I took the morning flight, it is only about 50 minutes to get there. Anna picked me up from the airport, and we drove straight to the National Museum of Qatar. What a beautiful site! This building was designed by Jean Nouvel, just like the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The inspiration comes from the desert rose crystals, found in the desert in Qatar. The building is referring history and the golden age of Qatar while at the same time representing the modern, new and the high aspirations of the country.
The museums mission is to celebrate and showcase the heritage and culture of Qatar, showcasing how this country has rapidly changed into what it has become now in modern day.
The visit went through a loop of galleries, beginning with the natural history of the desert, the Bedouin life and so on. It continued with the establishment of the Qatari state, and eventually brought us to the discovery of oil. A story not so different to the story of the UAE.
The galleries offered a multi-sensory experience, there was sound, music, oral stories; movies and even aromas evoking different times and places. Nicely done.
Of course I also had to visit the souvenir shop. Bought myself a lovely print I already knew where I wanted to hang. I really enjoyed the space it was in too, apparently inspired by Dahl Al Misfir, which means Cave of Light. It was full of undulating timber walls, really organic and beautiful.
We had a super lush lunch in the fancy museum restaurant before continuing our day of exploration with the next stop.
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