In the 14-and-a-half months since the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened its new galleries devoted to the arts of the Islamic world â€" which it calls the galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia â€" they have become one of the Met’s most popular attractions. On Friday, officials there reported that attendance at the galleries had topped the one-million mark â€" meaning an average of about 2,550 people a day, and 14 percent of the total attendance for the museum during the same period.
The 15 galleries, which took eight years to complete, showcase more than 1,200 works of art and objects and are organized by geographical areas to underscore the richness of the Islamic culture.
The millionth visitor hit the jackpot (museum-style), receiving a catalog of the collection in a ceremony that took place in the gallery’s Moroccan Curt. Flowers were scattered in the fountain and musicians played Arabic music.
