One of the premier attractions to those visiting Kuala Lumpur is the Islamic Arts Museum, which features Southeast Asia's most comprehensive collection of Islamic art with over 12,000 artefacts. The museum (shown in the photo to the left) houses 12 permanent galleries, two special galleries, and an open space dedication to photography exhibitions. The Muslim influence in India, China and Malaysia are highlighted, while the other parts of the collection are organized according to type of of artefacts, rather than geographical location. It is a site one can visit over and over without and still find new things to discover. This page features two tours, the first an overview of the Museum, which is still under construction, but complete enough to provide and overview. The second tour is a recent art exhibit in one of the two special galleries, this one by Saudi artist Reem Nazir and dedicated to a history of the Hajj.


Virtual Tour of the Islamic Arts Museum:
The Islamic Arts Museum is one of Kuala Lumpur's premier attractions, housing the largest collection of Muslim artifacts in Southeast Asia. Covering the entirety of the historic Islamic world, the museum has 12 permanent galleries that break the arts in Islam into distinct categories, and which cover the time span from the birth of Islam through its global empire. It is a place that one can return to again and again, and always learn more. The virtual tour below covers the 12 permanent galleries of the Islamic Arts Museum. The virtual tour below offers a taste of what one will experience when visiting this world-class museum.

There is also a version of this tour that works in VR headsets, such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhones as well as on Android smartphones. It can be accessed by scanning the QR code on the left. If you are on a mobile phone you may access the tour by following this link.

For iOS devices: scan QR code with device camera app, tap on prompt to open Safari, select "allow device motion" and on the next prompt "allow access to motion orientation." Turn device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen and place device in headset.  Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [Video opens in a separate window-close window to return to page]

For Android devices: use the phone's camera to scan the QR code, and then select the tour you want to visit. Wait for the tour to load. Tour will appear in a split screen, and tap on the "X" and the bottom menu to go fullscreen. Turn the phone to portrait mode, place in headset and enjoy the tour. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [Video opens in a separate window-close window to return to page]

The Hajj: Journey Through the Ages:
Our visit to this special exhibit is one of those serendiptious tales that make our lives more interesting. Tracy was contacted by the Mandarin Oriental staff one day about a guest who was looking for a tennis game. The woman's name was Reem Nazir, and she was about to depart Kuala Lumpur after installing her exhibit, "The Hajj: Journey Through the Ages." While the tennis game never materialized, we were invited to the exhibit, a series of paintings taken from 18th century photographs of the Hajj. We toured the exhibit initially with Reem and her husband, Tarek, who provided historical background on the photographs. The exhibit was a unique and comprehensive look at the 5th Pillar of Islam, and Dale returned two more time with family members, and each time learned a bit more about the pilgrimage. Below is a virtual tour of the exhibit and beneath the tour are links to take the tour in virtual reality, using Google Cardboard or similar headsets.

There is also a version of this tour that works in VR headsets, such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhones as well as on Android smartphones. It can be accessed by scanning the QR code on the left. If you are on a mobile phone you may access the tour by following this link.

For iOS devices: scan QR code with device camera app, tap on prompt to open Safari, select "allow device motion" and on the next prompt "allow access to motion orientation." Turn device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen and place device in headset.  Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [Video opens in a separate window-close window to return to page]

For Android devices: use the phone's camera to scan the QR code, and then select the tour you want to visit. Wait for the tour to load. Tour will appear in a split screen, and tap on the "X" and the bottom menu to go fullscreen. Turn the phone to portrait mode, place in headset and enjoy the tour. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [Video opens in a separate window-close window to return to page]

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