, and an informative section on Arabic calligraphy.
The L.A. Mayer Museum also houses a large and interesting collection of clocks from around the world, including the famous Salomons collection of Bruquet watches from Paris dating from 1769 to 1823. A new collection of Islamic carpets was added in 1999.
Quick Facts
| Address: | 2 Ha-Palmach St, Talbiya, West Jerusalem, Israel |
| Phone: | 02/566-1291 |
| Bus: | 15 |
| Hours: | Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu 10-3; Tue 10-6; Fri & Sat 10-2 |
| Cost: | NIS 16 ($3.50) |
Sources
- L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art - Official Website
- Eyewitness Travel Guide to Jerusalem and the Holy Land, 1st ed.
- Frommer's Online-Only Guides
