Sufi Museum
CFSACK is pleased to offer and support the 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 Sufism's rich contribution 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 tilework and mirror works; 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.
An active acquisition program covers Sufi artifacts and contemporary works in dialogue with the collection. To celebrate the inauguration of MACS MTO, an exemplary work by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian has been secured through the generosity of Canadian Friends of Sufi Arts, Culture, and Knowledge™. Marking her first foray into calligraphy, Farmanfarmaian’s iconic drawing Untitled (Calligraphy 1) uses the intuitive and lyrical Ta’liq script; its forms nest together in a similar meticulous manner to her characteristic sculptures.
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.
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Carved from a single piece of granite stone weighing two tons, the Kashkul sculpture was designed by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha according to precise calculations based on the science of letters and numbers (Jafr) and later sculpted under the supervision of Hazrat Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha by master sculptor Abbas Sangtarash.
The Kasseh sculpture, also known as the container of poverty, is a symbol of purity and receptivity to knowledge. This unique work—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.
A black granite stone tablet with bronze relief calligraphy of the poem “Who am I?” by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha.
The Museum's archival research library will open to the public in 2025 and allow visitors to explore and discover publications within the Library’s non-circulating inventory of texts related to Sufism and the Museum's collection.