Courtesy of Shangri La.
Once you consider Hawaiʻi, your thoughts in all probability drifts to turquoise waves, swaying palms and infinite sunshine. However tucked away close to Diamond Head in Honolulu is one thing sudden: a blinding mansion crammed with centuries-old Islamic artwork, Moorish structure and Moroccan tilework that appears prefer it belongs in a sultan’s palace. This isShangri La, a hidden cultural gem and museum ofIslamic design.
Starting October 6, Shangri La is opening its gates wider than ever earlier than with a brand-new Saturday tour hosted by the Bishop Museum. The brand new tour will increase alternatives to go to Shangri La, becoming a member of the line-up of Thursday and Friday excursions run by the Honolulu Museum of Artwork (HoMA). Kamaʻāina tickets stay $20 for Thursday and Friday excursions from HoMA and $25 for Saturday excursions from Bishop Museum, whereas common admission for non-residents is $45. Beginning September 4, tickets shall be launched month-to-month, on the primary Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. HST, on the Shangri La website. The brand new schedule replaces the earlier quarterly launch, making it simpler for last-minute planners to snag a spot. E book your tickets early; they go quick.
Courtesy of Shangri La.
A Heiress, a Honeymoon and a Lifelong Ardour
The story of Shangri La begins with Doris Duke — a billionaire heiress to a tobacco fortune, philanthropist, and world traveler born in 1912. In 1935, throughout a honeymoon journey all over the world, Duke was captivated by the intricate tilework, lush gardens and serene courtyards of the Islamic structure she encountered in North Africa, the Center East, and South Asia — significantly in Iran, India, and Egypt.
When she started designing her dream residence in Honolulu, she fused these creative traditions with Hawaiʻi’s pure magnificence. Over the following a number of many years, Duke collected greater than 4,000 items of Islamic artwork and design, remodeling her personal residence right into a residing museum of world tradition — full with a Mughal-inspired bed room, Syrian tile panels and Moroccan courtyards that really feel lifted from a fairytale.
From Personal Sanctuary to Public Treasure
When Doris Duke handed away in 1993, she left behind greater than a house — she left a mission. In her will, she gifted Shangri La and its extraordinary assortment to the Doris Duke Basis for Islamic Artwork, making certain it could be preserved and shared with the general public. In 2002, the property opened its doorways for guided excursions, inviting guests to expertise this one-of-a-kind artwork and structure.
What makes Shangri La so distinctive isn’t simply its world-class assortment — it’s the setting. With the Pacific shimmering at its doorstep and the cliffs of Oʻahu’s southern coast rising behind it, the ornate calligraphy, vivid ceramic mosaics and hand-carved wood mashrabiya screens really feel much more enchanting. It’s the very last thing you anticipate on an island recognized for its iconic surf and bountiful lūʻau, however that’s precisely what makes it unforgettable.
Courtesy of Shangri La.
Visiting Shangri La
Excursions depart from both HoMA (for Thursday and Friday excursions) or Bishop Museum (for Saturday excursions). Each 75-minute tour contains round-trip shuttle transportation and admission to Shangri La. And right here’s a feel-good element: all web proceeds from the excursions assist arts programming at each HoMA and Bishop Museum, reinvesting immediately into Hawai‘i’s cultural neighborhood.
Whether or not you’re marveling at a jewel-toned courtyard, tracing the curves of centuries-old calligraphy or absorbing the ocean views from the lanai, you’ll end up transported far past the shoreline.
Doris Duke didn’t simply gather artwork — she constructed a house to honor it, and in doing so, created a bridge between two worlds. Right this moment, due to the mixed efforts of HoMA and Bishop Museum, that bridge spans wider than ever. All you must do is step throughout.
