Sufi Museum
Canadian Friends of Sufi Arts, Culture, and Knowledge™ (CFSACK®) is pleased to offer support programming of museum, art and interactive exhibits, lectures, conferences, performances, classes, seminars, workshops and events for the public at the Musée d’Art et de Culture Soufis MTO™ (MACS MTO™). Housed in a 19th-century mansion in Chatou, just outside of Paris, MACS MTO is the first museum dedicated entirely to exploring the art and cultural practices of Sufism.
MACS MTO's mission is to develop an understanding of the rich contribution of Sufism throughout history by highlighting its fundamental values of education and learning; mutual understanding; acceptance; respect; equality; and unity.
The museum draws on the seven-step journey of Sufism, which refers to the development of the soul, to showcase works symbolic of the principles and teachings of Sufism. Ranging from the Achaemenid period (559–334/327 BC) to the present day, the collection includes sculptural works; ceramic tileworks and mirrorworks; manuscripts and lithographs; calligraphy; tapestries; traditional Iranian clothing and textiles; and a vast collection of stamps, coins, and other artifacts. MACS MTO is also equipped with a variety of advanced technologies and facilities—including virtual reality and holographic technologies—to immerse visitors in the museum's comprehensive collection and special exhibitions. In addition to the symbolic and educational works on display in its galleries, the museum also provides an inspirational and tranquil space for its visitors in the museum’s Garden and Library.
A series of cotton embroidery works by students of MTO, adapted from Raznameh (The Secret Word), a book of poetry by Hazrat Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha.
The Kasseh sculpture, also known as the container of poverty, is a symbol of purity and receptivity to knowledge. This unique work—also designed by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha and sculpted by Abbas Sangtarash—depicts the names of the holy imams on the inside and those of the Oveyssi masters on the outside.
In Sufi philosophy, the garden is an earthly reflection of paradise. In line with Sufi values and its respect for the environment, the MACS MTO Garden offers a green space for contemplation irrigated by rainwater containers and powered by solar panels.
A black granite stone tablet with bronze relief calligraphy of the poem “Who am I?” by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha.