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.