Sunday, March 11th, 2012
I say Take one because I only made it about half way through and there is so much more to see, so I will be going back. Like most things in Riyadh planning a visit to the museum is not a simple task. Things here tend to open at 0900 or 1000 and then close at 1200 and then re-open again at 1600 (and then close for 15 to 20 minutes during the remaining 2 prayer times in the day). On top of that you have to check to make sure the museum is open to women and/or families. I can visit during these times but cannot visit when it is open to single males (and of course single males can only visit during times designated for single males).
The hospital social club had arranged the trip (they usually have a few planned every month) so I recruited a couple other girls and we headed off with Faris (one of the very nice men from the social club) to check it out. Of course Faris could only point us in the correct direction and then had to wait outside for us but at least he pointed us in the right direction.
The front entry way of the museum. The city of Riyadh does a really good job of irrigating so there are always lots of trees and plants everywhere. You almost forget sometimes that we are in the middle of the desert.
The fee to enter the museum is 10SAR (less than $3 Canadian). We paid 15SAR and that included transportation so it was a pretty cheap outing.....and totally worth it. I must say that I was very impressed with the museum over all. It has been done very well. All the information is in both Arabic and English, and unlike some museums I've been to in other countries, the English is very well written.
Here's a little look at what I did see. Please keep in mind that the museum's approach to portray man's history is derived from the Islamic facts and realities regarding the creation of man.
The first thing you will see when you walk in is this giant meteorite that was found in the Empty Quarter. It weighs about 2.75 tons.
For a little background info, the Empty Quarter (or Rub al khali which means "quarter of emptiness) is the world's largest sand sea at 583,000 square kilometres (225,000 square miles). It takes up large portions of Saudi Arabia as well as parts of Oman, Yemen and the UAE. While there is not much settlement in the Empty Quarter a very proud Bedouin society still call it home.
The first section of the museum is the Man and The Universe Gallery. Here is the museum websites description: "Exhibition in this gallery operates within four basic themes. The first assigned for the issue of the creation of the universe and the formation of earth surface elements. The second one is to brief visitors on fossils which report to millions of years back, while the various environments in Saudi Arabia are tackled in the third section. The last section refers to the eldest discoveries surrounding the discovery of man in the Arabian Peninsula in old history."
I can't lie I kind of blew through this section. I've seen enough Natural history and bones and ancient tools over the years. That's not the part of Saudi Arabia's history and story I was interested in. I probably should have spent a little bit more time here. There's always next time. What I can tell you is that the Arabian peninsula was originally part of the African continent but separated about 20 million years ago.
Some of the art work found in parts of Saudi Arabia. I'm not sure the date on this particular piece. It would be before 3500 BC however when the first writing is believed to have occurred in the area.
From there you move into the section called The Arabian Kingdoms Gallery. I would not even begin to give you a year by year timeline breakdown of the Kingdoms....far too confusing but I will share some items that I found. The gallery covers the ancient history in Arabia from 6000 BC to 400 AD.
This is "Old Taima wall", built with original stones. Now I may be wrong with this information but I do believe that it is referring to the oasis stop of Taima (often spelt Tayma) which is most famous for having the oldest well in The Kingdom. It is thought to date back to the Babylonians (early first millennium BC). During the first millennium AD it was also a very important stop on the caravan from Damascus to the holy cities (of Makkah and Medinah). Along the bottom of the wall you can follow of timeline of important people in history including: 1800 BC - Ibrahim (Father of Prophets), 1200 BC - Moses (Peace be upon him), 0 - Jesus (Peace be upon him) and 570 AD - 632 AD - Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
These are the Standing Stones. They date back the fourth millennium BC and are thought to be among the earliest known monuments in Arabia. The symbols and inscriptions on the stones represent the changing civilisations in the region.
No idea what this is or what it represents (but I assume an early settlement somewhere). I found it outside in a court yard. There were a few other unmarked things as well. Clearly from the falling apart nature of them however these are not major parts of any exhibit.
A couple little items from the second and third millennium BC. Here you can see various pottery items including a cup, an incense burner and a bowl.
These stone cravings are Mesopotamian in origin and date back to the 9th century BC. They were found in Taima. Taima is a very important archaeological dig site. Nabonidus (554-539 BC) built many temples and wall at Taima. He is said to be the last of the independent Babylonian kings.
This is a stone alter from the 1st to 3rd century AD. On it you can see a combination of decorations and Southern Arabian script. It was found at Qaryat al-Faw, the likely first capital of The Kingdom. The area was also known as Qaryal That Kahl. It prospered between 325 BC and 325 AD. It linked Saudi to the east along a new route to the gulf. It was ruled under King Mu'awiya Rabilah.
Reminiscent of those seen at Petra, here is a replication of the Nabataean Tombs at Madain Salih (also known as Al- Hijr). It was a southern outpost on the Nabateans critical incense route. The construction of the tombs was funded by a 25% toll levied on all passing goods.
Gold treasure found at Thaj. You will find Thaj in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
The last thing you see as you leave the Arabian Kingdoms Gallery. Since Saudi Arabia contains a whole lot of desert, wells are a very important part of the history.
The next section of the museum is The Jahiliyyah Gallery: Pre-Islam Period. It covers the history of the Peninsula from 400 AD until the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). It tells the stories of Arab tribes, their traditions and beliefs and the development of Arabic calligraphy.
One of the many pottery items you will find in this section of the museum. The lifestyle of the Jahiliyyah period was a combination of nomadic and "town". Many commercial activities developed during this time. Obviously marketplaces became very important meeting places.
Many tribes during this time were nomadic and territorial. Here you can see a few items, including weapons that would have been very important to their way of life. There were not many sources of water in the desert and tribes depended heavily on rain and springs as sources of water. They dug canals and wells and built dams to make water more attainable.
During this period of time before Islam, there were many different religions on the Arabian peninsula. If you were around back then you would have seen Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Judaism and Hanifas. You saw a real mixture of religious and pagan societies. Places of worship would have included summits of mountains, caves, private homes, public squares, encampments and ka'bahs.
Shortly before the rise of Islam the political situation on the peninsula deteriorated. The southern kingdom of Himya and central kingdom of Kindah collapsed. Foreign countries began to interfere and this lead to major and long term wars. You saw political and security chaos. With the emergence of Islam, Arabs united and the state of disorder ended.
The Qur'an speaks of the Year of the Elephant, 571 AD. Abraha attacks Makkah, with forces that include elephants. This year is most important however because it is the year that saw the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in Makkah.
This of course leads up to the next portion of the museum, The Prophet's Mission Gallery. This gives the entire story of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him), which I will share with you in it's entirety in another post. I find it very confusing so it's not very easy to paraphrase.
A hand written Qu'ran (old script).
This picture is a representation of the Prophet's (peace and blessings upon him) journey.
A picture of the Ka'bah in Makkah. One of the 5 pillars of Islam is Hijra or Pilgrimage. It is expected that all Muslims who have the physical and financial means to do so, must perform a Pilgrimage to Makkah in their life time. The other pillars are Faith, Prayer, Charity and Fasting.
And that is where this tour of the museum ended. Trust me there is more and once I get back I will share the rest with you. Our day did not end just yet however. Faris wanted to take us across the court yard to a building run by the King Abul Aziz Foundation of Saudi Arabia. Well he wanted us to see King Abul Aziz's cars.
This is a picture of King Abul Aziz (also know as Ibn Saud), the founder and first Monarch of Saudi Arabia. Of course Arabia has been here since the beginning of time but the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (as we know it today) has only existed officially since September 28 1932. The conquests that lead to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when King Abul Aziz conquered Riyadh. It is thought that King Abul Aziz had 22 wives and an unknown number of children including 37 sons. He died in 1953. On the throne he has been succeeded by sons, Saud, Faisal (who was assassinated), Khalid, Fahd and Abdullah who is the current King. The Crown Prince is Nayef, Abdullah's half-brother, who is the heir apparent.
But enough about the Kings.....let look at some of that stuff. Unfortunately most of it was labelled in Arabic and Faris technically wasn't allowed in with us so I'm not sure what it all is.
You will find lots of items like this around.
No display of a King's items would be complete without some of the weapons that helped him conquer his Kingdom.
Some personal items, including a throb worn by King Abdul Aziz.
A few of the items used in desert exploration I believe.
I need plates with my face on them. These were used at some state dinner with many foreign dignitaries in attendance. Just in case they couldn't remember who was hosting the party.
A coffee urn. Coffee and dates are a very important part of Saudi socialisation.
And there is one of those cars now.....a Rolls Royce. It is so pretty. They wouldn't let us touch it.
One of the decorations on the front of the car. Pretty sure that is pure gold.
Every King needs a Cadillac, a couple Rolls Royce's and one that I didn't know because the company no longer exists. All very pretty.
Outside we checked out King Abul Aziz's palace. Doesn't look like much but it is pretty big. There is a separate section for each wife.
This would have been a section for one of his wives. Very spacious.
The back side of the museum. It leads to a very nice park and gardens which I'm told is a great place to enjoy some coffee and dates in the evening.
Over there you will find 100 palm trees that were planted in celebration of the 100th birthday of Saudi Arabia (1902 not 1932)
From there we headed back home. A lot to see in a short 3 hour visit. Not to worry, I have plans already for my return visit so I can complete the museum story.
Julie
