Escape. Explore. Enjoy: The Museums In Qatar

Despite its sights set on the future, Qatar is steeped in centuries of history and a rich cultural heritage found in forts and museums. If you’re traveling in Qatar, you’ll be spoiled for choice between fascinating architectural wonders and some of the best museums that preserve this nation’s rich history. 

Even though the country has many landmarks that convey a story about its past and present, the museums have many resources, from historical artifacts and traditional Islamic crafts to modern and contemporary art. It has reinvented itself as a global artistic hub, going beyond bricks and mortar to acquire the best art pieces. Qatar museums will dazzle visitors with their collections of art and artifacts from all over the world.

What more could anyone want when on vacation and discovering each corner of the street with such stunning artwork that tells a story of the country’s history? Every Qatar museum is a fantastic treasure trove of knowledge, artifacts, and lovely things that tell a captivating story, transforming it into the Middle East’s artistic and cultural hub.

A LEAP OF FAITH IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION

 

Museum of Islamic Art Doha

 

Location: Doha, Qatar

Opening Hours: Sunday to Saturday 

10 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fees: 27.47 USD 

Timing Required: 2 hours

The Museum of Islamic Art offers visitors the chance to learn about the fusion of tradition and modernity. The limestone building, which enhances its allure and is based on Doha’s waterfront, emphasizes the relationship between Islam and art without highlighting specific religious objects. It features Islamic craftsmanship that spans over 1400 years and three continents.

Many textiles, pottery, glassworks, and other items are gathered from nations like Spain, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, India, and Central Asia. This Qatar museum has a separate library with over 15000 rare, international, and manuscript-collected texts.

MUST SEE: The Holy Quran from the seventeenth century is the library’s main draw.

 

National Museum of Qatar

 

Location: Museum Park St, Doha, Qatar

Opening Hours: Sunday to Saturday 

10 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fees: 24.47 USD 

Timing Required: 3 hours

The National Museum of Qatar, which opened in March 2019, is one of the Doha attractions that quickly gained popularity with tourists. Enjoy what this museum offers if you’re interested in learning more about Qatar’s history and how it developed from a rural oasis to a modern metropolis. Jean Nouvel designed the building at the start of the Doha Corniche with inspiration from the quartz desert rose. It incorporates the restoration of the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani. 

Jiwan, the second Alain Ducasse restaurant in Qatar is situated on the 4th floor of the National Museum of Qatar. The museum completes the Qatari experience of the museum through its gastronomic treats and takes one back to the country’s roots. The terrace of the restaurant overlooks the corniche and the tiny seating pods resemble the dunes of the inland sea.

MUST SEE: The three-meter (10-foot) Pearl Carpet of Baroda, a stunning work of art hand-embroidered with an astounding 1.5 million pearls, sapphires, and diamonds, is also tourists’ main draw.

 

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum

 

Location: Al Samriya St, Doha, Qatar

Opening Hours: Sunday to Saturday 

10 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fees: 24.47 USD 

Timing Required: 2 hours

The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is a private collection of Sheikh Faisal, Qatar’s most affluent businessmen. The museum was thoughtfully created and is a work of architecture in and of itself. It’s breathtaking to see the distinctive exterior with its native stone construction and towers. Islamic and Qatari traditions from the Jurassic period to the present are preserved here by 15,000 artifacts that Sheikh Faisal personally collected over 50 years.

The museum is divided into sections each representing different kinds of exhibits. The museum has a collection of over 700 carpets from around the world that showcases a variety of weaves, dyes, and patterns. It has over 600 antique vehicles on display and a traditional Syrian home reassembled in the museum. Around 8 designated rooms display Islamic artworks. Traditional Qatari occupation and the tools used in ‘pearl-fishing’ are on display too. Coins and currency dating from before Islamic emergence are also available for viewing in the museum.

MUST SEE: Featuring over 15,000 artifacts in 15 separate rooms, the Islamic Art, Vehicles, Coins & Currency, and Qatar Heritage exhibit include all kinds of treasures, fossils, rare coins, manuscripts, and textiles.

 

Msheireb Museums

Location: Msheireb Downtown Doha, Doha, Qatar

Opening Hours: 

Monday–Thursday: 9 am to 5 pm

Friday: 3 pm to 9 pm

Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm

Entry Fees: Free

Time Required: 1-2 hours

Msheireb Museums Qatar should be on your list if you want to understand how Doha grew from a small fishing village to one of the wealthiest cities in the world. The museums are housed in four historic buildings: Bin Jelmood House, Radwani House, Company House and Mohammed Bin Jassim House. The facets of Qatar’s history that are emphasized in each area of the art museum in Qatar include the discovery of oil and gas, traditions, and the growth of the countries in the Arabian Gulf.

In addition, these are the names of all the structures that highlight various topics, such as Qatari traditions, family roles in Qatari families, oil or gas, and so forth.

MUST SEE: The Bin Jelmood House stands out among the four structures, particularly in light of the period of history that it examines. 

 

Fire Station Art Gallery

Location: Fire Station Art Gallery, Doha

Opening Hours: 

Sunday to Saturday: 10 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fees: 24.47 USD

Timing Required: 1-2 hours

An erstwhile fire station transformed into a contemporary art space is a vibrant and focused space dedicated to art admirers and creators alike. The fire station handed over to Qatar Museums Authority in 2014 has been serving the community since 1982 and continues to serve today by hosting exhibitions of local and global artists like Haitham Al Hamad, Picasso, Brian Donnelly, Kazimir Malevich, Ai Weiwei, and more. The museum is also equipped with extensive studios and workspaces available for resident and non-resident artists along with a fabrication lab. Cafe 999 is a favorite hangout place for art connoisseurs. 

MUST SEE:  The honeycomb architecture of the museum is an art in its own right.

The Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum (QOSM)

Location: Doha, Qatar 

Opening Hours: Sunday to Saturday 

10 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fees: 24.47 USD 

Timing Required: 1 hour

One of Doha’s most distinctive museums, the national museum for sports history and heritage, aspires to preserve, explore, and present sports alongside Arab artifacts. It is well known that the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum has interacted with the global sports community. 

The museum is a top national and international location for sports history, tradition, and knowledge. It is well known for showcasing its spectacular collection in various areas of the world.  

The museum abuts the Khalifa International Stadium is situated within the Aspire Zone (also known as Doha Sports City). The countdown at sporting events is the inspiration for the numerical portion.

If watching sports leaves you ravenous, visit the 3-2-1 Café to sample a selection of nutritious snacks from Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens, who also selected the menu for the elegant restaurant “Naua” on the eighth floor. You can purchase sports-themed merchandise from the gift shop on the fifth floor to commemorate your trip. 

MUST SEE: “The Olympics,” filled with items like Olympic pins, flags, and torches from every Summer and Winter Olympic Games since 1936. The “Hall of Athletes” features about 90 legends in their respective sports worldwide. A visit to the “Activation Zone” followed a tour of the galleries, where you could play a few games at the various interactive challenges.

 

Mathaf

Location: Education City, Doha, Qatar 

Sunday to Saturday

10 AM to 08:00 PM

Entry Fees: 13.73 USD

Timing Required: 1-2 hours

Note: Mathaf will be completely closed to visitors on world cup match days at Education City Stadium.

Mathaf allows visitors to think about how Arab artists reinvented visual languages as they forged a distinctive voice that deviated from Eurocentric conventions. The artwork at Mathaf serves as a commentary on socio-political realities and gives voice to the changes that swept the Arab world. The pieces cover topics like nation-building, post-colonialism, reconstruction, the oil industry, urbanization, and peoples’ aspirations in a world that is changing quickly. Contemporary social, economic, and geopolitical changes are reflected in works created using traditional forms such as calligraphy, craftsmanship, and geometric patterns.

Notable artists from continents other than the Arab Peninsula are also represented, including those from Africa, Asia, and Europe.  An on-site library at Mathaf has a wide selection of books on modern and historical art, emphasizing the Arab world. 

MUST SEE: The bilingual Mathaf Encyclopedia is a free online resource for scholars that offers fundamental knowledge and in-depth analysis of modern Arab art. 

The museums of Qatar, which are rich in art and culture, utilize their traditions and culture to tell the nation’s history. Additionally, it narrates the history of all Arab countries throughout the world. The museums are fascinating to visit if you enjoy history. Visit the Qatar museums to learn more about the world of art. Enjoy the trip of a lifetime and return feeling rejuvenated. Book your trip to Qatar on Rehlat and grab exclusive discounts on flights and hotels!