The Islamic collection
Rich Eastern and Islamic arts — for the Arab visitor first.
Otter — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) — CC BY 4.0 · M0tty — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aurélien L'Hoost — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Art & History Museum is among Europe's largest and most varied museums, in the south wing of the Cinquantenaire complex: it gathers antiquities of the ancient civilisations (Egypt with its mummies, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome), Islamic art, pre-Columbian civilisations, and European decorative arts from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau — Belgium's modest "Louvre". Highlights for the Arab visitor include its Islamic and Eastern collection, the huge model of ancient Rome, the rich Egyptian collection, and the Art Nouveau hall where the Wolfers jewellery shop designed by Horta has been rebuilt whole. A museum that needs selecting: choose two or three sections and do not try to see it all. In the Cinquantenaire beside Autoworld and the Military Museum — a full museum day via metro Mérode. Closed Mondays.
Rich Eastern and Islamic arts — for the Arab visitor first.
Horta's jewellery shop rebuilt whole — pure Art Nouveau.
All ancient Rome in one huge model.
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10, 1000 Brussels
AutoworldAutoworld is among Europe's most beautiful car museums, in the huge south hall o1 minute walk4.5
Cinquantenaire Park and Triumphal ArchCinquantenaire Park (the "Fiftieth") was created in 1880 to celebrate fifty year2 minutes walk4.5
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military HistoryA vast military museum inside the arcades of the Cinquantenaire park, covering t3 minutes walk4.4
Maison CauchieA house of 1905 built by the painter and architect Paul Cauchie to serve at once3 minutes walk4.6
House of European HistoryThe House of European History is a free museum opened by the European Parliament12 minutes walk4.4Decide two or three sections in advance: for the Arab visitor, the Islamic collection, Egypt and the Art Nouveau hall are an excellent two hours. The museum is huge and maze-like — take a map at the entrance. Combine it with the free arch climb via the adjoining Military Museum the same day.