The museum was founded by Vera Bryce Salomons, daughter of Sir David Lionel Salomons (nephew of the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London[1]), in memory of her friend and teacher, Leo Aryeh Mayer, rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a scholar of Islamic art who died in 1959.

The museum has nine galleries organized in chronological order, exploring the beliefs and art of Islamic civilization.

In addition to Mayer's private collection, the museum houses antique chess pieces, dominoes and playing cards; daggers, swords, helmets; textiles; jewelry; glassware, pottery and metalware produced in Islamic countries, from Spain to India.

On 15 April 1983, some 200 items, including paintings and dozens of rare clocks and watches, were stolen when the museum was burgled.

On November 18, 2008, French and Israeli police officials discovered 43 more stolen timepieces in two bank safes in France.

[9] In 2023–2024, the museum hosted an exhibition on the evolution of Arab cuisine from the 7th century CE to the Ottoman Empire, covering regions from Iraq to Spain.

The exhibition included a variety of dishes, artwork, kitchenware, ceramics, and both copies and originals of ancient cookbooks, all related to the culinary history of Arabs and other groups living under Muslim rule.