Zayed National Museum

I had received some free tickets for the new Sheikh Zayed National Museum, so I gifted that to the Turner kids for Christmas. I thought it was time they got to learn about the history of the UAE, and what better place to do it! It was time for a Boxing Day cultural excursion.

ZNM opened earlier this month in conjunction with National Day, on the 3rd of December. I purposely hadn't visited yet, so I was rather excited. The architecture is absolutely stunning, especially when you get up close.

So much to see and discover. 
One of the main attractions is a full-sized Magan boat. 4000 years ago, these boats were the backbone of the trade between Magan (todays Oman and UAE) and civilisations further east in the Indus Valley (todays Pakistan and India), and Mesopotamia (todays Iraq).
Based on writings found on a clay tablet from the Bronze Age, ZNM has recreated an 18-metre long fully functional Magan boat, it has been sailing in the Arabian Gulf. 

The first gallery is dedicated to the story of Sheikh Zayed, and took us through his life and vision for the UAE. We got to see many of his personal items, and a replica of his famous Chrysler - with a video in the background showing him bashing across the dunes in it!

One gallery looked into the different biomes of the UAE, with displays of how different elements make up the land.

Once we got up to the upper floor, it was more about the ancient history of this part of the world. One gallery traced the history of the Middle East over 300,000 years, up to the Bronze Age.

Another gallery traced the developments from the Iron Age until the spread of Islam. All really, really interesting, and a lot of information that we share in our galleries as well.

Hello old friend! The Marawah Vase, that we have had on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi previously.

There was also galleries dedicated to the maritime history of the country, and the pearl diving traditions.

This museum is thoroughly explaining and celebrating the country's history and culture. The perfect place to bring any visitors really, to show them that this young country, has a very long history. 

The souvenir shop: 

I will have to come back again, as it was a rather fast visit this time. Too much to cover in one go.