Arab World Institute

Known locally as the Institut du Monde Arabe, the Arab World Institute in Paris’ Fifth Arrondissement serves to foster goodwill and cross-cultural communication between Europe and the Middle East, and has been a prominent cultural landmark since its completion in 1987. The glass building’s revolutionary design by Jean Nouvel showcases a blend of futuristic and traditional Islamic design, with a rectangular shape on one side sporting moving geometric shutters, and a curved shape on the other that mimics the flow of the nearby River Seine. Inside are exhibitions of Islamic art, a cinema showing films on Middle Eastern themes, a bookshop, and a restaurant on the ground floor offering many well-known Arabic dishes.