Tareq Rajab Museum

Located across two separate locations in Jabriya, Kuwait, the Tareq Rajab Museum offers you a remarkable journey through centuries of regional history and artistry. Formally inaugurated in 1980 as the first Islamic Art museum in Kuwait and the Gulf region, this facility was created from an extensive private collection accumulated by Tareq Rajab and his wife Jehan starting in the 1950s. Today, the museum is fully funded and managed by the third generation of the Rajab family.

Inside, you will discover a vast, representative array of cultural artefacts spanning pre-Islamic times to the early 20th century. Browse through a very large ceramics collection alongside metalwork, glass, arms, armour, textiles, and costumes. The museum features one of the premier collections of silver jewellery, fine pre-Islamic gold jewellery, and the enamelled jewels of the Sultan of Bukhara.

You can also view rare manuscripts, including a folio from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, the Al-Kindi book on optics, and an extraordinary range of Qurans from across the Islamic world—with the earliest dating back to the 7th century AD. A second location dedicated to Islamic Calligraphy opened in 2007.

What to see at Tareq Rajab Museum

• Extensive collection of Qurans and manuscripts dating as far back as the 7th century AD
• Comprehensive ceramics collection showcasing objects from pre-Islamic times to the early 20th century
• Foremost collection of silver jewellery alongside historic gold jewellery and the enamelled jewels of the Sultan of Bukhara
• Rare historic works including Al-Kindi's book on optics and a folio from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp
• Vast holdings of traditional arms, armour, glass, metalwork, textiles, and costumes

Visiting tips

Be sure to visit both of the museum's Jabriya locations to view both the main artefact collection and the dedicated Islamic Calligraphy museum.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

Tareq Rajab Museum is easy to reach on Kuwait City’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Grand Mosque and Imam Hussein Mosque. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Kuwait City travel guide.