Museum sights in Middle East
-
A
LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art
At the southern fringe of Rehavia, close to the Presidential Palace, the LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art showcases art from Islamic cultures from Spain to India. The museum and research centre, completed in 1974, was founded as a way to bridge the cultural divide between Jews and their Arab neighbours. Exhibits include jewellery, carpets, brassware, glasswork and paintings; there are guided tours in English upon request (call ahead).
reviewed
-
B
Armenian Museum
Originally a theological seminary (1843), with an attractive courtyard enclosed by arched colonnades on two levels, the building that houses the Armenian Museum is a lot more fascinating than most of the exhibits it presents. It's reasonably well stocked and the displays are in English. There is a detailed display of the Armenian genocide that took place in 1915. Look out for the large Armenian globe dating from 1852 in the Paul Bedoukian hall.
reviewed
-
C
Mehdi Gholibek Hamam
In its shadow, Mehdi Gholibek Hamam is one of Iran’s most interesting and spacious bathhouse museums. The main delight is the wonderful central dome re-painted for centuries in multiple levels – most recently in 1922 with naive murals that feature anthropomorphic figures gallivanting between giant bicycles, a Russian vintage car, an early biplane and a curiously unconcerned- looking victim facing a firing squad.
reviewed
-
National Museum
The state-of-the-art National Museum has eight galleries that provide a grand sweep through the episc of Arabia's history. There are reconstructed Dilmun tombs, fragments of rock art, and models of old Dir'aiyah, Jeddah and the holy mosques in Mecca and Medina.
What makes this museum stand out are the push button prompts, virtual visits to ancient sites, small-screen cinemas and audio commentary in English and Arabic at many points.
reviewed
-
D
National Museum
Claiming to be the largest museum on the Arabian Peninsula, the National Museum is certainly one of the best. The ground and 1st floors contain a breath-taking collection of statues, figurines and other artefacts from the pre-Islamic Kingdoms of Saba and Hadramawt. The 2nd floor concentrates on the medieval Islamic period while the top floor features a slightly less rewarding mishmash of stuffed lions and re-creations of the souqs of San'a.
reviewed
-
Sharjah Archaeological Museum
This fascinating museum is housed in an elegant building set in manicured gardens, next to the Science Museum near Cultural Sq. The displays, accompanied by audiovisual interpretations, cover the earliest archaeological finds in the emirate (dating from 5000 BC) up to the present day, including coins, jewellery, pottery and weapons. Wednesday afternoon admission is for women only. A taxi here from the centre will cost around Dh7 to Dh10.
reviewed
-
E
Ajman Museum
Undergoing renovation at the time of research, the splendid AjmanMuseum occupies an imposing old police fort. Built in the late 18th century, the attractive fort served as the ruler's palace and office until 1970. From 1970 to 1978 it was Ajman's main police station; hence the bizarre exhibit featuring handcuffs and police uniforms. In the fort yard is a charming reconstruction of a traditional souq.
reviewed
-
F
Jordan Natural History Museum
JordanNatural History Museum is one of two museums in the grounds of the vast Yamouk University. Both domestic and foreign visitors are welcome. The museum contains a range of stuffed animals, birds and insects, as well as rocks from the region, but very little is explained in English. It’s good for birders, with some beautiful bee-eaters and rollers on display. The museum is in the huge green hangar No 23.
reviewed
-
G
Tower of David Museum
The Jaffa Gate area is dominated by the Crusader Citadel, which includes Herod’s Tower and the Tower of David minaret. It’s occupied by the highly worthwhile Tower of David Museum, which tells the entire history of Jerusalem in a concise and easily digestible format. Revolving art exhibits in the halls and gardens add an especially pleasant angle. There are also good views of the city from the highest ramparts.
reviewed
-
H
Planet Discovery
One of the more educationally stimulating activities on offer can be found at Planet Discovery, an interactive science museum especially designed for three- to 15-year-olds. Adults will be unable to resist the soap bubble display, where bubbles big enough to encase their young charges can be blown. Puppet shows are also held at 16:00 and 17:00 most Fridays and Saturdays, which are an additional charge on top of the entry fee.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum
Sheikh Zayed’s residence from 1937 to 1966 has been rebooted as the Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum. You can step inside the majlis (meeting room) where the ruler received visitors, see the curtained canopied bed he shared with his wife, and snap a photo of the Land Rover he used to visit the desert Bedu. Walls of faded photographs of old Al-Ain show how far the town has come in just a few decades.
reviewed
-
I
Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre
On the southern side of the Western Wall, the recently renovated Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre is a peek into the history of the Temple Mount and its surrounding areas, displaying the remains of streets, columns, walls and plazas exposed by modern archaeologists. Byzantine and Arab structures are among the ruins, as well as finds from the Herodian period.
reviewed
-
J
Heritage House Museum
Formerly an ethnographic museum, the restored Heritage House Museum was built in 1935 and offers the best view of the badghir (wind tower). The square wind tower was commonly used as a form of pre-electric air-conditioning throughout the Gulf, sucking fresh air into the house and channelling it into the ground-floor rooms. It is closed to visitors but is worth a look from the outside.
reviewed
-
K
Pars Museum
Bagh-e Nazar and the octagonal Pars Museum at its centre are other notable Zand-era additions. It's possible to walk around the garden and view the delightfully decorated pavilion where Karim Khan received foreign dignitaries. The interior is stunning, with the stalactite ceiling a particular highlight. Exhibits include Karim Khan Zand's sword and indeed, his grave. Photography is not allowed.
reviewed
-
L
Wohl Archaeological Museum
Down a narrow alleyway east of Hurva Sq, the impressive Wohl Archaeological Museum, features a 1st-century home and several Herodian archaeological sites, plus interpretive displays. The museum details the lavish lifestyle enjoyed in the Jewish neighbourhood of Herod’s city. Exhibits include frescoes, stucco reliefs, mosaic floors, ornaments, furniture and household objects.
reviewed
-
Palmach Museum
Dedicated to the guerrilla fighters who took on the British army in the late 1940s, the Palmach Museum is a high-performance exhibit that works to both entertain and inform. Presented in a multimedia format, this museum leads visitors through several chambers that collectively describe the rise of the Palmach, their training and triumphs. It's located about 200m past the Eretz Israel Museum.
reviewed
-
Israel Diamond Museum
The cornerstone of the city of Ramat Gan is the Israel Diamond Centre, the vast diamond trading house that has made Israel the number-one exporter of diamonds. Sadly, the Diamond Centre is closed to the general public, but you can still get an upclose look at a woman's best friend at the Israel Diamond Museum, which shows off the process of extraction, polishing and the trade of diamonds.
reviewed
-
M
National Museum of Science, Planning & Technology
An exception to Hadar's shabbiness is the elegant 1920s concoction of European Orientalism that is the National Museum of Science, Planning & Technology . Sometimes referred to as the Technodea, the museum specialises in interactive exhibits, of which it has more than 250, and it's a great place to visit with children. Audio guides are available for a reasonable around ₪3.
reviewed
-
Israel Museum
Consider the Israel Museum to be a road map for your travels throughout the country. By visiting early in your stay you’ll get a good grounding on the 5000 years of history that you are about to explore. Note that your ticket is also good for seven days to visit the Rockefeller Museum. Don’t forget to pick up a complimentary audio guide from the visitors centre.
reviewed
-
N
Gan Ha'em
On the crest of Carmel is Gan Ha'em , a cool swath of greenery with an arcade of shops and cafés, and an amphitheatre which hosts summer evening concerts. The northern area of the park is given over to an extremely attractive small zoo. Within the grounds of the zoo you can also enter the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory, the Biological Museum and the Natural History Museum.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
O
Railway Museum
Housed in the old Haifa East train station, the Railway Museum features a collection of stamps, photographs, tickets, timetables and rolling stock. Old timetables remind you that you could at one time travel from here by train south to Cairo or north to Beirut or Damascus. To get there follow HaPalyam Ave past the mosque - the museum is a few minutes walk further, on the left.
reviewed
-
Weaponry Museum
The Weaponry Museum has an impressive collection of arms and armour, some from the 16th century. However, what makes this museum worth a visit is the dazzling array of gold and silver swords and daggers, including a khanjar that belonged to Lawrence of Arabia. The museum is not generally open to the public, except by prior appointment or with a tour guide.
reviewed
-
P
Robert Mouawad Private Museum
The Robert Mouawad Private Museum is housed in Pharaon Palace, once the home of Robert Mouawad, a jeweller and collector of gorgeous objets d'art, including clocks, porcelain, jewellery, icons and watches. Like the Sursock Museum just down the road, it makes a beautiful respite from the city, with the palace itself every bit as sumptuous as the items on display.
reviewed
-
Q
Iran Ebrat Museum
There is nothing subtle about the Iran Ebrat Museum, a one-time prison of the shah’s brutal secret police that now exhibits that brutality with an equal measure of pro-revolution propaganda. The prison is an incongruously attractive building, with wings radiating from a circular centre. But what went on here was not attractive at all.
reviewed
-
R
Mane Katz Museum
As you stroll behind the clutch of five-star hotels in the Carmet Centre you'll spot the entrance for the Mane Katz Museum . Mane Katz (1894-1962), an influential member of the group of Jewish Expressionists based in Paris earlier in the 20th century, was given this home by the Haifa city authorities in return for the bequest of his works to the city.
reviewed