The National Museum of Qatar is a
national museum
A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
in
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
,
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
. The current building opened to the public on 28 March 2019, replacing the previous building which opened in 1975. The building was designed by architect
Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel (; born 12 August 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of ''Mars 1976'' and ''Syndicat de l'Architecture'', France’s first labor union for architects. He has ob ...
who was inspired by the
desert rose crystal, which can be found in Qatar.
The museum site includes Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's Palace, which is the heart of the Qatari national identity. As of 2013, the director of the museum is
Sheikha Amna.
Collection
![National Museum of Qatar 11](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/National_Museum_of_Qatar_11.jpg)
A tour of the museum takes visitors through a loop of galleries that address three major, interrelated themes. The galleries are loosely arranged in chronological order, beginning with exhibitions on the
natural history of the desert and the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
, artefacts from
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
culture, historical exhibitions on the tribal wars, the establishment of the Qatari state, and finally the discovery of
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
to the present. The displays and installations that explore these themes present
audiovisual
Audiovisual (AV) is electronic media possessing both a sound and a visual component, such as slide-tape presentations, films, television programs, corporate conferencing, church services, and live theater productions.
Audiovisual service prov ...
displays with carefully selected treasures from the museum's collections. These collections currently consist of approximately 8,000 objects and include archaeological artefacts, architectural elements, heritage household and travelling objects, textiles and
costume
Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people.
The term also was tradition ...
s, jewelry, decorative arts, books, and historical documents.
The museum's mission is to celebrate the
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
,
heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...
, and
future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
of Qatar and its people, embodying the pride and traditions of Qataris while offering international visitors a dialogue about rapid change and modernization.
Since its inauguration, the museum contained materials which signify Qatar's cultural heritage, such as Bedouin ethnographic materials, maritime artifacts and environmental items. Ancient artifacts, most of which are locally derived, are also housed in the museum.
Archaeological artifacts
British archaeologist
Beatrice de Cardi and her team were commissioned to undertake expeditions in Qatar from November 1973 to January 1974 in order to collect artifacts to display in the museum. Their most significant discoveries were at the site of
Al Da'asa
Al Da'asa ( ar, دعسة) is an archaeological site located on the western coast of Qatar. It is the most extensive Ubaid site in the country. It was excavated by a Danish team in 1961.
The site is theorized to have accommodated a small seasona ...
, which contained numerous
Ubaid potsherds dating to the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
period. Artifacts from the earlier Danish expeditions launched throughout the 1950s and 1960s, previously housed at the Doha Public Library, were also put on display in the museum.
The museum's antiquities department had an active role in surveys and excavations after De Cardi's expedition ended. They excavated the archaeological sites of Al Wusail and
Zubarah
Zubarah ( ar, الزبارة), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined and ancient fort located on the north western coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha. ...
.
Ethnographic materials
Materials documenting Bedouin ethnography range widely in theme. Certain objects on display were historically used as tools and weapons by the Bedouin, whereas others are products such as jewellery, pottery and costumes. Traditional poems are featured in the museum; most notable are works composed by
Qatari ibn al-Fuja'a
Qaṭari ibn al-Fujaʾa ( ar, قطري بن الفجاءة ; died c. 698–699 CE) was a Kharjite leader and poet. Born in Al Khuwayr, he ruled over the Azariqa faction of the Kharjites for more than ten years after the death of Nafi ibn al-Azra ...
and former emir
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani
Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, جاسم بن محمد آل ثاني; c. 1825 – 17 July 1913), also known as "The Founder", was the founder of the State of Qatar. He had a total of 56 children, 19 sons and 37 daughters.
Early life ...
.
In 2015, Sheikh Mubarak bin Saif Al Thani presented the first written draft of the anthem to the Qatar National Museum to be put on display. It was originally scheduled to be moved to the new museum upon its completion.
History
![Doha Palace looking south](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Doha_Palace_looking_south.jpg)
Upon
Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, خليفة بن حمد آل ثاني; 17 September 1932 – 23 October 2016) was the Emir of Qatar from 27 February 1972 until he was deposed by his son Hamad bin ...
's accession to the throne in 1972, he drew up plans for a national museum in order to document the country's heritage and traditions. That year, he contracted Michael Rice & Company to design the structural and functional aspects of the museum. It was decided that the building would enclose the
Old Amiri Palace
The Old Amiri Palace, located in Doha, Qatar, previously served as the residence of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani during the early 20th century. It became defunct in 1923 when Abdullah bin Jassim shifted his seat of government to the then-ab ...
, a dilapidated early-20th century palace previously occupied by Qatar's former emir,
Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani
Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, عبد الله بن جاسم بن محمد آل ثاني "Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani"), also known as Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani or Sheikh Abdullah bin Qassim Al Thani, ...
. A lagoon was also created to provide a venue for showcasing traditional
dhow
Dhow ( ar, داو, translit=dāwa; mr, script=Latn, dāw) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically spor ...
s and pearling equipment.
![Qatar National Museum in 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Qatar_National_Museum_in_2004.jpg)
Originally named the Qatar National Museum, it was inaugurated on 23 June 1975. Originally, its facilities included a 100-seat auditorium and a library.
In 1980, the museum was awarded the
Aga Khan Award for Architecture
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the fields ...
. The royal palace which the museum was built around was refurbished in 2015 in preparation for the opening of the new museum.
New building
The new building was constructed on the site of the old building. It was designed by
Pritzker Prize
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international architecture award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produ ...
-winning architect
Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel (; born 12 August 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of ''Mars 1976'' and ''Syndicat de l'Architecture'', France’s first labor union for architects. He has ob ...
who was inspired by the
desert rose and grows around the original twentieth century palace of
Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani. The historic palace was restored by Berlin-based architecture and engineering fir
ZRS Architekten Ingenieure This important monument to Qatar's past is now preserved as the heart of the new NMoQ. The relation between the new building and the old building is part of creating the bridge between the past and the present advocated by
Sheikha Al Mayassa as a way to "define ourselves instead of forever being defined by others
and of "celebrating our identity".
The 430,000 square foot (40,000 m
2) museum is made up of interlocking discs that create cavities to protect visitors from the desert heat. Located on a 1.5 million ft² site at the south end of Doha's Corniche,
the NMoQ building rises from the sea and is connected to the shore by two pedestrian bridges and a road bridge.
![National Museum of Qatar under construction](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/National_Museum_of_Qatar_under_construction.jpg)
Originally, the museum was scheduled to open in 2016, but its opening was pushed back to 28 March 2019. ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine named it one of the World's Greatest Places to Visit in 2019, citing the integration of "immersive video screens and dioramas" into Jean Nouvel's architectural design.
The museum welcomed more than 450,000 visitors in less than a year of its opening. The museum attracts people as it depicts Qatar's history not through paintings and sculptures but with 21st-century lights, sounds and visuals.
Contractor
The main building was contracted to a Korea-based company; Hyundai Engineering & Construction in 2011. The project involved the construction of the new National Museum next to the existing Qatar National Museum, which is located across from the
Doha Corniche
The Doha Corniche ( ar, كورنيش الدوحة) is a waterfront Esplanade, promenade extending for along Doha Bay in Qatar's capital city, Doha. Annual celebrations of national holidays such as Qatar National Day and National Sports Day#Qatar, ...
. The museum is designed according to the
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
tradition of Qatar. It includes a building in the shape of a desert rose and a 1.2 million ft² landscaped park. The project also includes a 115,000 m
2 park with an artificial lagoon and parking spaces for 400 vehicles, a 220-seat auditorium, a research center, laboratories, a dedicated food forum, two restaurants, a café, and two museum shops, one for children.
Exhibitions
* "Pipilotti Rist: Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You",Curated by Tom Eccles and Bouthayna Baltaj, March 2022 to January 2023.
* "A Sneak Peek at Qatar Auto Museum Project", March 2022 to January 2023.
* "On the Move", October 2022 to January 2023
See also
*
List of museums in Qatar
This is a list of museums in Qatar.
Museums in Qatar
* Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
*Museum of Islamic Art, Doha
*National Museum of Qatar
*Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
* Weaponry Museum
Proposed museums
* Qatar Olympic and Sp ...
*
Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (formerly the Qatar Museums Authority) is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at Katara (cultural village), ...
*
Culture of Qatar
The culture of Qatar is strongly influenced by traditional Bedouin culture, with less acute influence deriving from India, East Africa and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. The peninsula's harsh climatic conditions compelled its inhabitants to turn ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
*
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Museums in Qatar
Decorative arts museums
Islamic museums
Jean Nouvel buildings
Religious museums in Qatar
Buildings and structures in Doha
Cultural infrastructure completed in 2019
Art museums established in 1975
1975 establishments in Qatar