The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) shines a spotlight on a series of public programmes celebrating A Seat at the Table: Food & Feasting in the Islamic World, on view until November 8.

Organised in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma), this major exhibition explores the cultural significance of food across the Islamic world and Muslim traditions. It presents historical and contemporary objects from the collections of MIA, Qatar National Library, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Lusail Museum, and Qatar Museums’ General Collections.

From June through December, MIA invites visitors of all ages to engage in a rich calendar of public programming, including curator-led tours, Planet Kids Club, hands-on workshops, Escape rooms, and much more that explore the intersections of food, faith, and culture. These programmes aim to deepen the understanding of the central role of dining in Islamic traditions, while creating opportunities for dialogue and shared experiences.

A Seat at the Table: Food & Feasting in the Islamic World exhibition is a legacy project of the Qatar-USA 2021 Years of Culture, a platform for building enduring cultural, social, and economic connections between Qatar and its partner countries.

Discover the art, history, and culture of dining in the Islamic world through a curator-led and guided tours of the exhibition. Explore the stories behind rare objects, from intricate tableware to beautifully illustrated manuscripts, each revealing the role of food in shaping social and cultural connections. This tour offers a rare chance to see the exhibition through the eyes of its creator.

English tours will be on August 12 from 12pm to 1pm, delivered by Teslim Sanni; and on September 16 from 12pm to 1pm, delivered by Dr Tara Desjardins.

The Escape Room: The Banquet of Secrets, set from July to December 20, is Qatar’s first museum escape room experience at MIA, featuring rooms within rooms that immerse participants in the rich legacy of Islamic scholarship. This experience invites guests to journey through interconnected chambers themed around four key figures: the Islamic Traveller, Cook, Physician, and Calligrapher.

Meanwhile, the Pinch Pot for Adults workshop from August 3-5, provides students the opportunity to work with clay using coiling techniques and practice on the proportions, starting with the basic form and ending up working on the details.

The Planet Kids Club: Discovering Herbs and Food Through Art session on October 28 offers children the chance to explore the world of herbs and food through a fun, interactive tour of the museum gallery. Hands-on activities will connect the artwork to the smells, shapes, and stories of the ingredients we use every day.

The MIA Library will present a unique rare book display, Cures, Remedies, and Recipes: Medical Manuscripts from July to November 8, exploring historical perspectives on medicine, healing, and wellness. This exhibit will showcase a selection of rare books and manuscripts, including some never-before-displayed works from the MIA Gastronomy Collection.

A thought-provoking book discussion, The Exile’s Cookbook: Medieval Gastronomic Treasures from Al-Andalus and North Africa, will take place on September 29, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition with library staff who will connect themes from the book to selected objects on display.

Scheduled from August 3-5, the summer camp, dubbed “We Are What We Eat”, is designed for boys and girls aged 7 to 10, and explores themes of food, identity, environment, and sustainability through fun, hands-on workshops and creative activities. The camp aims to promote healthy awareness, inspire creativity, and connect children with their culture in an engaging and educational way.