This year, the Doha Design Biennial will be held for the first time. It is expected that the international forum, established at the initiative of the leadership of the Qatar Museums Authority, will become a favorable platform for the exchange of best domestic, regional, and global practices, including exhibitions and various programs.

In particular, on February 24, the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan will present the “Crafting Uzbekistan: Tradition in Threads” exhibition.

As part of this prestigious event, a press tour of the National Museum of Qatar was organized for about one hundred media representatives worldwide. Representatives of Uzbekistan National News Agency – UzA, the Uzbekistan-24 TV channel, and the website gazeta.uz took part in it.

The CEO of Qatar Museums, Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, presented information about the country’s museums. The Director of the National Museum, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Thani, acquainted media representatives with the object.

It should be noted that in this complex with an unusual architectural design, occupying an area of more than 40 thousand square meters, over 8 thousand historical documents, manuscripts, household items, textiles and clothing, jewelry, photographs, and archaeological artifacts are stored.

The museum, which has an invaluable collection and allows one to explore the history of Qatar fully, demonstrates the culture of the desert and nomadic tribes, the history of the adoption of Islam, the creation of the state of Qatar, and the discovery of oil fields. The exhibition consists of three main sections – “Emergence”, “Life in Qatar” and “Formation of a Nation”.

Journalists also visited the gallery. Eleven galleries, enhanced by interactive video, light, sound, smell, and state-of-the-art visuals, take visitors on a fascinating journey into the past.

“The National Museum of Qatar, opened in March 2019, glorifies the country’s culture and heritage through artifacts, oral history, music, films, and various works of art”, says Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Thani. “Designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Jean Nouvel, this building consists of large interlocking disks of varying diameters”.

The complex structure of the Qatar National Museum surrounds the reconstructed palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.

In accordance with the program, a visit was organized to the Museum of Islamic Art in the center of Doha, which was created for the first time in the Gulf countries. This three-story building houses an exhibition hall, library, and research institute, built in a traditional local yet modern architectural style. It was noted that the object of the collection is one of the largest research museums in the world, collecting works of art – ceramics, textiles, glass, and manuscripts.

“The Exhibition Palace reveals to the world the enormous contribution of the Islamic religion to world civilization, calls on Muslims to appreciate the hard work and perseverance that allowed them to reach the pinnacle of scientific and artistic glory” – these words turned into the museum’s motto...

The historical site, with a total area of 45 thousand square meters, is surrounded by a crescent-shaped park with an area of 290 thousand square meters. Construction of the museum lasted four years, from November 2004 to November 2008. At the end of 2021, the museum was closed for restoration. After renovating the buildings, the exhibition was revived and reopened on October 5, 2022.

The museum, which exhibits world-class examples of Islamic art, also presents regional exhibitions. The complex collaborates with the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre, the Egyptian Museum of Islamic Art, the Cartier in France, and others.

It should also be noted that this museum is recognized as a scientific center for scholars of Islamic culture and religion, with an excellent library containing many sources and original copies of famous Islamic books.

In the afternoon, the journalists visited the sacred abode where young people work on themselves and build their future – the National Library of Qatar, located in the capital’s educational center.

Just imagine: the library has become a “legacy collection”, housing more than a million books, rare manuscripts, and archival documents. Here, you can temporarily get the book you need for free.

The appearance of the building attracted many journalists. The famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas designed the structure with an unusual diamond shape.

The interior of the library is also unique. The floor level is raised to see even the farthest shelf. In the center is a collection of historical heritage, conceptually reminiscent of an ancient excavation site. Access to information from the digital fund is also provided.

The library, an abode of knowledge, was opened on April 16, 2018. In addition to exciting collections and online academic resources, it also houses rare works, manuscripts, and other materials related to Arab-Muslim civilization.

During the press tour, media representatives got acquainted with the exhibits that were exhibited as part of the Qatar – Indonesia Year of Culture 2023 program.

The exhibition showcases the rich Islamic heritage through the beautifully designed pages of the Arabic manuscript of the Quran.

The final destination is four installations 60 kilometers from the center of Doha. American artist Richard Serra created the design columns in 2014, known worldwide as “East-West, West-East”, have become a cultural object.

The official opening ceremony of the Doha Design Biennial will take place on February 24.

Bekhruz Khudoyberdiyev, photos by Yoqubjon Meliboyev, UzA

Doha, Qatar