The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) has opened a major exhibition tracing more than five millennia of Afghanistan’s history, art and culture, highlighting the country’s role as a historic crossroads of civilisations.
Titled Empire of Light: Visions and Voices of Afghanistan, the exhibition runs from Feb. 2 to May 30, 2026, and is presented in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The show was unveiled by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, in the presence of Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan and senior museum officials.
Curated by Nicoletta Fazio and Thomas W. Lentz, the exhibition features nearly 150 objects spanning Afghanistan’s cultural history from pre-Islamic antiquity to the modern era. It includes archaeological finds, manuscripts, metalwork, textiles, architectural models and contemporary artworks.
The exhibition underscores the importance of heritage conservation, with large-scale wooden models of historic Afghan monuments produced at the AKTC’s Jangalak Vocational Training Centre in Kabul, reflecting the organisation’s restoration work in the country since 2002.
“This exhibition illuminates the extraordinary architectural, artistic and cultural achievements of Afghanistan, while also showcasing the vital conservation work that preserves this heritage for future generations,” said Shaika Nasser Al Nassr, director of the Museum of Islamic Art.
Divided into five thematic sections, the exhibition examines Afghanistan’s position at the intersection of Asian empires, the spread of Islam from the seventh century, the flowering of art under Timurid rule in Herat, and the country’s role in the rise of the Mughal dynasty, founded by Babur. It also addresses Afghanistan’s modern history through photography, architecture and contemporary art.
Luis Monreal, general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, said the project drew on decades of scholarship and conservation work to present Afghanistan’s cultural and architectural development to a global audience.
Empire of Light forms part of Qatar’s “Evolution Nation” programme marking 50 years since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar and aims to position the country as an international hub for art and culture.
