Arab World Institute (Institut du Monde Arabe), Paris

The Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) is a cultural centre and museum of Arab civilisation beside the Seine in Paris's 5th arrondissement, where the Pont de Sully crosses to Île Saint-Louis. Founded by France and a group of Arab states, it combines a museum, major exhibitions, a library and a rooftop terrace, and suits visitors interested in Arab art and history or in landmark modern architecture.

Jean Nouvel's building and the 1980 founding

Its founding act was signed on 28 February 1980 to spread knowledge of Arab culture and civilisation. The building was designed by Jean Nouvel, Gilbert Lézénès, Pierre Soria and Architecture-Studio. The first stone was laid in 1982 and President François Mitterrand inaugurated it on 30 November 1987. It won the Équerre d'argent prize that year and an Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the 1987 to 1989 cycle.

240 mashrabiya screens that work like a lens

The south facade carries 240 metal screens modelled on the mashrabiya, each fitted with diaphragms that open and close like a camera lens to control light and heat. The building runs about 75 metres along the river, and the rooftop terrace looks over the Seine and Notre-Dame.

Pre-Islamic to contemporary objects and current shows

The museum shows objects from the Arab world from before Islam to the present day, including archaeology, scientific instruments, decorative arts and contemporary works. Exhibitions in late 2026 include Vive la mariée !, on weddings in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia (29 September 2026 to 28 February 2027); Libye, patrimoine révélé (until 17 January 2027); Tenter l'art pour soigner, on art at the Blida-Joinville psychiatric hospital in the 1960s (until 3 January 2027); and Les secrets de l'Alhambra, opening on 24 November 2026 and running to 16 May 2027.

Leïla Shahid library, bookshop and Dar Mima

The Leïla Shahid library opens Tuesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 19:00. The bookshop opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:45. Dar Mima, the restaurant, serves lunch from 12:00 to 14:30, tea from 15:00 to 17:00 and dinner from 19:00, Tuesday to Sunday; there is also a self-service at lunchtime and a café littéraire.