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Money Museum of the National Bank of Georgia

10 Shota Rustaveli Road, Kvareli, Georgia

The museum is situated in the Georgian National Bank building. The museum houses materials describing the history of money from VI c. up to XX c.: Colchian tetri, antique coins, Sasanian drahmas, Arab dirhems, coins of Georgian kings and Queens Demetre I, Giorgi III, Tamar, etc., as well as Turkish, Iranian, Austrian, Polish and money of various countries; also there are special literature and multimedia publication of money (on CD).
(georgianmuseums.ge)

Entrance to the Money Museum of the National Bank of Georgia

Image copyright © betravel.ge


Art & Culture Development Foundation under the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

1 Taras Shevchenko Street, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Art & Culture Development Foundation under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established following a resolution signed by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on 16 October 2017. The Foundation’s main objective is to stimulate a creative intercultural dialogue and integrate art in Uzbekistan into the global art world and cultural space. 

The Foundation organises and supports events in the fields of fine arts, literature, theatre, music, architecture and choreography on a regular basis. The Foundation establishes international cultural ties and promotes the culture of Uzbekistan in the international arena.
(acdf.uz)

Image copyright © acdf.uz


Selçuk University

Ardıçlı Mahallesi, İsmetpaşa Cad., 42250 Selçuklu/Konya, Turkey

Selçuk University (Turkish: Selçuk Üniversitesi) is state-owned higher educational institution, which was founded 1975 in Konya, Turkey. (Wikipedia)

Selcuk University building

Image copyright © Selcuk University


Sebahattin Yıldız Museum

İşçi Blokları Mahallesi, Mevlana Blv. 174/A, 06530 Çankaya/Ankara, Turkey

The Museum of Sebahattin Yıldız was created in 2010 reflecting a deeply held interest in the cultural and artistic assets of Sebahattin Yıldız. The main target of the museum is to conduct activities concerning museum and exhibition according to up to date standards for the purpose of protection, investigation, exhibition and publication of cultural Turkish and international heritage as well as art. (http://www.yildizlarsssholding.com.tr/en/)

Gallery space in Sebahattin Yıldız Museum


Science and Technology Museum, Middle East Technical University

Üniversiteler Mh., 06800 Çankaya/Ankara, Turkey

METU Science and Technology Museum (Turkish: ODTÜ Bilim ve Teknoloji Müzesi) is a museum established within the campus of the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. The museum is aimed to present the modern technological tools as well as technological past of Turkey. (Wikipedia)

Four objects from Science and Technology Museum, Middle East Technical University

Image copyright © Science and Technology Museum, Middle East Technical University


Koç University

Garipçe Mahallesi, Sarıyer Rumeli Feneri Yolu No:34450, Sarıyer/İstanbul, Türkiye

Koç University was founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Turkey. Since its establishment, Koç University has become one of the leading universities in Turkey, distinguished by notable contributions to the elevation of education, knowledge and service both domestically and beyond. (Koç University)

The University’s Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (RCAC) aims to develop and facilitate research projects that are dedicated to the history, art, architecture and archaeology of civilizations in Turkey through exhibitions, symposiums, fellowships and publications. (RCAC)

Koc University in the background with trees in the foreground

Image copyright © Koç University


Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Turkish Republic

İsmet İnönü Bulvarı No:32 06100 Emek/Ankara, Turkey

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkish: Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı) is a government ministry of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for culture and tourism affairs in Turkey. Revolving fund management of the ministry is carried by DÖSİMM. On January 25, 2013, Ömer Çelik was appointed as minister following a cabinet change succeeding Ertuğrul Günay, who was in office since 2008. (Wikipedia)

Image copyright © Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Turkish Republic


Milas Muzesi

Ahmet Çavuş Hayıtlı Mahallesi, Köprüler Meydanı No:1, 48200 Milas/Muğla, Turkey

The Milas Museum was formed for the first time in 1983 with the approval of the Ministry, by gathering the opuses transferred from the Bodrum Museum and the opuses obtained from the excavations on the district borders and was opened for visitors in 1987. The Museum Directorate is located in the Milas Culture Centre building. The Culture Centre is built in a garden having a total surface area of 1556 m² and the area of the building is approximately 400 m². On the entrance floor of the building, the museum exhibition hall and administrative units are located. (Kulture.gov.tr)

A display of sculpture and stone objects at Milas Museum

Image copyright © Veryturkey.com


Marmaris Archaeology Museum

Tepe, 48700 Marmaris/Muğla Province, Turkey

Marmaris Fort has been restored between the years 1980 – 1990 and has been opened to service as Marmaris Museum in 1991. It has seven closed places. The cradle vaulted entrance is opening to the inner garden. The stairs on the right and left of the courtyard provides access to the city walls. Two of the closed areas that are covered with cradle vault are arranged as Archaeology halls. In these halls and in the garden, the stone opuses collected in the region, amphora belonging to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods, candles, bottles, figurines made of cooked soil, various pots and glass opuses, arrow ends, coins and ornamental goods found in the Knidos, Burgaz, Hisarönü excavations are being exhibited. In the ethnography hall, weavings, carpets, kilims, furniture, copper kitchen tools, guns and ornamental goods are exhibited. The places other than those halls are used as an art gallery, an office and a depot.

The museum is open for visit between the hours 08:30 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 17.30 every day except Mondays. (kultur.gov.tr)

Grounds of Marmaris Museum

Image copyright © marmaristown.com


Istanbul Technical University

Maslak, 34467 Sarıyer/İstanbul, Turkey

Founded in 1773 with the name “Mühendishane-i Bahr-i Hümayun” (Imperial School of Naval Engineering) during the reign of Mustafa III, Istanbul Technical University is a prominent and pioneering university of engineering and architecture with many innovative studies in science, technology, research and development. İTÜ, as a university mainly composed of graduate engineering schools and research laboratories, works closely in collaboration with enterprises and other economic and social partners. Our university facilitates the knowledge and technology transfer to industries, management centers, briefly to all society. To do this, İTÜ has created many Techno-Science parks, incubation centers, entrepreneurship and innovation center and technology transfer office. This way, İTÜ offers a favorable environment for students to build a successful career in their professions, to improve themselves, to seek internship opportunities and to conduct research projects.  (Istanbul Technical University)

Istanbul Technical University

Image copyright © Istanbul Technical University


National Museum of Tajikistan

Ismoil Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

The National Museum of Tajikistan is composed of four exhibition departments: Department of Natural History, Department of Ancient and Medieval History, Department of Modern and Contemporary History and Department of Fine and Applied Arts. (National Museum of Tajikistan)

National Museum of Tajikistan

Image copyright © National Museum of Tajikistan


Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage

P.O.Box: 66680 Riyadh 11586 Saudi Arabia

From the outset, the main objective of the establishment of SCTH has been to pay attention to all aspects of the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with respect to its organization, development, and promotion. SCTH is also assigned to work for strengthening of the role of tourism and overcoming barriers impeding its growth, given the Kingdom’s huge tourism potential. Its efforts include preservation, development and maintenance of antiquities and activation of tourism’s contribution to cultural and economic development. (Wikipedia)

Image copyright © Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage


Basrah Museum

Al Mahraqah, Basrah, Iraq

The new Basrah Museum is housed in one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces, and was opened to the public in September 2016. This followed the closure in 2003 of the old Basrah Museum, which suffered looting in the 1st and 2nd Gulf Wars. The Museum showcases the rich cultural heritage of Iraq, from 3000 BC to the early 20th century.

In December 2016 the Trustees of the Friends of Basrah Museum were awarded a British Council Cultural Protection Fund grant to complete the installation of three remaining galleries. These galleries opened to the public in March 2019, and display important cultural heritage that has been stored in Baghdad since 2003, telling the story of the most important eras in Iraq’s history: Sumer (Southern Iraq in the period 3300 BC to 1792 BC), Babylon (the great period of Mesopotamian civilisation from 1792 BC to 330 BC) and Assyria (Northern Iraq between 883 BC and 612 BC). (British Council)

Basrah Museum

Image copyright © PersianDutchNetwork, Wikimedia Commons


Iraq National Museum

Allawi Street, Baghdad, Iraq

The National Museum of Iraq is a museum located in Baghdad, Iraq. It contains precious relics from the Mesopotamian, Babylonian and Persian civilisations. It was looted during and after the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. Internationals efforts helped in the return of some some of the stolen artefacts and after being closed for many years, the museum was officially reopened in February 2015. The museum contains important artefacts from the over 5,000-year-long history of Mesopotamia in 28 galleries and vaults.

The collections of the National Museum of Iraq include art and artefacts from ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, Akkadian and Assyrian civilisations. The museum also has galleries devoted to collections of both pre-Islamic and Islamic Arabian art and artefacts. Of its many noteworthy collections, the Nimrud gold collection—which features gold jewellery and figures of precious stone that date to the 9th century BC —and the collection of stone carvings and cuneiform tablets from Uruk are exceptional. The Uruk treasures date to between 3500 and 3000 BC. (Wikipedia)

Iraq National Museum

Image copyright © David Stanley, Wikimedia Commons


Mosul Museum

Al Jamhuriya, Mosul, Iraq

The Mosul Museum is the second largest museum in Iraq after the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. Founded in 1952, the museum consisted of a small hall until a new building was opened in 1972, containing ancient Assyrian artefacts. Mosul Museum was heavily looted during the 2003 Iraq War, and was occupied by ISIL in 2014 as it was about to reopen after years of rebuilding.

In cooperation with the Government of Iraq and Municipality of Mosul, the Iraqi civil society organisation Al-Ghad, and the Mosul Artists’ Committee hosted in January 2019 the first event in Mosul Museum since the city’s occupation. The art exhibition Return to Mosul brought together artistic voices from across Mosul and Iraq and enhanced them with technology including 3D printing and Virtual Reality experiences. It commissioned and exhibited paintings, photographs and sculpture that told the story of the city’s occupation under ISIL, and articulated a vision of the local community’s hopes for recovery and reconstruction. The exhibition brought together many different ethno-sectarian groups and encouraged them to discuss their vision of a brighter, more tolerant future in Mosul. The exhibition was staged in the newly restored Royal Venue, in the old wing of the museum. (Wikipedia)

Mosul Museum

Image copyright © Google Arts & Culture


University of Mosul

Mosul, Iraq

The University of Mosul is a public university and the second largest educational and research centre in Iraq. It was founded in 1967 and today offers accredited Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees in more than 100 specialisations.

When ISIL captured the city of Mosul during the 2014 Northern Iraq Offensive, the University was shut down and looted. When it was reopened under their control that year, the fields of study were restricted, and over 8,000 books and 100,000 manuscripts in its library were believed to have been destroyed, along with the Faculty of Fine Arts buildings among others. The university reopened in March 2017.


Lebanese University

Hadeth, Beirut, Lebanon

The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon, and was founded in 1951. The university today has 16 faculties and serves all cultural, religious and social groups of students and teachers. (Wikipedia)

The Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences (FLHS) was among the first faculties to be established by the Lebanese University, in 1959. It currently has around 17,630 students enrolled and 5 branches in four provinces and the capital Beirut, covering all Lebanese territories. The Faculty focuses on scientific research and literary and artistic creativity, to contribute in the development of the Lebanese society, promote its cultural openness and expand the prospects of cultural cooperation with other countries. It grants the Bachelor and Diploma degrees, in addition to Professional and Research Master Degrees in Arts and Archaeology, among other majors. (Lebanese University)

Lebanese University

Image copyright © Lebanese University


Ministry of Culture, Directorate General of Antiquities

Museum Road, Beirut, Lebanon

The Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) is a Lebanese government directorate, technical unit of the Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the protection, promotion and excavation activities in all sites of national heritage in Lebanon. The Directorate General is split into several different direct directorates including: Directorate of Archaeological Monuments and Built Heritage; Directorate of Archaeological Excavations; and Directorate of Movable Archaeological Property. (Wikipedia)

The tasks of the Directorate General of Antiquities include: development and implementation of policies, plans, programmes and activities; monitoring cultural property and proposing laws, regulations and measures for ownership, preservation and use; organising conferences, seminars and meetings; and training in archaeological excavation, documentation and restoration. (Ministry of Culture)


National Museum of Beirut

Museum Street, Beirut, Lebanon

The National Museum of Beirut is the principal museum of archaeology in Lebanon, and was officially opened in 1942. The museum has collections totalling around 100,000 objects, most of which are antiquities and medieval finds from excavations undertaken by the Directorate General of Antiquities. About 1300 artefacts are exhibited, ranging in date from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period. The museum building and its collection suffered extensive damage during the 1975 Lebanese Civil War, but most of its artefacts were saved by preemptive measures. Today, after a major renovation, the National Museum of Beirut has regained its former position, especially as a leading collector for ancient Phoenician objects. (Wikipedia)

National Museum Beirut

Image copyright © Elie Plus, Wikimedia Commons


University of Balamand

Balamand, El-Koura, Lebanon

The University of Balamand is a private institution, secular in its policies and approach to education. It welcomes faculty, students, and staff from all faiths and national or ethnic origins. The university is located in the northern district of El-Koura, Lebanon. It was founded by the Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch in 1988. The university’s main campus is adjacent to Balamand Monastery, but it has two other campuses in Beirut, including one which houses the majority of the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. The majority of programmes follow the American system of education and are conducted in English. (Wikipedia)

University of Balamand

Image copyright © University of Balamand


Ministry of Heritage and Culture Oman

113 City, Al Khuwair, Muscat, Oman

The Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MOHC) is the governmental body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for promoting and preserving Omani heritage and culture. The competences of MOHC include: supervising archaeological missions; surveying, restoring and maintaining historical buildings; establishing historical museums and creating libraries; supporting traditional arts; issuing publications; setting cultural exhibitions and festivals; training the employees of the ministry; carrying out specialised research in the field of history, heritage and culture; contributing to the process of enforcing intellectual property laws; drawing up strategies and programmes to support the creative community. (Wikipedia)


Museum of the Frankincense Land

Al-Baleed Archaeological Park, Salalah, Oman

The Museum of the Frankincense Land is located on-site at the Archaeological Park of Al-Baleed (8th century till 16th century AD). The museum charts the area’s settlement since 2000 BC and illustrates the nation’s maritime strength and trade history. (Lonely Planet)

Al-Baleed is a harbour and exceptionally fortified site placed directly on the beaches of the Indian Ocean. Artefacts from China (Ming) and other countries indicate its importance as a harbour along the Silk Road to the Sea from where frankincense was traded.

The Land of Frankincense was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The site consists of four components: the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah and the remains of the caravan oasis of Shisr/Wubar, and the affiliated ports of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed. This group of archaeological sites represents the production and distribution of one of the most important luxury items of trade in the Old World in Antiquity, and demonstrates an outstanding example of medieval fortified settlements in the Persian Gulf region. (UNESCO)

Museum of Frankincense Land

Image copyright © Jozef StrakaInspirock


National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman

Al Saidiya Street, opposite Al Alam Palace, Old Muscat, Oman

The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman, established by royal decree in 2013 and opened in 2016, is the Sultanate’s flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day.

The museum has 14 permanent galleries: The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others.

The National Museum houses 5,466 objects and offers 43 digital immersive experiences, a fully equipped Learning Centre, conservation facilities, an ultra-high definition cinema, and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum store. (Wikipedia)

National Museum Oman

Image copyright © Mohammedkhamisnasserkhamis, Wikimedia Commons


Birzeit University

Birzeit, West Bank, Palestine

Birzeit University is a public university located in Birzeit, West Bank, near Ramallah. Established in 1924 as an Elementary School for girls, Birzeit became a University in 1975. The University offers graduate and undergraduate programmes in a range of disciplines, and has 9 faculties, including a Graduate Faculty. The Faculty of Art, Music and Design, established at the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year, intends to be a landmark that fosters the growth of learning in the creative fields of design, visual art, dance, drama, film and music for the Palestinian community. In addition to offering various programs and elective courses, the faculty seeks new partnerships with cultural institutions, art schools, and academies, both locally and internationally. (Birzeit University)

Birzeit University

Image copyright © Birzeit University


Birzeit University Museum

Ramallah, Palestine

Birzeit University Museum is an innovative art space at the heart of the university campus, seeking to produce contemporary arts and promote their practice amongst the university community and across the Palestinian society at large, through a multidisciplinary experimental approach. The Museum works organically through its surrounding environment, proposing a unique learning model for an art museum within the Palestinian cultural experience.

Birzeit University Museum’s collection is home over 2100 pieces today, including the Traditional Palestinian Costumes Collection, Tawfiq Canaan Talismans and Amulets Collection and Art Works Collection. The main gallery was opened to the public in 2005, with an open exhibition space of 400 square meters, including offices, exhibition space and student studios. The gallery offer a year-long open program of exhibitions. The Virtual Gallery was also launched in 2005, established as an online archive for Palestinian art practice. Its objective is to offer a window on contemporary art in Palestine, available in both Arabic and English. (Birzeit University Museum)

Birzeit University Museum

Image copyright © AmeenSaeb, Wikimedia Commons


Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Palestine

Bethlehem, Palestine

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is cooperating with the private sector to create new packages under new themes including trails that cover Unknown Sites in Palestine and aims to develop social responsible tourism. Through social responsible tourism the Ministry seeks to provide tourists with enhanced services, cultural activities, economic opportunities and experiential tourism. The aim is for tourists to explore Palestinian cultural heritage and enjoy the beauty and diversity of the Palestinian landscape. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)


Palestinian Museum

Birzeit, Palestine

The Palestinian Museum is an independent institution dedicated to supporting an open and dynamic Palestinian culture nationally and internationally. The Museum presents and engages with new perspectives on Palestinian history, society and culture. It also offers spaces for creative ventures, educational programmes and innovative research. The Museum is a flagship project of Taawon-Welfare Association.

The Museum was designed as a transnational institution, capable of overcoming geographical and political boundaries to reach Palestinians within historic Palestine and beyond. Its digital collections and online platforms, alongside its network of local and international partnerships, allow for the sharing of skills, resources, programmes and exhibitions with individuals and institutions worldwide. (Palestinian Museum)

Palestinian Museum

Image copyright © Palestinian Museum


National Museum of Iran

Emam Khomeini Ave., Si-e-Tir corner, Tehran 11369, Iran

National Museum of Iran, aging more than 70 years, containing 300,000 museum objects in an area more than 20,000 square meters, is not only the largest museum of History and Archaeology of the country, but ranks as one of the few most prestigious museums of the world in regard to grand volume, diversity and quality of its huge monuments. In the Iranian museum tradition it is considered Iran’s mother museum, aiming at preserving relics of the past to hand down to the next generations, enhancing better understanding among world peoples and nations, discovering and showing Iranian’s roles in shaping world culture and civilization and trying to enhance public knowledge. (UNESCO)

National Museum of Iran

Image copyright © IOI 2017


Topkapı Museum

Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey

Topkapı Palace served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans in the 15th century. It is now a museum containing Ottoman clothing, weapons, armor, miniatures, religious relics, and illuminated manuscripts like the Topkapi manuscript. Highlights of the collection include the Spoonmaker’s Diamond and Topkapi Dagger (Wikipedia).

Topkapı Museum

Image copyright © Matthias Suessen, Wikimedia Commons


Seiyun Museum

Al Kathiri Palace, Seiyun, Yemen

Located in Seiyun Palace, the royal residence of the sultan of Kathiri, the Seiyun Museum holds a range of artefacts shedding light on daily life in the Hadhramout valley including weapons, jewelry, cooking and agriculture, and a photography exhibit.

Seiyun Museum

Image copyright © museum.com gmbh


Azerbaijan Carpet Museum

Baku, Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum dates back to 13 March 1967. It was established by the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR, and at the time was the only museum that was dedicated to the art of carpet weaving. The main purpose of the creation of the museum was to store, research, and demonstrate unique examples of the carpet weaving art, which are examples of Azerbaijan’s national heritage. It was agreed in the 2007 that the museum should be moved to a dedicated new building; in 2014, under the direction of Austrian architect Franz Janz, the museum building was completed. Over the years, the museum has been continuously developed and has become one of the main stores of samples of the Azerbaijan national culture. Today, the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, which is located in one of the country’s most modern buildings, not only stores a rich collection of artifacts and carpets but also operates as the site for the comprehensive research of traditional carpet weaving art and its popularisation within world culture. (Azerbaijan Carpet Museum)

Azerbaijan Carpet Museum

Image copyright © Azerbaijan Carpet Museum


Museum of Russian Art

Yerevan, Armenia

The Museum of Russian Art was established in 1984 by the initiative of Doctor Aram Abrahamian, an Honorary citizen of Moscow and is based on his private collection. The Russian Art Museum Collection in Yerevan city holds artworks from one of the most dynamic periods in the history of the Russian art – from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. The museum’s collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and decorative arts traces the development of Russian art and art groups of that period. The 120 artists on display are categorized by art groups to reveal the peculiarities and differences of each movement and the artists within each movement. (Armenian Travel Bureau)

Museum of Russian Art

Image copyright © Aventura travel Agency


Memorial Museum of Avetik Isahakian

Yerevan, Armenia

In 1945 the Government of Armenia gifted a house to the poet Avetik lsahakyan on his 70th birthday. The building was designed by architect Pertchanoush Msrian with the poet’s wishes in mind; due to its triangle-cupola and entrance-porch it bears a resemblance to an Armenian chapel.

Isahakian lived in the house from 1946 with his family until his death. After his death the house was turned into a memorial museum with the purpose to immortalize the name of the eminent Armenian poet. The house reopened as a museum to the public on 31 October 1963. The activities of the memorial museum are: the maintenance, accounting and investigation of the museum collection, as well as, informing the public about the literary inheritance of Isahakian with the help of the permanent exposition and various temporary exhibitions, events and lectures. The aim and mission of this cultural center is to protect and pass to younger generations the sacred relics and material evidences that are connected with the great poet and are bearing the sign of his ingenious hand. (Memorial Museum of Avetik Isahakian)

Memorial Museum of Avetik Isahakian

Image copyright ©  Wikimapia


Cafesjian Center for the Arts

Yerevan, Armenia

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Inspired by the vision of its founder, Gerard L. Cafesjian, the Center offers a wide variety of exhibitions, including a selection of important work from the Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection of contemporary art. Having celebrated its grand opening in November 2009, CCA continues to exhibit unique works of modern and contemporary art and offers a diverse programme of lectures, films, concerts, and numerous educational initiatives for adults and children. Over one million people have visited the Center annually since its opening. (Cafesjian Center for the Arts)

Cafesjian Center for the Arts

Image copyright © Trustees of the British Museum


Armenian State Pedagogical University

Yerevan, Armenia

The Armenian State Pedagogical University was founded on 7 November 1922 and in 1948 it was named after the Armenian Enlightener and Educator, Khachatur Abovian. The University is based in Yerevan and consists of faculties including Art Education, Culture, Mathematics, Physics and Informatics and Education, Psychology and Sociology. The university offers students specialisms in Museum Studies and Protection of Historical-Cultural Monuments and Art Theory, History and Management. The University is home to a library and museum, founded in May 2004. (Armenian State Pedagogical University)

Armenian State Pedagogical University

Image copyright © CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons


Koya Civilization Museum

Koya, Erbil, Iraq

Koya Civilization Museum was founded in 2003 in Qshla Koya, a fortress located in the town of Koya, Kurdistan. The museum is divided into two sections: civilisation and heritage.

Koya Civilisation Museum


 

Principia Museum

Strada Unirii, Alba Iulia, Romania

The Principia Museum is the place where a part of the Principia building of the Roman castrum in Apulum is highlighted. The headquarters of the 13th Legion Gemina was here, the 13th being the only legion that remained in Dacia province during the entire period of Roman occupation. 

The exhibition in the museum courtyard presents artefacts discovered during the archaeological research campaign in the area or from the older collections of the History Museum in Alba Iulia, such as statues and altars. The bronze statue at the entrance of the museum shows us how the Roman soldier was equipped 1900 years ago, the times when Dacia became one of the last territories included within the borders of the Roman Empire.
(albaiuliaqr.ro)

Principia Museum, Romania

Image copyright © albaiuliaqr.ro


National Museum of the Union Alba Iulia

Strada Mihai Viteazu 12-14, Alba Iulia, Romania

The National Museum of the Union is a history and archaeology museum in Alba-Iulia, Romania. The museum’s collections number about 200,000 heritage objects, and its library holds about 70,000 volumes.

The museum presents to the public exhibits of archaeology: prehistoric Dacian from the Dacian fortresses Craiva, Cugir and Căpâlna, Roman from the great urban centre Apulum, medieval, periodicals, collections of ethnography and folk art, and numismatics.

National Museum of the Union Alba Iulia

Image copyright © mnuai.ro


 

National Museum of Anthropology

Av. Paseo de la Reforma s/n, Polanco, Bosque de Chapultepec I Secc, 11560 Ciudad de México, Mexic

The National Museum of Anthropology (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Antropología, MNA) is a national museum of Mexico. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Mahatma Gandhi Street within Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, the museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the Aztec Xochipilli statue. (Wikipedia)

Image copyright © National Museum of Anthropology


 

Shanxi Museum

Wangjing Rd, Wanbailin Qu, Taiyuan Shi, Shanxi Sheng, China

Shanxi Museum is located in the west bank of Xiuhe, Taiyuan City. It covers an area of ​​168 mu and has a construction area of ​​51,000 square meters. The total investment is nearly 400 million yuan. It is one of the few large modern and comprehensive museums in China. The key construction project of the Ninth Five-Year Plan is also the largest cultural infrastructure invested by Shanxi Province since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The Shanxi Museum Complex consists of the main building and the four corner auxiliary building. The main hall is shaped like a bucket, and the four wings stretched, symbolizing the richness and stability of the four avant-garde, and interpreting the ancient people’s aesthetic orientation to the building “such as the bird’s leather, such as the muse fly” with modern technology. The four corners are the office building, the conference center, the convention center and the art center. The entire building complex is like a mountain, ups and downs, and the atmosphere is an important landmark cultural building in Taiyuan.

Shanxi Museum

Image copyright © Shanxi Museum


Sichuan Museum

251 Huanhua S Rd, Qing Yang Gong Shang Quan, Qingyang Qu, Chengdu Shi, Sichuan Sheng, China

Sichuan Museum, adjacent to Huanhua Stream Park in the west of Chengdu city, is the largest comprehensive museum in southwestern China. Sichuan, rich in natural resources and strong culture, is reputed to be the ‘The Land of Abundance’. Thus, a range of the province’s historical collections can be found in the museum.

The Sichuan Museum covers an area of 12,900 square meters (15,400 square yards) with 14 exhibition halls and hosts various unique exhibits. The collections feature 260,000 items, which places it sixth in China proper. The rare historical relics number no less than 60,000, of which more than 1,399 are unrivaled. These have assured its importance among public museums across the whole country.

The cultural relics of Sichuan Museum are generally categorized into ceramics, stone sculpture, bronze wares, pottery, ancient coins, calligraphy and paintings, folk art and crafts, stone inscription and modern works of art. All of these collections bear various stories relevant to strong Shu-Han (221 – 263AD) overtones. Collections from the skull of Ziyang Man (3000 BC) to the paintings and artworks of the famous contemporary artists can cater to the interests of most visitors. Meanwhile, Sichuan Museum is also a good place for those who want to research the local history. (Travel China Guide)

Sichuan Museum

Image copyright © Travel China Guide


Shanghai Museum

201 Renmin Ave, RenMin GuangChang, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai, China

As a large museum of ancient Chinese art, the Shanghai Museum boasts a collection of 140,000 precious relics, featuring bronzes, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy. The abundance and quality of the collection have enjoyed a high reputation both at home and abroad. The Shanghai Museum was founded in 1952,originally located at the old Shanghai Race Club, 325 West Nanjing Road, since when it has steadily developed. The museum was relocated in the old Zhonghui Building, 16 South Henan Road in October 1959. In 1992, the Shanghai Municipal Government decided to allocate People’s Square, the very center of the city, as the new site of Shanghai Museum. (Shanghai Museum)

Shanghai Museum

Image copyright © Shanghai Museum


Shandong Museum

11899 Jingshi Rd, Lixia Qu, Jinan Shi, Shandong Sheng, China

Shandong Museum, founded in 1954, is the first large-scale, provincial, integrated topographic museum in the People’s Republic of China. It was established in two parts, the eastern part by the British Baptist missionary J. S. Whitewright in 1904 located in Guangzhi Temple in Guangzhi Temple Street, which used to be one of the earliest museums within the boundaries of China; the western part in 1942 located in the World Red Swastika Society in Shangxin Street, which used to be the seat of a religious society which combines Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The former site of the eastern part was turned to the natural specimen showroom, and the western part the historical relics showroom, when Shandong Provincial Museum was founded. (Shandong Museum)

Shandong Museum

Image copyright © Shandong Museum


Nanjing Museum

321 Zhongshan E Rd, Xuanwu Qu, Nanjing Shi, Jiangsu Sheng, China

Nanjing  Museum, the first large national comprehensive museum in China, is located in the south of Purple Mountain, Nanjing City and the south of Zhongshan Gate, taking an area of 70,000m2, with two exhibition halls (history exhibition hall and for art exhibition hall) taking 35,000m2 construction area, both of them being splendid palatial architecture stimulating the architectures in Liao Dynasty, trees and grasses full of the museum decorated by various stone inscription relics, with cultural landscape and natural landscape formed a delightful contrast.

Nanjing Municipal Museum has over 400,000 collections in various types from Paleolithic period to the contemporary era, including stoneware, earthenware, jadeware, bronze ware, chinaware, painting and calligraphy, embroidery, bamboo carving, folklore and contemporary art, and 1,062 cultural relics higher than first national grade. Archaeological products possess high value of history, art and science in the collections. Where, there are over 10 national cultural relics including“stringed jade ornament”during Neolithic period, “precious reticulated bronze pot” and “gold coin of Chu” during the warring states period, “gold beast” in the Western Han Dynasty, “Jade Seal of Prince Guangling” and “cattle light with silver ornaments” in the Eastern Han Dynasty, “bronze inkstone bronze  decorated with fine gold mosaic beasts” in the Eastern Han Dynasty, “celadon beast-shaped jar” in the Western Jin Dynasty, “seven hermits in the bamboo grove and Rong Qiqi” pictorial molded brick in the Southern Dynasty, as well as “underglazed red vase with bamboo, pine and Chinese plum” in Ming Dynasty. (Nanjing Museum)

Nanjing Museum

Image copyright © Nanjing Museum


ICOMOS China

2 Aoba Street, North Fourth Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

The Association is a national, mass, non-profit academic group composed of experts, scholars and management workers engaged in the protection and research of cultural heritage.

The purpose of the association is to comply with the Constitution, laws, regulations and related policies of the People’s Republic of China, uphold social morality, unite cultural heritage protection, research and management employees, and implement the policy of “protection first, rescue first, rationalise use, and strengthen management”, recognize and follow the charter of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

ICOMOS China engages in the research, application, promotion and popularization of cultural heritage protection theories, methods and science and technology, providing professional consulting services for the protection of cultural heritage and promoting the comprehensive protection and research of cultural heritage. (ICOMOS China)

Image copyright © ICOMOS China


Hubei Provincial Museum

156 East-lake Road, Wuchang district, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Hubei Provincial Museum is located in the shore of East Lake of Wuchang in Wuhan. Its construction area reaches 42,532 square meters, the exhibition hall covers an area of 13,427 square meters with 200,000 pieces or sets of cultural relics, among which there are about 1000 pieces or sets of First Grade Cultural Relics, making it rank in the forefront of the provincial museums in China.

Its exhibition hall consists of comprehensive exhibition hall, Chu culture center and Chime Hall. Its overall construction layout reflects the high-profile construction layout format, namely axial symmetry, “one plat, one temple”, “more plats forming a group”, “more groups forming a crowd”. It is a dazzling landmark building in Wuhan City and a fine scenery spot. (Hubei Government Website)

Hubei Provincial Museum

Image copyright © Hubei Government


Guangdong Museum

2 Zhujiang E Rd, Tianhe Qu, Guangzhou Shi, Guangdong Sheng, China

Guangdong Museum,a comprehensive museum with collection of over 160,000 pieces (sets), was open to the public on October 1st, 1959. In 2003, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province decided to build a new building for Guangdong Museum in Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou. On May 18th , 2010, the brand-new Guangdong Museum started to welcome visitors. The new building covers an area of 41,027㎡ with construction area of 66,980㎡ and display area of 21,000㎡. It looks like a delicate ancient openwork container of treasures. Permanent exhibitions in terms of Guangdong History and Culture, Guangdong Natural Resource and arts (such as the Duan inkstone, Chaozhou Woodcarving and Pottery and Porcelain) as well as temporary exhibitions are exhibited in it. Furthermore, perfect infrastructure and management systems will enable the Guangdong Museum to be a modernized large-scale comprehensive museum, top-ranking in the nation and advanced in the world. (Guangdong Museum)

Guangdong Museum

image copyright © Guangdong Museum


Dunhuang Academy

217 Provincial Rd, Dunhuang Shi, Jiuquan Shi, Gansu Sheng, China

Dunhuang Research Academy (DHRA) is a national comprehensive institution responsible for the conservation, management and research of the Mogao Grottoes (a world cultural heritage site at Dunhuang), the Yulin Grottoes (a nationally protected key cultural heritage site at Guazhou), and the Western Thousand-Buddha Grottoes at Dunhuang.

In 1943, the Dunhuang Art Institute, the present-day Dunhuang Research Academy (DHRA), was established by the Chinese government. Since then, the DHRA has carried out many large projects with the accumulated effort of several generations; some of them done in collaboration with other local or oversea institutions.

The Chinese scholars started their studies with the founding of two official organizations, the Northwest Art and Relics Investigation Team and the Northwest Science Investigation Team. They went to the caves numerous times between the late 20s and the early 40s of the 20th century. Detailed records, photographs, copies of murals and measurements were documented. The world-renowned artist, Zhang Daqian, made many of famous copies of the murals during this time.

As well as historical and cultural studies, other major works are also in progress. These include conservation to restore and consolidate the cliff surface, the caves, the statues and the murals; and digitization which is to digitize the video and photographs of the caves and the relics inside, and to create multi-media virtual tour presentations for the visitors. The presentations, along with visits to the caves, will allow visitors to see more of the Dunhuang art in greater detail and help conserve the treasures inside the caves.

The cave art in Dunhuang and manuscripts found in the Library Cave provide the world with rich resources for studying religion, history, geography, politics, economics, art, literature, technology, folk customs, costumes, and astronomy of China and Central Asia. It became a fashionable topic called Dunhuang Studies. (Dunhuang Academy)

Dunghuang Academy

Image copyright © Dunhuang Academy


Department of Museums State Administration for Cultural Heritage

Beijing, China

Functions of the State Administration for Cultural Heritage include:

“To plan the development of museums; draft and standardize the rules and regulations relating to museums as well as identification of cultural relics; organize investigation of cultural resources; participate in drafting, and supervising and examining laws for the preservation of antiques;

To coordinate and lead the protection of cultural relics; administrative enforcement of laws; tackle illegal transaction of cultural relics; and cooperate with relevant departments to solve important cases;

To protect, regulate and supervise world cultural heritage; organize applications and examination related to world cultural heritage status; cooperate with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to examine applications concerning the classification of world cultural heritage and world natural heritage; and cooperate with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to protect, supervise and regulate historic cities, towns and villages;” (State Administration of Cultural Heritage)

Image copyright © The State Council


Palace Museum

4 Jingshan Front St, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing, China, 100006

The Palace Museum is housed in the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.

Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 square metres. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. (Wikipedia)

Palace Museum

Image copyright © Palace Museum


National Museum of China

16 E Chang’an Ave, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing, China

The National Museum of China flanks the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The museum’s mission is to educate about the arts and history of China. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China.

It is one of the largest museums in the world, and with over eight million visitors in 2017, the National Museum of China was the second-most visited art museum in the world, just after the Louvre.

The museum, covering Chinese history from the Yuanmou Man of 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty, has a permanent collection of 1,050,000 items, with many precious and rare artifacts not to be found in museums anywhere else in China or the rest of the world (Wikipedia).

National Museum of China

Image copyright © National Museum of China


Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum

Lintong District, Xi’an, China, 710612

Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum was built based on the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, which was historically known as Lishan Garden and is the largest imperial tomb in China.

In February, 2009, the local bureau of cultural heritage declared the establishment of the museum. The site area retains the Museum of Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang and has built the Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Park (Lishan Garden) based on the discoveries from the mausoleum of the emperor. (Travel China Guide)

Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum

Image copyright © xinhuanet.com


Tianjin Museum

62 Pingjiang Rd, Hexi District, Tianjin, Tianjin, China

Tianjin Museum is the largest museum in Tianjin, China, exhibiting a range of cultural and historical relics significant to Tianjin. The museum lies in Yinhe Plaza in the Hexi District of Tianjin.

The Tianjin Museum has an extensive collection of ancient Chinese fine arts and exhibits on Tianjin’s history. There are nearly 200,000 collections of art and relics, including calligraphy, paintings, bronzeware, ceramics, jadeware, seals, inkstone, Jiagu (bones or tortoise shells with inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty), coins, historic documents and relics of modern times.
(Wikipedia)

Tianjin Museum

Image copyright © Amazingloong, Wikimedia Commons

 

National Museum Lagos

Onikan Rd, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

The Nigerian National Museum is a national museum of Nigeria, located in the city of Lagos. The museum has a notable collection of Nigerian art, including pieces of statuary and carvings and archaeological and ethnographic exhibits. Of note is a terra-cotta human head known as the Jemaa Head (c. 900 to 200 BC), part of the Nok culture. The piece is named after Jema’a, the village where it was uncovered. It is located at Onikan, Lagos Island.

The museum was founded in 1957 by the English archaeologist Kenneth Murray. It also has educated many Nigerians, Englishmen, and tourists on the history and culture of the country Nigeria. (Wikipedia)

National Museum Lagos

Image copyright © Pulse.ng


Currency Museum, Central Bank of Nigeria

P.M.B, Intelligent Building, 187 Abuja Tafawa Balewa Way, Central Business Dis, Abuja, Nigeria

The Currency Museum of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was commissioned on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 by the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator David Mark, GCON as part of the activities marking the 50th Anniversary of the Bank. It is situated at the Head Office of the CBN, Abuja which is located at the Central Business District of Abuja, opposite the National Ecumenical Centre.

The permanent exhibition is themed, “The Evolution of Money” and traces the history of money from the pre-coinage era to contemporary times. The collection is made up of objects used as money in various parts of West Africa and Nigeria in particular, from the Nok culture of 500BC to the banknotes and coins of modern-day banking.

The Museum presents programs for students and the general public along the lines of Nigeria’s monetary and economic heritage and the Bank’s role in fostering economic stability. (CBN Museum)

Currency Museum, Central Bank of Nigeria

Image copyright © Currency Museum of the Central Bank of Nigeria


National Ethnographic Museum, Nampula

Rua Francisco Matanga, Nampula 3100, Mozambique

The National Ethnographic Museum, situated in Nampula, Mozambique’s third-largest city, houses an array of Mozambican artefacts as well as craft workshops.


National Art Museum, Maputo

Av. Ho Chi Min, Maputo City, Mozambique

The National Art Museum in Maputo was established after Mozambican independence to provide a space for showcasing the work of national artists.

The museum contains a diverse collection of abstract and realist paintings, as well as sculptures and other works by established artists such as Malangatana and Alberto Chissano.

National Art Museum Maputo

Image copyright © Domingo


Museum of Libya

شارع الاستقلال، Independence St, Tripoli, Libya

The Museum of Libya is a museum located in Tripoli. Established in 2010, the Museum is located within King Idris’ palace in Tripoli, which after Gaddafi became known as the People’s Palace.

The museum’s collection is primarily Greek and Roman, with many virtual exhibits utilizing fog-screen technology.

Museum of Libya

Image copyright © Temehu.com


Libya Department of Antiquities

Tablino opposite Al Ahlia University Benghazi, Libya

The Libyan Antiquities Authority was established in the first quarter of the last century and is one of the oldest administrative institutions in the modern Libyan state. It is managed by national cadres that meet policy and aspirations in preserving the heritage of Libya. (Department of Antiquities)

Libya Department of Antiquities

Image copyright © Department of Antiquities


Cyrene Sculpture Museum

Sahdhdat, Libya

Cyrene Sculpture Museum lives up to its name: a wonderful collection of sculptures and statues, including statues of gods and goddesses, like Isis, Athena, Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysus, and Cupid, portraits of Roman emperors and a bust of Alexander the Great, the marble group of the Three Graces, and the giant Sphinx (see below).

In addition to Greek and Roman statues the museum houses an interesting collection of Libyan sculptures which differ in style and execution (see below, left) from the Greek and Roman statues. Archaeologists agree that these sculptures, some of which were veiled and faceless, belong to the local Berber culture, dating from the 5th century BC to the Roman period. They were all found near tombs, either in niches or on bases, and thus were thought to have been used in funerary ceremonies, probably in relation to the worship of the Libyan Death-Goddess Persephone. (Temehu.com)

Cyrene Sculpture Museum

Image copyright © Steven Sklifas


Lesotho Department of Culture

Maseru 100, Lesotho

The Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture is an effective and dynamic regulatory authority, delivering a unified approach to economic growth through responsible tourism development, conservation and promotion of Lesotho’s environmental and cultural assets.

The ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture is privileged to be the custodian of the environmental and cultural heritage on behalf of all Basotho. Through facilitating responsible and sustainable tourism development, in partnership with the private sector and communities, together with effective marketing, MTEC will strive to enhance the attractiveness of Lesotho so that increased numbers of visitors may experience the Basotho warmth of hospitality, to the benefit of the economy. The Ministry will uphold, with integrity, its duty of care towards all internal and external stakeholders and resources in the successful performance and delivery of its mandate

The role of the Department of Culture is to serve as the national administrative body responsible for protection, management, development, promotion and dissemination of the national heritage information through specialized programs within the established national cultural institutions also in cooperation with other privately run organizations. (The Kingdom of Lesotho
Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture)

Lesotho Department of Culture

Image copyright © Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture


Nairobi Gallery

Kenyatta Ave, Nairobi, Kenya

Located at the intersection of Kenyatta Avenue/ Uhuru Highway in the heart of Nairobi City is the Nairobi Gallery.

Built in 1913, this was the Old PC’s office building fondly referred to as ‘Hatches, Matches and Dispatches’ because of the births, marriages and deaths that were recorded here.

Today, the building is a National Monument and serves as a museum holding temporary art exhibitions. (National Museums of Kenya)

Nairobi Gallery

Image copyright © National Museums of Kenya


Meru Museum

Meru, Kenya

The establishment of Meru museum as one of the regional museums of the National Museums of Kenya was catapulted by a need to conserve the culture and traditional practices of the locals, the Meru speaking people.

Meru Museum originated in 1974 in an old historic building that was vacated by the District Commissioner, whose office it had been since the colonial days. The building housing the Meru museum dates back to 1916. In the colonial era it served as an administrative node in the Mount Kenya region. The museum was a joint effort by the Meru Municipal and County Councils, together with the National Museums of Kenya in creating an attractive and formative center useful to the local people and to visitors.

Aspects of the cultural and diverse history of the Meru people are well illustrated by the numerous displays, as well as a garden of indigenous medicinal shrubs and herbs together with a theatre. A compound of traditional huts has been constructed on the grounds, included in tours of the museum. An outdoor platform for dancing and musical programs along with sales kiosks complete the exterior construction.

The exhibitions serve largely in stimulating particularly among the young generation awareness of and appreciation for their cultural heritage and that of other communities as well as serving as an introduction to the region for visitors. (National Museums of Kenya)

Meru Museum

Image copyright © National Museums of Kenya


National Museums of Kenya

Kipande Rd, Nairobi, Kenya

National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is a state corporation established by an Act of Parliament, the Museums and Heritage Act 2006. NMK is a multi-disciplinary institution whose role is to collect, preserve, study, document and present Kenya’s past and present cultural and natural heritage. This is for the purposes of enhancing knowledge, appreciation, respect and sustainable utilization of these resources for the benefit of Kenya and the world, for now and posterity. NMK’s mutual concern for the welfare of mankind and the conservation of the biological diversity of the East African region and that of the entire planet demands success in such efforts.

In addition, NMK manages many Regional Museums, Sites and Monuments of national and international importance alongside priceless collections of Kenya’s living cultural and natural heritage. As an institution that must respond to the growing needs of the society, NMK is striving to contribute in a unique way to the task of national development. (National Museums of Kenya)

National Museums of Kenya

Image copyright © National Museums of Kenya


Jumba la Mtwana Museum

Mtwapa, Kenya

The full name Jumba la Mtwana means in Swahili “the large house of the slave”. Within this area four mosques, a tomb and four houses have survived in recognizable condition. These houses include the House of the Cylinder, The House of the Kitchen, The House of the Many Pools, which had three phases, and the Great Mosque. The inhabitants of this town were mainly Muslims as evidence by a number of ruined mosques.

Clearance and excavation of the ruins were first carried out in 1972 by James Kirkman with a view of dating the buildings, its period of occupation and consolidating buildings which were in danger of collapse. Ten years later in 1982, Jumba la Mtwana was gazetted as a National Monument. Thus Jumba is legally protected under Antiquities and Monuments Act Chapter 215 of the Laws of Kenya. (National Museums of Kenya)

Jumba la Mtwana Museum

Image copyright © National Museums of Kenya


Kapenguria Museum

Kapenguria, Kenya

The Kapenguria museum was opened in 1993. It is located in Kapenguria town, at the site where the six most influential leaders in the struggle for independence were detained. To preserve the history of the struggle for independence, the National Museums of Kenya with financial support from the Dutch funded Arid and Semi-Arid Lands project in West Pokot preserved and rehabilitated the prison.

Displays in the Museum include books and documents in a memorial library in honour of all heroes who participated in the struggle for independence.

The cells, the ethnographic galleries and the Pokot homestead provide the foundation of Kapenguria museum. The Pokot gallery houses artifacts and photographic collections on the Pokot people. The creation and establishment of this gallery is credited to Mrs. Anny Mulder, an anthropologist who carried out work in this area among the Pokot people.

Other sections of the museum are the political development exhibits, a section containing exhibits revealing pre-colonial Kenya, slavery, the arrival of Europeans, African resistance to colonial rule and activities of pioneer nationalists. (National Museums of Kenya)

Kapenguria Museum

Image copyright © Kapenguria Museum


Fort Jesus World Heritage Site

Ndia Kuu, Mombasa, Kenya

Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593-1596 to the designs of Giovanni Battista Cairati to protect the port of Mombasa, is one of the most outstanding and well preserved examples of 16th Portuguese military fortification and a landmark in the history of this type of construction. The Fort’s layout and form reflected the Renaissance ideal that perfect proportions and geometric harmony are to be found in the human body. The property covers an area of 2.36 hectares and includes the fort’s moat and immediate surroundings. (National Museums of Kenya)

Fort Jesus World Heritage Site

Image copyright © National Museums of Kenya


University of Ghana

Legon Boundary, Accra, Ghana

The University of Ghana was founded in 1948, making it the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian public universities. (Wikipedia)

The Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, is one of the oldest Departments in the University of Ghana and continues to provide teaching, research, mentorship and extension services to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing archaeology. (University of Ghana)

University of Ghana

Image copyright © Rtevels, Wikimedia Commons


National Museum of Ethiopia

Arada, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The National Museum of Ethiopia (NME), also referred to as the Ethiopian National Museum, is a national museum in Ethiopia. It is located in the capital, Addis Ababa, near the Addis Ababa University’s graduate school.

The museum houses Ethiopia’s artistic treasures. It contains many precious local archaeological finds such as the fossilized remains of early hominids, the most famous of which is “Lucy,” the partial skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecus afarensis. Recently added to the basement gallery is a display on Selam, found between 2000 and 2004. This archaic fossil is estimated to date to 3.3 million years ago. (Wikipedia)

National Museum of Ethiopia

Image copyright © Felitsata, Wikimedia Commons


Ano Institute of Contemporary Arts

Lokko Rd, Accra, Ghana

ANO is an arts institution based in Accra. Ghana. It was founded in 2002 by Ghanaian art historian, writer and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim, as a cultural research platform. Since then it has been involved in numerous collaborations, publications, films, exhibitions and events nationally and internationally with artists. (Timeout)

Image copyright © ANO 


Ghana Museums and Monuments Board

2 Barnes Road, Accra, Ghana

The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) is the legal custodian of Ghana’s material cultural heritage (movable and immovable heritage). The Board was established in March 1957 – on the eve of Ghana’s independence – as a result of the merger of the then interim Council of the National Museum of the Gold Coast and the Monuments and Relics Commission. The GMMB is governed by the National Liberation Council Decree (NLCD) 387 of 1969, now known as Act 387 of 1969, which was further strengthened by the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 29 of 1973.

The material cultural heritage of Ghana comprises monuments which include buildings of traditional Ghanaian architecture and decor, such as the Asante Traditional Buildings, the European-built Forts and Castles, and other colonial-era buildings. The movable cultural heritage includes artefacts such as pots, stools, musical instruments, textiles, clothing, leather works, weapons, tools, carvings, masks, jewellery, and ritual dolls.
The material cultural heritage of Ghana also includes several archaeological finds.

The mission of the GMMB is to acquire, protect, conserve and document the Nation’s movable and immovable material cultural heritage for posterity, for the purposes of research and education of the public.
(www.ghanamuseums.org)

Ghana Museums and Monuments Board

Image copyright © www.ghanamuseums.org

Tairāwhiti Museum

Gisborne, New Zealand

Tairāwhiti Museum is the major public institution for arts, culture and heritage activities for the Tairāwhiti region.

Our mission is to be a waharoa (gateway) and resource for our communities and to stimulate appreciation, understanding, enjoyment, and involvement in the arts, culture and heritage of Tair?whiti.

Our primary activities include:

Delivering exhibitions, education programmes and events
Developing and providing care and access to Tair?whiti’s arts and heritage collections.
Providing research services and supporting scholarship and research about the Tair?whiti region.

Our vision is to make Tairawhiti a better place to live and to visit by contributing to the development of positive community identity, advancing community well-being and contributing to a sustainable local economy. Our activities extend beyond the walls of the museum across our region from Wairoa to Hicks Bay.

We aim to exercise leadership in our sector, to innovate, and to become an integral part of the community through building strong and enduring relationships with community groups and supporting and collaborating with each other in the pursuit of shared aims. (Tairawhiti Museum)

Tairawhiti Museum

Image copyright © Tairawhiti Museum

Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

Alexandria Desert Rd, Kafr Nassar, Al Haram, Giza Governorate, Egypt

The Grand Egyptian Museum holds in trust for Egypt and the World a chronological statement for the ancient history of Egypt over the past 7000 years. Neighboring a timeless wonder, the Giza Pyramids, the new museum is to pay homage to eternal Ancient Egyptian monuments, treasures, and history hosting over 100,000 artifacts, about 3500 of which belong to the famous King Tutankhamen.

The design for the Grand Egyptian Museum was reached as a result of an international architectural competition initiated by the Ministry of Culture on January 7th, 2002. The competition was under the patronage of the UNESCO and supervised by the UIA. The museum complex aims to furnish all its visitors with a uniquely enjoyable, educational, and cultural experience. (Grand Egyptian Museum)

Grand Egyptian Museum

Image copyright © The Grand Egyptian Museum


Egyptian Textile Museum

Al Moez Ldin Allah Al Fatmi, El-Gamaleya, Qism El-Gamaleya, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

The only one of its kind in the Middle East, the Egyptian Textile museum features textiles from ancient Egypt and the Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras. The collection starts at the very beginning, with Pharaonic diapers, and moves on through beautifully embroidered Coptic tunics and great embroidered qiswat – the panels that adorn the Kaaba in Mecca. (Lonely Planet)

Egyptian Textile Museum

Image copyright © Textile Museum


Ministry of Antiquities

Zamalek, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

The Ministry of Antiquities is the Egyptian government organization which serves to protect and preserve the heritage and ancient history of Egypt.

It was formed from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in 2011 during the reign of President Hosni Mubarak to deal with the security and theft of Egyptian antiquities.

Grave robbers have been looting ancient Egyptian tombs for centuries. The Ministry of Antiquities works to get the items restored back to Egypt, whenever possible. Over the years, thousands of stolen antiquities have made their way back to Egypt. For instance, in late 2016, the ministry recovered and repatriated two of four Islamic era lamps which had been stolen in 2015. In 2018, a carving in the shape of Osiris which had been hidden in furniture and shipped to Kuwait was repatriated to Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities.

From 2009 – 2014, the ministry worked with the Getty Conservation Institute on the management and conservation of the Tomb of Tutankhamen. (Wikipedia)

Image copyright © MWNF


National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

Cairo Governorate, Egypt

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is a museum in the ancient city of Fustat, now part of Cairo, Egypt. The museum partially opened in February 2017 and will display a collection of 50,000 artefacts, presenting Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day.

The permanent collection is divided into two separate regions, one chronological, the other thematic. The chronological areas will be the following: Archaic, Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, Medieval, Islamic, modern and contemporary. The thematic areas will be the following: Dawn of Civilization, The Nile, Writing, State and Society, Material Culture, Beliefs and Thinking and the Gallery of Royal Mummies. UNESCO provided technical help to the museum.

The collections will be taken from other Egyptian museums such as the Egyptian Museum, the Coptic Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Manial Palace and Museum in Cairo, and the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria. (Wikipedia)

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

Image copyright © National Museum of Egyptian Civilization


Luxor Museum

Kornish Al Nile, Luxor City, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt

Luxor Museum is an archaeological museum in Luxor (ancient Thebes), Egypt. It stands on the corniche, overlooking the west bank of the River Nile. The Luxor Museum was inaugurated in 1975.

The museum was conceived by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, which hired Dr. Mahmud El Hakim, a top Egyptian architect, to create the plans in 1962. The installation of the museum art works came later and was finished between 1972 and 1975.

Among the items on display are Duat goods from the tomb of the 18th dynasty pharaoh Tutankhamun (KV62) and a collection of 26 New Kingdom statues that were found buried in the Luxor statue cache in the nearby Luxor Temple in 1989. The royal mummies of two pharaohs – Ahmose I and Ramesses I – were also put on display in the Luxor Museum in March 2004, as part of the new extension to the museum, which includes a small visitor centre. A major exhibit is a reconstruction of one of the walls of Akhenaten’s temple at Karnak. (Wikipedia)

Luxor Museum

Image copyright © civitatis.com


Museum of Islamic Art

Port Said St.,Bab AL- Khalq – Cairo, Egypt

The mission of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is to display, preserve and interpret Islamic artefacts, and to reach a maximum number of national and international visitors. MIA also aims to develop education programs, encourage scientific research and collaborations as well as foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions made by the Islamic civilization to world heritage in the arts and sciences. MIA also hopes to encourage dialogue, thus increasing tolerance and mutual understanding among people.

MIA aspires to be a major centre for the study and promotion of the arts of the Islamic civilisation in the world. (miaegypt.org)

Museum of Islamic Art

Image copyright © Egypt Today


Prince Mohamed Ali Palace (Al Manial Palace)

Al Manial, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Al Manial Palace is said to have been built for Prince Mohamed Ali between 1899 and 1929. The palace was given to the Egyptian nation in 1955. Prince Muhamed Ali is the first cousin of King Faruq and the younger brother of Khedive Abbas II Hilmi. The complex consists of six structures. Among these structures is a museum in which Faruq’s hunting trophies are found, the prince’s residence and furnishings and a museum in which some of the family’s memorabilia are found. There are also gardens that have beautiful plants and flowers that are worth seeing. The palace also includes a collection of manuscripts, carpets, textiles, brass work and crystal. Items that can be seen here are a table made of elephant ears and a 1000-piece silver service. (http://www.egyptianmuseums.net)

Prince Mohamed AliPalace (Al Manial Palace)

Image copyright © http://www.egyptianmuseums.net


Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Cairo, Egypt

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or Museum of Cairo, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms. Built in 1901 by the Italian construction company Garozzo-Zaffarani, the edifice is one of the largest museums in the region.

The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities contains many important pieces of ancient Egyptian history. It houses the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. The Egyptian government established the museum built in 1835 near the Ezbekeyah Garden and later moved to the Cairo Citadel. In 1855, Archduke Maximilian of Austria was given all of the artifacts by the Egyptian government; these are now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. (Wikipedia)

Egyptian Museum, Cairo

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Coptic Museum

Cairo Governorate, Egypt

The Coptic Museum is a museum in Coptic Cairo, Egypt with the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world. It was founded by Marcus Simaika in 1908 to house Coptic antiquities. The museum traces the history of Egypt from its beginnings to the present day. It was erected on 8,000 square meter land offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, under the guardianship of Pope Cyril V. (Wikipedia)

Coptic Museum

Image copyright © Egypt Today


Beni Suef Museum

Beni Suef Governorate, Egypt

The Beni Suef Museum houses artifacts related to the history of the region, an important agricultural center known especially for textile production. Artifacts from nearby pharaonic sites such as Abusir and Heracleopolis Magna (Ihnasya el-Medina) are housed on the first floor, while the second floor is devoted to displays of Coptic and Islamic objects from the area. (Ask-Aladdin.com)

Beni Suef Museum

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Antiquities Museum – Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Alexandria, Egypt

The Antiquities Museum at Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the first among all archaeological Museums in the world that is located within a library. The initiative came from Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, during one of her visits to the construction site of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Mrs. Mubarak called for creating a committee to prepare the necessary studies to assemble a museum that would house the artefacts discovered at the construction site. A committee of archaeologists was set up to develop a plan for the museum.

The Museum’s collection documents various epochs of Egyptian civilization dating from the Pharaonic era up to the Islamic period, including the Greek civilization that came to Egypt with the conquest of Alexander the Great. It was followed by the Roman and Coptic civilizations before Islam established itself in Egypt. The collection houses about 1276 artefacts. (Antiquities Museum)

Antiquities Museum - Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Image copyright © BA Studio


Alexandria National Museum

Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

The Alexandria National Museum (ANM) is a museum in Alexandria, Egypt. It was inaugurated in 2003 by Hosni Mubarak and is located in a renovated Italian style palace in Tariq Al-Horreya Street.

The Alexandria National Museum contains around 1,800 artifacts that narrate the story of Alexandria and Egypt. The museum mainly focuses on three collections: Ancient Egyptian, Coptic, and the Muslim world. The museum also includes works from the Hellenistic period, including pieces from Heraklion and Canopus. The city of Alexandria is also included in the collection, including objects from the 20th century. The museum also has a collection of jewelry, weapons, statuary, numismatics and glassware. (Wikipedia)

Alexandria National Museum

Image copyright © http://www.egyptianmuseums.net


Akhenaten Museum

Sawadah, Minya, Menia Governorate, Egypt

The Akhenaten Museum houses a collection of artefacts focusing on the monotheist King Akhenaten, his family and his wife Queen Nefertiti. It also contains objects from excavations in Tell Al Amarna.

Akhenaten Museum

Image copyright © Egypt Independent


Sudan National Museum

Nile Street, Al Khurtum, Sudan

The National Museum of Sudan or Sudan National Museum, abbreviated SNM, is a double storied building constructed in 1955 and established as a museum in 1971. The building and its surrounding gardens house the largest and most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world including objects from the Paleolithic through to the Islamic period originating from every site of importance in the Sudan. (Wikipedia).

Sudan National Museum

Image copyright © David Stanley, Wikimedia Commons


Nubia Museum

Aswan – Luxor, Sheyakhah Oula, Qism Aswan, Egypt

The Nubian Museum (officially the International Museum of Nubia) is an archaeological museum located in Aswan, Upper Egypt. Dedicated to Nubian culture and civilization, it was inaugurated on November 23, 1997.

Three thousand pieces of Egyptian antiquities, representing various ages;Geological, Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic, were registered. The open-door exhibition includes 90 rare monumental pieces, while the internal halls contain 50 invaluable pieces dating back to pre-historic times, 503 pieces belong to the Pharaonic period, 52 to the Coptic era, 103 to the Islamic age, 140 to the Nubian era, in addition to 360 pieces reflecting the history of Aswan.
(Wikipedia)

Nubia Museum

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Leisure and Cultural Services Department

1-3 Pai Tau Street, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Home Affairs Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Home Affairs. It provides leisure and cultural activities for the people of Hong Kong, which was also one of the tasks of the former Urban Council, and Regional Council and Home Affairs Bureau. It manages various public facilities around Hong Kong including public libraries, swimming pools, and sports centres. The well-known Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum are among several museums also managed by the department. (Wikipedia)

Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Image copyright © WiNG, Wikimedia Commons


Islamic Arts Museum

Perdana, Jalan Lembah, Tasik Perdana, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia opened on 12 December 1998 and is the largest museum of Islamic arts in South East Asia with more than seven thousands artifacts from the Islamic world.

The Islamic Arts Museum has 12 main galleries classified according to the types of artefacts spread over two levels. Level 3 of the museum hosts the Quran and Manuscripts Gallery, the Islamic Architecture Gallery, the India Gallery, the Chinese Gallery, the Ancient Malay World Gallery as well as the reconstructed Ottoman Syrian Room dating back to the 19th Century. Level 4 hosts a display of jewellery, textile, arms and armour, ceramics as well as ancient Islamic glassware (Wikipedia).

Islamic Arts Museum

Image copyright © Chongkian, Wikimedia Commons


National Museum of the Philippines

Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, City of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

The National Museum, a Trust of the Government, is an educational, scientific and cultural institution that acquires, documents, preserves, exhibits, and fosters scholarly study and public appreciation of works of art, specimens, and cultural and historical artifacts representative of our unique to the cultural heritage of the Filipino people and the natural history of the Philippines. It is mandated to establish, manage and develop museums comprising the National Museum Complex and the National Planetarium in Manila, as well as regional museums in key locations around the country. Currently, the National Museum national network comprise nineteen regional, branch and site museums throughout the archipelago. The National Museum manages and develops the national reference collections in the areas of cultural heritage (fine arts, anthropology and archaeology) and natural history (botany, zoology,and geology and paleontology), and carries out permanent research programs in biodiversity, geological history, human origins, pre-historical and historical archaeology, maritime and underwater cultural heritage, ethnology, art history, and moveable and immoveable cultural properties.

The vision of the museum is the: protecting, preserving and disseminating the legacy of the Filipino people. (National Museum of the Philippines)


National Museum of Myanmar

Yangon. Myanmar

The National Museum of Myanmar was founded in 1952 in a building formally known as the Jubilee Hall. In 1970 the museum was moved to a more spacious building before residing in it’s current location on Pyay Road. The five-story museum has an extensive collection of ancient artifacts, ornaments, works of art, inscriptions and historic memorabilia, related to history, culture and civilization of Burmese people. A star object on display is the Lion Throne of the Burmese monarch.  (Wikipedia)

National Museum of Myanmar

Image copyright © BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons


Halin Archaeological Museum

Myanmar

Halin Archaeological Museum is situated in Halin, Myanmar one of three ancient cities which are now on the World Heritage list, and operates under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture. The museum was established in 2021 and opened to the museum in January 2013, it is the last established archaeological museum by the Ministry of Culture to date. It houses a permanent collection dating back to the pre-historic period and hosts temporary exhibitions. Under the jurisdiction of the museum and it’s staff are various archaeological sites including burial sites from the Neolithic, Bronze and Early Iron Ages right up to the Pyu Civilization period. (Zan N.M. (2016) Museums in Myanmar: Brief History and Actual Perspectives. In: Sonoda N. (eds) New Horizons for Asian Museums and Museology. Springer, Singapore)

Halin Archaeological Museum

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Sarawak State Museum

Sarawak, Malaysia

Sarawak Museum was established by Charles Brooke the Second Rajah in 1860 with support from naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace. They realized their intentions by setting up a temporary museum at the Market place, along Gambier Street Kuching on 30 October 1886. Later a permanent museum was built at its present site and opened its door to the public on 4 August 1891. The museum grew, slowly developing a collection which represents the pride, identity and traditions of Sarawakians.  Today the museum enjoys international recognition, not only as a superb museum but also as a research centre in Borneo where Sarawak Museum Journals are published annually since 1910.

The museum defines itself as a keeper of the rich culture and history of Sarawak and the first class repository of Borneo culture with the world’s largest collection of Borneo’s flora and fauna. In appreciation of its existence, Sarawak Museum is a department under the Ministry of Social Development Sarawak. (Sarawak Museum Department)

Sarawak State Museum

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Aceh Museum

Aceh, Indonesia

The vision of Aceh Museum, situated in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, is to preserve cultural heritage and educational institutions and has a mission to:

(1) preserve the cultural heritage, cultural values, and values ​​of the Dinul Islam in people’s lives and

(2) provide cultural information in a creative educational framework for the community.

The collection is categorized into 10 disciplines: geology, biology, ethnography, archeology, history, numismatics, philology, keramonologic, art and technology.

The original museum, opened in 1915, displayed the private collection of ethnographer Friedrich Stammeshaus, the first curator of Museum Aceh in a traditional Acehnese stage house. Since then the museum has moved location multiple times and the collection has changed and evolved. The current museum now resides in both the original building and a new building containing permanent gallery and temporary exhibition space, as a result of funding in 1974, and became an official provincial museum in 1980. (Museum Aceh, Aceh Province Culture and Tourism Service)

Museum Aceh

Image copyright © BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons


Victoria Memorial Hall

Kolkata, West Bengal 700071, India

Victoria Memorial Hall, located on 1 Queen’s way Kolkata was envisaged by Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of British India, as a memorial to the deceased Queen Victoria. Taking the form of a great marble hall and to serve primarily as a monument to the Queen, and secondarily as a national gallery and Valhalla of the Indian Empire.  After the Queen’s death in 1901 money was raised to build the monument and the museum formally opened to the public in 1921.

The memorial building aims to act as a “standing record of our wonderful history” and became a historical museum where civilians can come to understand their history and the history of their country through objects and art. (Victoria Memorial Hall)

Victoria Memorial Hall

Image copyright © BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons


Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum

President’s Estate, New Delhi, Delhi 110004, India

Rashtrapati Bhavan, home to the President of the Indian democracy, is a symbol to many of India’s strength and democratic traditions. Rashtrapati Bhavan was the creation of architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and is situated in New Delhi. It was Sir Lutyens who conceptualized the H shaped building, covering an area of 5 acres on a 330 acre estate. This mansion has a total of 340 rooms spread over four floors, 2.5 kilometres of corridors and 190 acres of garden area. Originally built in 1929 as the residence for the Viceroy of India, Viceroy’s House as it was then called, has metamorphosed into today’s Rashtrapati Bhavan. From being a symbol of imperial rule and power, it is today emblematic of Indian democracy and its secular, plural and inclusive traditions. Today civilians can visit parts of the palace which comprises of the museum, clock tower, stables and garages. The Museum showcases artifacts for lovers of art, culture, heritage and history. (Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum)

Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum

Image copyright © 2016 The Presidents Secretariat, Rashtrapati Bhavan


Rabindra Bhavana (Institute of Tagore Studies and Research)

Visva-Bharati University, Bolpur, West Bengal 731235, India

In memory of the poet Rabindra Bhavana, the institute was founded in July 1942, just a year after his death. The institute is an important component of Visva-Bharati, a central university in West Bengal.  The Institute is home to a museum, library and archives and includes manuscripts, correspondences, paintings and sketches of the poet as well as his personal library. On permanent display are some of the thousands of photographs taken by Rabindra Bhavana, furniture from his homes, gifts and honours he received and voice recordings. The archive holds several hundred manuscript volumes and files of the works of Rabindranath in Bengali and English and the library contains over 40,000 volumes of books and over 12,000 bound journals. (Visva-Bharati University)

Rabindra Bhavana (Institute of Tagore Studies and Research)

Image copyright © Visva-Bharati University


Nehru Memorial Museum & Library

New Delhi, India

The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) was established in memory of Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964) and is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. NMML seeks to give a glimpse of Jawaharlal Nehru’s life and work and of the movement to which he gave his life, and a be centre for study and research. It also provides a record of the early years of independent India. The NMML aims to contribute to a better understanding of the man and context of his life to succeeding generations, and thus serve as a link between the past and future of India. (Nehru Memorial Museum & Library)

Nehru Memorial Museum & Library

Image copyright © BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons


National Museum, New Delhi

New Delhi, India

The blueprint for establishing the National Museum in Delhi was prepared by the Maurice Gwyer Committee in May 1946. An Exhibition of Indian Art, consisting of selected artefacts from various museums of India was organized by the Royal Academy, London. The Exhibition went on display in Burlington House and it was decided to display the same collection in Delhi, before the return of objects to their respective owners. An exhibition was organized in the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President’s residence), New Delhi in 1949. The success of this Exhibition led to development of a permanent collection and the National Museum. On August 15, 1949, the National Museum, New Delhi, was inaugurated in the Rashtrapati Bhawan by Shri R.C. Rajagopalachari, the Governor-General of India. At present, the National Museum is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

The mission of the museum is to collect art objects of Historical, Cultural and Artistic significance for the purpose to display, protection, preservation and interpretation (research) and to serve as epitome of national identity. (National Museum, New Delhi)

National Museum, New Delhi

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Museum of Art & Photography

Kasturba Cross Road, Bangalore 560 001, India

The Museum of Art & Photography’s (MAP) mission is to build, manage and sustain a new museum to exhibit, interpret and preserve a growing collection of art and cultural artefacts, motivated by a belief that museums should play a positive role in society. It seeks to bridge art and community and serve as a catalyst for greater public exposure to the important cultural history of the visual arts in the country.

While the museum’s physical space is being built, MAP is carrying out its mission by actively reaching out to the community through a variety of programmes and projects, including loans, workshops and lectures.

MAP is custodian to a growing collection of over 18,000 artworks, predominantly from the subcontinent and dating from the 12th century to the present. The collection is organised in six key departments: Modern & Contemporary Art, Photography, Folk & Tribal Art, Popular Culture, Pre-Modern Art and Textiles, Craft & Design. (Museum of Art & Photography)


Mehrangarh Fort Museum

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Mehrangarh Fort of Rajasthan, Jodhpur is one of the largest forts in India. Built around 1459 by Rao Jodha, the fort is situated 410 feet above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Inside its walls are several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards; a winding road leads to and from the city below. The current head of the Rathore clan and custodian of the fort, Maharaja Gaj Singh II, preserves the buildings and opened the museum within the fort as a record of the lives of his predecessors. His ancestors ruled the state of Marwar over many generations and built the fort. Maharaja Gaj Singh II ensures through the museum that their legacy is maintained and understood, preserving many priceless relics of Indian courtly life and Rathores heritage in arms, costumes and paintings. (Mehrangarh Museum Trust)

Mehrangarh Fort Museum

Image copyright © Mehrangarh Museum Trust 2012 All Rights Reserved


Ayala Museum

Greenbelt Park, Makati Avenue, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines

The Ayala Museum is a museum in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines and is run privately by the Ayala Foundation. This six-storey building houses ethnographic and archaeological exhibits on Filipino culture, art, and history. Since its establishment in 1967, the museum has been committed to showcasing overseas collections and situating contemporary Philippine art in the global arena.
(Wikipedia)

Ayala Museum

Image copyright ©Ayala Museum


National Museum Yangon

Yangon, Myanmar

The National Museum of Myanmar (Yangon) is the major one of the two national museums for Burmese art, history and culture in Myanmar. Founded in 1952, the five-story museum has an extensive collection of ancient artefacts, ornaments, works of art, inscriptions and historic memorabilia, related to history, culture and civilisation of Burmese people. The main attraction of the museum is the only surviving original Lion Throne of the Burmese monarchs. There are more than 4000 permanent objects in the museum.

Public museums in Myanmar are administered by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture and can be classified as national museums, archaeological museums, regional cultural museums, and memorial museums.
(www.nationalmuseumyangon.gov.mm)

National Museum Yangon

Image copyright © www.nationalmuseumyangon.gov.mm

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400023, India

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (translation: ‘King Shivaji museum’), abbreviated CSMVS and formerly named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is the main museum in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was founded in the early years of the 20th century by prominent citizens of Mumbai, with the help of the government, to commemorate the visit of Edward VIII, who was Prince of Wales at the time. It is located in the heart of South Mumbai near the Gateway of India. The museum was renamed in the 1990s or early 2000s after Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire.

The museum houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. The museum houses Indus Valley Civilization artefacts, and other relics from ancient India from the time of the Guptas, Mauryas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakuta (Wikipedia).

CSMVS

Image copyright © 2018 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya


Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization

Quaid-i-Azam University، University Rd, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan

In 1967 Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, was authorized by Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, to establish a Centre for the Study of the Civilizations of Central Asia in order to cooperate with UNESCO as a participating member representing Pakistan in its programme on Central Asia. UNESCO proposed to expand the scope of the centre and make a comparative study of the civilizations of the whole of Asia. With the consent of the Government of Pakistan, QAU accepted the proposal and accordingly the name of the centre was changed to Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations (TIAC). The syndicate of the University approved the project, thus, accepted the TIAC as a constituent part of the University and permitted it to enrol students for M.Sc, M.Phil and Ph.D programmes.

The mission of TIAC is to explore the ancient history of Pakistan by carrying out archaeological and ethnographical surveys, excavations and researches in different parts of the country. At a broader level, it aims to establish educational contacts and create reciprocal understanding and cooperation among academics from different parts of the world. (Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization)

Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization

Image copyright © 2012 Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization


Swat Museum

Saidu Road, Mingora, Mingora, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Swat Museum was founded in 1959 under the guidance of the Italian Archaeological Mission to Swat and the Wali of Swat, with the mission of housing his personal collection of artifacts. The museum was later expanded with the assistance of the Japanese government. The museum has overcome obstacles including earthquake damage in 2005, closure in 2007, and bomb damage in 2008, due to the war between the Pakistan government and Taliban. The 2,700 objects returned to the museum in July 2011 and a new seismic-resistant museum was opened on December 11, 2014.

The museum contains Gandharan statuettes and friezes depicting the lives of the Buddha along with seals, small reliquaries and other treasures, mostly from Butkara No 1 and Udegram. Additionally, there are pre-Buddhist artefacts, and an ethnographic gallery with traditional carved Swati furniture, jewellery and embroideries. A recent discovery and acquisition include a stone board game found at the Buddhist Complex of Amluk-Dara, a game played in the valley today. (Wikipedia)

Swat Museum

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Rohtas 2 Gallery

Lahore, Pakistan

Rohtas 2 Gallery in a private art gallery in Lahore Pakistan which showcases contemporary art that is thought provoking and culturally relevant. The gallery opened in 2001 by Salima Hashmi as an extension of the original Rohtas Gallery (est. 1981) located in Rawalpindi / Islamabad. From its very origins, the intention behind the gallery in Lahore has been to educate both artists as well as the audience and, according to promotional material, “foster an environment of inquiry and debate on cultural and art related issues, with a view to promoting tolerance and creativity”. Rohtas II Gallery has provided a space for some of Lahore’s brightest emerging and established artists, including Farida Batool, Faiza Butt, Aisha Khalid and Imran Qureshi. (http://artradarjournal.com/)

Rohtas 2 Gallery

Image copyright © Dawn Newspaper


IVS Gallery

Karachi City, Pakistan

The IVS Gallery is a part of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and aims to initiate and promote projects and events which are educational, encompass modern and contemporary art practices and support the academic and civic ideas of the university. From art to design, textiles and performance the gallery conceives and presents curated and thematic projects essentially focusing on critical discourse and research. This provides an opportunity for students to enhance their critical thinking skills while understanding diverse art forms. The gallery provides a platform for emerging artists and a prestigious stage for established artists through exhibitions and retrospectives. The gallery is not limited to art-based events, and also promotes literary activities. (Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture)

IVS Gallery

Image copyright © KarachiBiennale 2017


Taragaon Museum

Kathmandu, Nepal

A short walk from the Boudhanath Stupa and within the premises of the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, stands the Taragaon Museum, originally built in 1972 by Carl Pruscha and re-opened in March 2014.

The Taragaon Museum seeks to document the 50 years of research and cultural heritage conservation efforts of foreign artists, photographers, architects and anthropologists on the Kathmandu Valley during the second half of the 20th century. The Museum showcases the restoration and rehabilitation efforts to preserve the artistic and architectural heritage of Kathmandu. The exhibitions intend to constitute a tribute to the outstanding urban culture of the Kathmandu Valley. The building holds a library, archive, permanent displays, temporary exhibition spaces and an outdoor area including an Amphitheatre. (Taragaon Museum)

Taragaon Museum

Image copyright © Taragaon Museum


Colombo National Museum

Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Colombo National Museum first opened in 1877 with only 800 exhibits showcasing some aspects of the history and culture of Sri Lanka. Today, it has over 100,000 exhibits. The museum holds contains a collections of much importance to Sri Lanka such as the regalia of the country, including the throne and crown of the Kandyan monarchs as well as many other exhibits telling the story of ancient Sri Lanka. (Wikipedia)

Image copyright © www.museum.gov.lk


Bihar Museum

Bihar Museum, Bailey Road, Veerchand Patel Road Area, Patna, Bihar, India

Bihar Museum is located in Patna. It was partially opened in August 2015 with ‘The children’s museum’, the main entrance area, and an orientation theatre. Later, in October 2017 remaining galleries were also opened. More than 100 artefacts were transferred here from Patna Museum.

The Bihar Museum has several galleries. These include the Orientation gallery, the children gallery, the regional gallery, the contemporary gallery, the historical art galleries, the Bihari Diaspora gallery and the visible storage gallery. These galleries have objects dating back to the 4th century. (Wikipedia)

Bihar Museum

Image copyright © worldarchitecture.org