Interconnected galleries take visitors on a visual journey through Qatar, telling the story of the country, from the pre-historic to the modern era.
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Architecture, Museum
National Museum of Qatar
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the National Museum of Qatar draws inspiration from and recreates the naturally occurring crystal formations known as the desert rose. Built around Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani’s original palace, and the seat of government for 25 years, the National Museum of Qatar gives voice to Qatar’s heritage whilst celebrating its future. It spans a whopping 430,500 square feet.
How to get there?
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The National Museum of Qatar is easily accessible via car or a taxi (Uber is widely used, alternatively Karwa). The distance from Hamad International Airport is approximately 15 minutes.
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The nearest metro station is National Museum, Gold line.
Museum Park Street. Off the Doha Corniche
- One Pass Holder - Free
- Adult Non-resident of Qatar - QAR 50
- Adult – Qatar Residents - Free
- Child (age 16 and under) - Free
- Student Resident of Qatar - Free
- Student Non-resident of Qatar - QAR 25
Visitors learn about Qatar’s ancestors and the formation of its early cities, with the museum charting the country’s history and progress through the centuries. Exhibitions combine historic objects and contemporary influences, opening up a dialogue around the impact of rapid change.
Highlights of your visit
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Pearl carpet of Baroda
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Al Zubarah Quran
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Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani
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NMoQ’s striking façade features interlocking cantilevered disks, with the museum spanning 430,500 square feet. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel, the National Museum of Qatar draws inspiration from the country’s history and its geology. The museum itself recreates the naturally occurring mineral crystal formations known as the “desert rose”. Occurring solely in arid coastal regions, the desert rose is a natural architectural structure, created through the interaction of wind, sea spray and sand over millennia.
The National Museum of Qatar is home to a multitude of archaeological and heritage objects, manuscripts, photographs, jewellery and costumes. These objects bring to life the story not only of Qatar, but also the region. Anchoring the collection is the pearl carpet of Baroda, commissioned by the Maharajah of Baroda, India in 1865. It comprises over 1.5 million pearls, as well as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires set in gold and woven onto a base of silk and fine deer hide, and illustrates how widely used gemstones were in the region.
NMoQ’s architecture pays homage to the naturally occurring desert roses found in the region.
The museum houses 11 galleries through which visitors can witness the changing fortunes of this peninsular nation. Each gallery offers perspective, and a multi-sensory experience. These are auditory through sound, such as music and oral histories, visual, through film and archival images, olfactory, with aromas evoking particular times and places. The museum complex includes permanent and temporary galleries, a 220-seat auditorium, two cafés, a restaurant, a gift shop, separate facilities for school groups and VIPs, heritage research centres, conservation laboratories and museum collection storage.
The museum tour ends in the central howsh or courtyard, where merchants would unload their merchandise. This tradition lives on in the weekend market that takes place here through winter.
The National Museum of Qatar is walking distance to the Museum of Islamic Art and the Corniche, Doha’s central waterfront promenade as well as Al Bidda Park which anchors the traditional standing market – Souq Waqif, home to cafes, shops, galleries and more. The regenerated Mshereib Downtown neighbourhood is adjacent to Souq Waqif, and contains the Mshereib Museums, which offer evocative glimpses into Qatar’s past, in the very homes inhabited by its people.
Get an inside view of NMoQ
Take a journey through light and sound with in-house expert Tania Al Majid and learn more about our museums in the latest issue of Qatar Now.
Useful information
Sun, Mon, Wed, Sat: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Fridays: 1:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Not to miss
Museum of Islamic Art
On a purpose-built island abutting the Corniche, Doha’s waterfront promenade, the building itself is an architectural wonder designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect I.M. Pei. The museum contains four floors of permanent and temporary exhibitions, gift shop, a café and a haute cuisine restaurant IDAM by renowned chef Alain Ducasse, on the fifth floor. It is also home to a heritage library, with a collection of 21,000 books including 2000 rare editions in both Arabic and English.
Msheireb Museums
Within the refurbished development of Msheireb in the oldest part of the capital, the Msheireb Museums celebrate the history of Qatar. Four heritage houses – Bin Jelmood House, Company House, Mohammed Bin Jassim House and Radwani House – were restored by property developer Msheireb and transformed into museums that explore key players and periods in Qatar’s history and evolution.
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
Established in 2010, Mathaf providing a uniquely Arab perspective on contemporary art. The museum’s permanent collection features more than 9,000 works by notable artists from Arab world from the 1840s to the present day. Landmark artists from countries and regions connected to the Arab Peninsula are represented, encompassing Africa, Asia and Europe.
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Things to know before travelling
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Visas
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Getting here
Planning your trip to Qatar? Check how to get here.
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Travel tips
Make the most of your visit with our handy travel guide.
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Getting around
From a dhow boat to our world-class metro, here’s how to easily explore Qatar.
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