DOHA: A quartet of museums have added to the galaxy of cultural spots in the country with the opening of Msheireb Museums, cementing Qatar’s position as a major destination for culture and arts.
Msheireb Properties has embarked into a noble mission of preserving Qatar’s history through restoration of four heritage houses, converting them into museums which showcase aspects of history.
Located in the heart of QR20.4bn Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD) development, the museums are Mohammed Bin Jassim House, Company House, Radwani House and Bin Jelmood House, launched on Tuesday.
The Mohammed Bin Jassim House focuses on the old and new Msheireb. Through it, Msheireb Properties ensures old Msheireb lives in the memory of people as it ushers in MDD. “The inspiration of this House sprung out of preserving the memory of old Msheireb and the vision for new Msheireb focusing on the architectural language,” said Msheireb Museums Manager Hafiz Ali Ali.
A section of the House resonates with the history of old Msheireb through ordinary things salvaged from the old houses and shops before they were demolished to give way to the rise of the MDD, said to be the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project.
Old signboards from shops, cash registers and locks echo the stories of people who once lived in Doha’s main commercial area.
Among other highlights are the master plan of Msheireb, a temporary gallery and an interactive media dish which takes visitors into the various aspects of Msheireb providing educational element to the museum.
Visitors can tell their personal narratives by video recording their stories in a ‘share your story’ room, which will become part of the museum.
The Company House is a museum set within a house that was once used as the headquarters for Qatar’s first oil company. It showcases the story of the pioneering petroleum industry workers and their families who transformed Qatar into a modern society. A key area in this museum is a courtyard which has statues of the workers. Their jobs such as drivers, drillers, safety officers as well as daily life are documented through photos and original audio and video footages. The main highlight of this museum is the movie theatre which utilizes the latest technology screening a film on the pioneering oil company and the Qatari workers’ toil to build a better future for their families and their country.
Built in the 1920s, the Radwani House provides visitors an insight into how family life evolved in Qatar. It showcases the manner in which the house changed over time and how domestic family life was transformed in Doha by the discovery of oil and the arrival of electricity. It gives visitors an idea of the various areas in a typical old Qatari house, its rooms and functions and the family activities in the past. The Bin Jelmood House traces the history of slavery around the world, pays tribute to human adversity, perseverance and celebrates the human spirit prevailing against all odds.
The Peninsula
