The Museum of Islamic Art was founded in the 1960s in the Sar-i Asia ("head of the mill") area of the old town, in a converted historic house. Its collection includes the carved marble panels from the lost palace of Mas'ud III — some of the finest 12th-century Persian-Islamic carving anywhere — along with stuccos, fragments of architectural decoration, and a number of Buddhist sculptures from the pre-Islamic period of the region.
The museum's collection was partly damaged during the civil wars of the 1990s, and the Taliban era saw further losses. International restoration efforts have brought parts of the collection back. Opening hours and access are unpredictable and depend on the local security situation. Anyone planning to visit should ask in advance.