National Museum of Saudi Arabia

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a national museum in the al-Murabba neighborhood of Riyadh. It is part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre, surrounded by al-Wadi Park to the north and al-Madi Park to the east. The building’s design, by architect Raymond Moriyama, was inspired by the sand dunes of the 'Red Sands' outside Riyadh, with a west facade that resembles a sand dune and forms a crescent pointing towards Mecca. Inside, eight exhibition halls cover topics from the universe and Arabian kingdoms to the Prophet’s mission and the unification of Saudi Arabia.

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• A large fragment of a meteorite from the Wabar craters in the Rub' al Khali desert, displayed in the 'Man and the Universe' gallery.
• The skeleton of a Platybelodon and an Ichthyosaur in the first gallery.
• A large model of Diriyah shown under a glass floor in the 'First and Second Saudi States' gallery.
• A large model of Makkah and its surroundings in the 'Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques' gallery.
• A family tree explaining Muhammad’s family and relations in the 'Prophet’s Mission' gallery.
• The west facade, which forms a crescent shape pointing towards Mecca.

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Goed om te weten

• The museum was established in 1999 and is part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre.
• The building’s design was inspired by sand dunes, with a west facade resembling a soft sand dune contour.
• Exhibits include many replicas and life-size dioramas; it can be difficult to tell replicas from originals.

Een stukje geschiedenis

The museum was established in 1999 as part of the 'Murabba' Development Plan' to refurbish the area around the old Murabba' Palace district for the Centennial Celebrations in Saudi Arabia. Planning and building were completed in just 26 months, though ideas for such a museum had been discussed since the 1980s.