Inaugurated in 1987, the Institut hosts everything from temporary exhibits on the history and art of Arab culture, to films, concerts, lectures, and community events, a reference library, activities for children, and, lats but not least, a fantastic rooftop cafe. And what would a center devoted to a such a rich culture with centuries of history be, without a true museum?

Entering this museum, which takes up portions of three of the Institut’s floors, you may be struck by the contrast between its modern architecture (the geometric motifs on the windows even mechanically expand and contract!) and the artifacts on display, hese latter can be up to 5,000 years old! The millennia-old objects, which include a seal with a motif of legendary hero Gilgamesh, give way to treasures from numerous ancient cultures that have shaped both Eastern, and Western, civilization. Highlights include examples of Phoenician tablets with writing (the first alphabet in the world, thank you very much). The history of these spells and curses, a visitor learns, is pretty intriguing: although forbidden, the spell tablets were still thought to be very powerful, and were often slipped into coffins to curse the souls of deceased enemies. There are also a number of Tunisian funerary sculptures from the early centuries AD, whose variety and expressiveness is remarkable.

Other floors include displays of authentic and reconstructed scientific instruments invented in various parts of the Arab world during the Middle Ages, gorgeous examples of pottery, and ancient and medieval textiles (one fragment dates to the 4th century). And then of course there are the oriental carpets, whose rich, brilliant tones give warmth to the steel and glass-filled room in which they’re housed. Just by looking at the handful of examples the museum has on display, a visitor can get an excellent idea of the distinctive styles of carpet patterns from the Middle East and Central Europe.

The museum in the Institut du Monde Arabe isn’t enormous, but, like all those carpets, it covers a lot of ground. It, along with the rest of the center, is an important site for an understanding of the Arab world, Western civilization, and even Paris today.