Musée

A view inside the Arab World Institute

The French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was behind the project of the Arab World Institute construction at the heart of Paris. Thus, he wanted to lighten the relations between France and Arab countries bringing the two cultures closer. The building was inaugurated in 1987 under the chairmanship of François Mitterrand.

The Institute shelters permanent collections and regularly organises temporary expositions allowing the visitors to discover all the sides of Arab culture throughout works of art.

Much more than a museum, the AWI also offers performances and animations, a vocation school for Arabic, a shop and a significant library.

Being mere curious or passionate about Arab civilisation, we advise you to choose a room in the Helzear hotel, just a few steps from the Arab World Institute, with the aim of discovering or making your knowledge deeper.

Pour aller plus loin...

A shopping day along the Champs-Élysées

The showcase of Parisian retail, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. Over nearly two kilometres, it lines up luxury houses, international flagships, accessible fashion labels, perfumeries and gourmet cafés. Whether you come for an exceptional purchase or simply for the pleasure of window-shopping, the avenue is made for… Read more »

In the thick of Catherine de Medicis’ gardens

During the second part of the 16th century, the Regent of France named Catherine de Medicis at the time, had the Tuileries Palace built on wilderness lands neighbouring the Louvre. Today, from that royal and imperial mansion only gardens remain. In fact, the monument was burnt during the Paris Commune of 1871, a social conflict… Read more »

From railway station to museum

Set on the Left Bank of the Seine, facing the Tuileries Garden, the Musée d’Orsay holds the richest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world. Its singularity lies first in its setting: a former Belle Époque railway station, transformed into a museum without losing any of its spectacular architecture. A place where the history of… Read more »