At a glance

Type

Specialised museum of Islamic art and material culture

Period

Founded 1974; collections span 7th–20th century

Style

Mid-20th-century institutional architecture; garden setting

Location

2 HaPalmach Street, Jerusalem 9214307, Israel

Coordinates

31.7686° N, 35.2109° E

Overview

The museum is named after Leo Aryeh Mayer, a prominent scholar of Islamic art and rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was established through the bequest of Vera Bryce Salomons, who donated her late father’s collection of antique clocks alongside funds for a building dedicated to Islamic art. The permanent collection encompasses ceramics, metalwork, textiles, manuscript illuminations, jewellery, and glass from across fourteen centuries of Islamic civilisation. The institute also maintains a specialist library and runs an active programme of educational activities and temporary exhibitions.

History

The museum’s origins lie in the collections and vision of Vera Bryce Salomons, who inherited an exceptional group of 18th-century European clocks assembled by her father, Sir David Salomons, and chose to combine them with a broader collection of Islamic art to create a dedicated institution. The museum opened in Jerusalem in 1974, housed in a purpose-built building in the Rehavia neighbourhood. In April 1983 the museum suffered one of Israel’s most audacious art thefts when Na’aman Diller broke in and stole 106 rare clocks and watches, including masterpieces by Breguet. Many items were recovered decades later, and the story was told in the Israeli crime documentary series “The Theft of the Century.”

What you see

The permanent galleries are organised thematically and geographically, with rooms dedicated to Mamluk metalwork, Iznik ceramics, Mughal jewellery, Ottoman textiles, and Persian manuscript painting. A dedicated wing houses the Salomons Collection of antique European clocks and watches — including pieces by the master clockmakers Breguet and Berthoud — displayed in carefully lit cases that allow close inspection of their mechanisms. A garden courtyard provides a tranquil setting for larger architectural fragments and fountain elements from the Islamic world. The museum shop sells scholarly publications and quality reproductions.

Cultural significance

The L.A. Mayer Institute occupies a singular position in the cultural landscape of Israel as the country’s only museum devoted exclusively to Islamic art, making it an important site for cross-cultural dialogue and scholarly exchange between Jewish and Islamic material culture. Its collections have informed major international publications on Islamic decorative arts, and the museum serves as a reminder of the artistic interconnections between the Mediterranean, the Levant, and the broader Islamic world across the centuries. The dramatic 1983 theft and its aftermath added an unexpected chapter to the museum’s public story, drawing international attention to its holdings.

Practical information

Address

2 HaPalmach Street, Jerusalem 9214307, Israel

Hours

Check official website for current opening hours; closed on Jewish holidays

Admission

Check official website for current ticket prices; concessions available

Website

islamicart.co.il

Getting there

The museum is located in the Rehavia neighbourhood of West Jerusalem. It is accessible by city bus from the city centre (lines serving HaPalmach Street) or by taxi. The nearby Liberty Bell Garden and the German Colony neighbourhood are within walking distance. Parking is available on adjacent streets.

Sources & resources

• L.A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art — Wikipedia
• Cultural Heritage Online — More museum guides