National Museum of Qatar

I have a strong fascination for National Museums and every time I visit a “new” country, I try to take one in. What I am interested in is how countries present their history. It’s like a 5-minute pitch they have to give about “Tell me about your country”. This is very difficult to do well: where do you start, and where do you end? What stories do you tell and which ones do you omit? I recently visited the museums in Jordan and Iraq: the Jordan museum really struggles with a lack of authentic content and representativeness, while the one in Baghdad is an excellent Archaeological Museum but doesn’t cover the whole story.

Qatar’s National Museum, put on the Tentative List just this year, however, is an excellent example. I visited it in November 2023. It’s a popular tourist attraction in Doha and the entrance costs 50 rial, about 12.50 EUR. 

The nomination focuses on the building. It was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel. Its shape was inspired by the desert rose, a crystal that “grows” in the sand of the desert. It only opened in 2019, so it would be by far the “youngest” WHS. I found it impressive and it is very spacious inside. Its design of interlocking discs also provides ample shade to shelter from the desert heat.

I was even more interested in the collection. Even with limited original objects found on Qatarese soil available, it does …