British Museum to open major new gallery dedicated to the culture of the Islamic world in wake of Isis militants destroying historical sites in Middle East
The museum revealed will open the new Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World at the end of October 2018, which will bring together a collection showcasing ceramics, jewellery and paintings - some of which are not currently on display.
The decision to open the new space, which will be created in two unused galleries on the first floor at the heart of the world-famous museum, comes at a particularly sensitive time for Islamic art and heritage.
In recent years, it has come under threat from fundamentalists - with recent pictures of ISIS militants destroying some of the religion's most important historical sites shocking the world.
In February, thugs used power drills and sledgehammers to smash invaluable ancient items which were housed in a museum in Mosul, while this month they destroyed 3,000-year-old Nimrud and 2,000-year old Hatra - both Unesco world heritage sites.
When the space opens, it will be the first new permanent gallery created in almost a decade - thanks to a 'generous' donation from the Malaysia-based Albukhary Foundation.
