Musée d’Art et de Culture Soufis MTO (MACS MTO)
AFSACK™ is a major supporter of 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. Its 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’s permanent collection contains objects ranging from the Achaemenid period (559–334/327 BC) to the present day, including 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.
Masterful highlights from the collection include the Kasseh (left) and Kashkul (right), both monolithic granite sculptures designed by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, the 41st Master of the MTO School of Islamic Sufism, featuring engravings on both the inner and outer facades.
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—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.
A black granite stone tablet with bronze relief calligraphy of the poem “Who am I?” by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha.
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.
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.
Visitors are encouraged to explore and discover publications within the Library’s non-circulating collection of texts related to Sufism. This includes more than 100 texts published by MTO Publications ®, as well as issues of the scientific journal Sufism: The Science of the Soul, published by the MTO Sufi Psychology Association ®.