National Museum to reflect Qatar’s past and future

The National Museum of Qatar, slated to open in next year December, will provide visitors a journey into Qatar’s past and towards its future as they walk through 12 permanent galleries containing treasures from the museum’s collection narrating how the country evolved and its ancestors lived.

“The National Museum gives us a great voice to speak about our past and future through the vast collection in its galleries which will tell the story about how Qatar evolved and how we lived as Qataris which will become clear as visitors walk through the galleries,” Khalid Al Ibrahim, Chief Strategic Planning Office at Qatar Museums, told the media during a museum tour yesterday.

The vast collection of objects will tell about Bedouin and modern Qatari life and their strong connection to the sea and the desert, said Al Ibrahim.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the museum also holds two large temporary galleries in which artefacts and pieces either from the museum’s collection or loan from other entities will be featured in exhibitions running from weeks to months along with educational programmes and workshops promoting strong public engagement, he added.

The museum also features a caravanserai courtyard, a 220-seat auditorium, a desert rose gallery, two gift shops, heritage research centre and two restoration/conservation laboratories in addition to a landscaped park with playground facilities, two outdoor coffee shops, a cafe and facilities for school groups and special guests.

Patterned after a desert rose, the museum’s unique and intricate design has wowed visitors for its interlocking discs that can be found inside and outside the museum.

“Many people think the discs are just on the exterior and inside is a plain building, but it’s not. The exterior and the interior of the museum have similar design to provide visitors the appropriate experience as they walk in and out of the building. They need to feel that it’s a national museum, and that they cannot forget the feeling from the entry to the exit of the building,” explained Al Ibrahim.

At the centre of the National Museum is Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani’s original palace and the first museum of Qatar which will be visible from the Corniche.

“In the heart of the National Museum is the old palace and museum to show a clear connect between where we have been and where we are going and that we are proud of our past and looking forward to our future,” said Al Ibrahim, adding the museum will feature the best technology that can be found in any museum around the world.

Meanwhile, more than 1,400 people have so far signed up for the exclusive tours of the museum which will take place until August 21, after which the museum will be closed to install the objects in the galleries in preparation for the opening next year.

“The interest we saw from the people of Qatar in visiting the National Museum has been tremendous, which speaks to the museum’s role in uniting the people of Qatar around our shared history and identity. With the focus soon shifting to the next phase of the museum’s development, we hope as many people as possible will take advantage of this opportunity to experience a ‘sneak preview’ of the building’s unique design,” he said.