History of Cinema Museum

Nestled on the first floor of the MCN Hive building in Barsha Heights, the History of Cinema Museum—formerly the Dubai Moving Image Museum—offers a captivating journey through the origins and evolution of visual storytelling. Home to more than 300 authentic artifacts collected by Akram Miknas over three decades, the museum brings life to the prehistory of cinema with rare and historic devices including praxinoscopes, zoetropes, mutoscopes, peep-boxes, stereoscopes, magic lanterns, and early cinematographic equipment dating back to the 18th century. Blending interactive displays, digital clips, and educational narratives, the museum provides an inspiring and engaging experience for adults and children alike, making it one of Dubai’s hidden cultural gems for history and film enthusiasts.