DOHA: Qatar Museums announced today the completion of restoration of the historic Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.
The Old Palace is located at the heart of the new National Museum of Qatar, designed by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel.
In a speech issued by Qatar Museums today, the Chairperson of Qatar Museums Board of Trustees, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani expressed pride for the palace restoration achievement, noting that the Old Palace is an iconic heritage landmark that celebrates Qatar's history and heritage, and at the same time reflects the pace of progress and rapid development in the country.
The opening of the new National Museum will complete the dazzling splendor of the Old Palace thanks to its iconic design, Sheikha Al Mayassa added.
The Old Palace was originally built in the early 20thcentury. The palace was at the centre of Qatar’s political leadership for approximately 25 years, serving as residence of the Royal Family and the seat of government.
The palace was converted into the National Museum of Qatar in 1975, which included a Museum of the State, lagoon and marine aquarium. The building won the Agha Khan award for restoration and rehabilitation of Islamic architecture in 1980.
Qatar Museums said in a statement that it did not want to re-build the palace, but restoring it only in order to maintain its historical and cultural value.
To achieve this goal, Qatar Museums cooperated with Ziegert Roswag Seiler Architekten Ingenieure (ZRS) to restore the palace to its original fabric, using new elements where structurally necessary.
The building will be a living gallery exhibiting a way of Qatari life of days gone by. In the past the Palace has been restored, complemented and refurbished a number of times; all of these layers facilitate the story of it's rich history.
QNA
