Sporting a vast silvery dome and described as the first museum of its kind in the Arab world, the new Louvre Abu Dhabi will open to visitors Nov. 11, with planned celebrations including performances, concerts, symposiums, exhibitions, dance and other programs. Designed with a museum city concept by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel, the structure’s dome was created from nearly 8,000 metal stars arranged in an elaborate geometric pattern, creating a sensation of moving light falling from above, while indoor avenues allow for views of the nearby sea.

The collection is intended to span the whole of human existence, from pre-historic artifacts to commissioned contemporary works of art, with selections on loan from more than a dozen of France’s most prestigious institutions. Visitors enter via the Great Vestibule and are greeted by works reflecting themes of maternity and end-of-life rituals from multiple cultures. Exhibitions throughout the museum are organized thematically and chronologically, with a gallery devoted to universal religions with a variety of sacred texts including a leaf from the Blue Quran, a Gothic-era Bible and a Pentateuch, as well as texts from Buddhist and Taoist traditions.

Elsewhere, site-specific contributions from leading contemporary artists include three engraved walls by American artist Jenny Holzer, each contains selections from important historical texts. Also created expressly for the museum is Leaves of Light by Italian artist Giuseppe Penone — a tree made of bronze that deliberately reflects the museum building’s galaxy of interior metal stars. Beyond exhibit halls and galleries, other spaces include a restaurant, café, boutique and children’s museum.