National Museum of Saudi Arabia
Encyclopedia
The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a major national museum
in Saudi Arabia
. Established in 1999, it is part of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre
in Riyadh
.
was inspired by the form and colors of the sand dunes of the "Red Sands" just outside Riyadh. The west facade along Murabba' Square resembles the soft contour of a sandune with its layout forming a crescent pointing towards Mecca. The west facade opens into a large lobby, that also opens to a smaller square in the east that separates the main bodies of the museum to the north and south, each arranged around a small internal courtyard. The northern wing is dedicated to the pre-Islamic galleries and connected by a bridge to the southern wing that hosts the galleries of the Islamic history of the Arabian Peninsula. For the final galleries the visitor enters the "Unification Drum" which has displays about the current Saudi State. The last gallery illustrates the two holy mosques and the hajj. Additionally there are two further galleries for special exhibitions.
The concept for the didactic design of the exhibitions is somewhat different to the traditional approach of the classic museums. There is less emphasis on individual exhibits displayed out of their cultural context as objects of great value. There are a great many replicas and life size dioramic displays, illustrating and educating about certain points and issues. As such it is sometimes difficult to identify certain specific pieces and even tell replicas from originals. The idea behind this is not to focus on individual pieces in their own right but rather use them as examples to highlight the general ideas or concepts they represent.
National museum
A national museum is a museum maintained by a nation.The following is a list of national museums:-Australia:*Australian National Aviation Museum*Australian National Maritime Museum*, Sydney*Australian War Memorial*Museum Victoria...
in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Established in 1999, it is part of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre
King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre
The King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre is a region in the city of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It is not the "historic center" of the city as this lies to the south around Masmak fort and the main Friday Mosque" in the Dira district...
in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
.
The building
The National Museum was part of the "Murabba' Development Plan" to refurbish the area of and around the old Murabba' Palace district for the Centennial Celebrations in Saudi Arabia. Thus the deadline was set to early 1999, leaving only 26 months for the planning and building of the museum from scratch, although ideas for such a museum had been discussed since the eighties. For the design the lead architect Raymond MoriyamaRaymond Moriyama
Raymond Moriyama, CC, O.Ont is a Japanese-Canadian architect. He has designed several buildings at Brock University from the 1970s through the latest campus expansion and is the University's former chancellor....
was inspired by the form and colors of the sand dunes of the "Red Sands" just outside Riyadh. The west facade along Murabba' Square resembles the soft contour of a sandune with its layout forming a crescent pointing towards Mecca. The west facade opens into a large lobby, that also opens to a smaller square in the east that separates the main bodies of the museum to the north and south, each arranged around a small internal courtyard. The northern wing is dedicated to the pre-Islamic galleries and connected by a bridge to the southern wing that hosts the galleries of the Islamic history of the Arabian Peninsula. For the final galleries the visitor enters the "Unification Drum" which has displays about the current Saudi State. The last gallery illustrates the two holy mosques and the hajj. Additionally there are two further galleries for special exhibitions.
The concept for the didactic design of the exhibitions is somewhat different to the traditional approach of the classic museums. There is less emphasis on individual exhibits displayed out of their cultural context as objects of great value. There are a great many replicas and life size dioramic displays, illustrating and educating about certain points and issues. As such it is sometimes difficult to identify certain specific pieces and even tell replicas from originals. The idea behind this is not to focus on individual pieces in their own right but rather use them as examples to highlight the general ideas or concepts they represent.
Exhibitions
The exhibits are organized in eight "Exhibition Halls" or "Galleries".- Man and the Universe
- The first exhibit encountered in the museum is a large fragment of a meteorite found at the Wabar cratersWabar cratersThe Wabar craters are impact craters brought to the attention of Western scholars by an explorer searching for the legendary city of Ubar in Arabia.-1932 Philby:...
in the desert of the Rub' al Khali. Further exhibits and interactive displays explain the solar system, plate tectonics, the geology and geography of the Arabian Peninsula and the development of the fauna and flora of Arabia. Large exhibits include the skeleton of a PlatybelodonPlatybelodonPlatybelodon was a genus of large herbivorous mammal related to the elephant . It lived during the Miocene Epoch, about 15-4 million years ago, and ranged over Africa, Europe, Asia and North America...
and IchthyosaurIchthyosaurIchthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins...
. The gallery concludes with stone age man.- Arabian Kingdoms
- This gallery illustrates the early kingdoms, focusing on DilmonDilmunDilmun or Telmun is a land mentioned by Mesopotamian civilizations as a trade partner, a source of the metal copper, and an entrepôt of the Mesopotamia-to-Indus Valley Civilization trade route...
, Madian, Gariah and Tima'aTaymaTayma is a large oasis with a long history of settlement, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia at the point where the trade route between Yathrib and Dumah begins to cross the Nefud desert...
. The exhibition continues with the intermediary Arab kingdoms by showcasing the cities of Al-Hamra, Dawmat Al-JandalDumat Al-JandalDumat al-Jundal , is the name for an ancient city of ruins located in North Western Saudi Arabia in the Al Jawf province its located 37KM away from Sakakah. The name Dumat al-Jandal means literally "Dumah of the Stone", since this was the territory of Dumah, one of the twelve sons of Ishmael...
, Tima'a and Tarout. The late Arab kingdoms are represented by the civilizations that thrived in Al-Aflaaj, NajranNajranNajran , formerly known as Aba as Sa'ud, is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to...
and Ain Zubaida.- The Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyyah)
- This gallery is dedicated to the time from about 400 BCE until the dawn of Islam. Cities of this time portrayed are Makkah, Jarash, Yathrib, Khaibar, Najran, Khadrama, and Dawmat Aljandal, as well as the markets at Okaz, the al-Majaz, Najran and Habasha. The evolution of scriptWriting systemA writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
and calligraphyCalligraphyCalligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
is displayed and explained with many examples.- The Prophet's Mission
- Here the life and mission of the Prophet Mohammad is illustrated. On one wall there is a large family tree explaining the prophet's family and relations in great detail. From this gallery the visitor has to use a bridge which connects to the next gallery performing a symbolic cross-over from the time of ignorance to the time after the revelation of Islam to the prophet.
- Islam and the Arabian Peninsula
- The time covered in this gallery include the Islamic beginnings in Medinah and the history of the rise and fall of the CaliphateCaliphateThe term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
. It also illustrates the time of the Mamluks and the Ottomans up to the First Saudi StateFirst Saudi StateThe First Saudi State was established in the year 1744 when imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Prince Muhammad ibn Saud formed an alliance to establish a religious & political sovereignty determined to cleanse the Arabian Peninsula of heretical practices and deviations from orthodox Islam...
.- First and Second Saudi States
- Shown here is the culture and history of the two early Saudi states. A large model of DiriyahDiriyahAl-Diriyah is a town in Saudi Arabia located on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the first Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818...
is shown under a glass floor, so that it can be examined in great detail.- The Unification
- This gallery is dedicated to King Abdul Aziz and how he regained Riyadh and established his kingdom.
- The Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques
- A major exhibit in this gallery is a large model of Makkah and its surroundings.