Museums in Lebanon - The Orange Room

Lebanese_dream

Dear members,

While visiting museums in Spain last week, I was wondering with a Lebanese friend if interesting museums exist in Lebanon. The purpose of the thread is to discover our museums.

Thanks for sharing informations, pictures, opening hours and what is exposed in these museums.

Thanks for your contribution.

Lebanese_dream

Arze

Beirut National Museum

The National Museum building consists of three floors: a basement, a ground floor and an upper gallery. A stair case and two elevators lead to the upper floor.
To the right of the entrance, there is an audiovisual room and to its left, the museum gift shop.
Only the ground and first floor are now open to visitors

Entrance fee
5.000 L.P.
1.000 L.P. (students and under 18)
Museum Hours
9. 00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Tuesday through Sunday
Closed on Mondays and Holidays
Audiovisual Room
Revival , a documentary film on the restoration and rebirth of the National Museum
Every Hour from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Opens Tuesday through Sunday
Gift Shop
Opens Tuesday through Sunday
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Crater decorated with ducks, terracotta
Khalde, 9th-7th century B.C.
Because of the Cypriot influence on its decoration, the Khalde crater attests clearly the existence of important trade relations between the Phoenician cities and the Mediterranean during the 1st millenium B.C.

Rhyton depicting head of a pig, terracotta
Sheikh Zenad, 5th century B.C.
This type of pottery is a Greek import known as Attic ware because it comes from the region of Athens. Caracterized by its black glaze, it bears witness to the trade exchanges in the Mediterranean between the 6th and the 4th c. B.C

Human figure, Detail from a painted tomb
Burj esh Shemali (near Tyre), 2nd century A.D.
Discovered in 1938, this tomb was part of the Roman necropolis of Tyre. In order to preserve it, it was removed and reconstituted in the National Museum of Beirut. The walls of the tomb are painted with pological scenes related to the realm of death .

http://www.beirutnationalmuseum.com/e-histoire.htm

lubnani

there is also the AUB museum with quite an interesting though smaller, the entrance is free at least to us students, (don't know about outsiders)
it opens and closes with university as far as i know, never been on a sunday though

Arze

The furniture, his notebooks, his personal library and the exhibited objects and paintings were all in Gibran's apartment in New York. His address appears on one of his leather briefcases.
All the materpieces are exhibited in the 16 rooms of the three floors of the Museum leading in the end to Gibran's tomb.
Rare are the paintings that Gibran dated, signed or titled.
He used to say: "visions cannot be titled".
And to those who wondered why he didn't sign his paintings, he replied "wherever they might be found, my paintings shall be known as mine." Moreover, we respected the titles Gibran gave to some of his paintings.

We can divide Gibran's art career into five continuous stages:

1st stage - His beginnings
in the middle of 1890's until 1908.

2nd stage -
From 1908 to 1914 the years
preceding his stay in Paris and after his return in 1910 until
his establishment in 1911 in New York. It is his most
prosperous era. Most of his drawings are oil paintings.

3rd stage - From 1914 to 1920: a stage marked with charcoal
drawings and the discovery of paintings in water-colors,
thus diversifying his techniques and adopting this style until
his very last days.

4th stage - From 1920 to 1923, and also during the 5th stage, from
1923 to 1931, he achieved purity in his drawings and
clearness of visions.

The Gibran Museum in the monastery of Mar Sarkis is open in winter from 9 am to 5 pm daily, except Monday, and everyday in summer.

the Gibran Museum, located in Bsharri, Lebanon

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http://www.kahlil.org/museum.html

http://leb.net/gibran/museum.html

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mephisto794

there is a very interesting Museum for sea wonders (Merveilles de la mer).
it is located in Jdeideh.

I am trying to google for some pictures for it. Will post them if found.

coralie

C H I L D R E N ' S S C I E N CE M U S E U M

For the first time in Lebanon, a Children's Science Museum has been established under the name "Planet Discovery" with the collaboration of "La Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie" in Paris.
It incorporates a space where children and youngsters aged 3 to 15 can discover easily and with fun the secrets of life and the surrounding world. They can experiment with the techniques of communication, the machinery used, the application of some theories in physics, and test some structures for construction. It offers a variety of activities that can be classified according to four themes: Cultural leisure, Education and Training, Services and Research.

Opening hours:
-From Monday to Friday: 9h00 a.m. to 6h00 p.m., Visiting Sessions: 9h.00 a.m., 10h30 a.m., 12h00, 1h30 p.m., 4h30 p.m.
-Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: 10h.00 a.m. to 20h.00 p.m., Visiting Sessions: 0h30 a.m.,12h00, 1h30a.m., 4h30 p.m., 6h00 p.m.
Time per visit: one hour and a half.

"Planet Discovery" offers to the public a multi-use hall for various activities such as: private exhibitions, inter-school competitions, birthdays, special events.

entrance :5000LL

Location: Omar el Daouk Street, near Starco, Beirut Central District

coralie

N I C O L A S S U R S O C K M U S E U M

THE NICOLAS IBRAHIM SURSOCK MUSEUM, often described as the modern art museum of Lebanon - it is in fact the only one - has a mission that goes much beyond. Bequeathed to the City of Beirut by a "patrician" of the golden age after whom it was called, this museum was assigned an ambitious mission in the donor's will which has the value of a charter:
"As I love fine arts and long for their expansion, particularly in my homeland, Lebanon,
"As I wish this country could receive a substantial part of fine arts, and my fellow citizens would appreciate art and develop an artistic instinct,
"For this purpose that I pursue and that can only be beneficial and contribute to Lebanon's development,
"I wish there would exist in Beirut, capital of the Republic of Lebanon, museums and exhibitions rooms open to everyone, where master-pieces and antiques would be preserved and displayed.
"(...) I therefore set up in the form of waqf [mortmain] all of the real estate n° 83 of the Rmeil district in Beirut (...), and all of the estate, the personal estate and the real estate that shall be there at the time of my death, including the furniture, the curios, the golden, silver and crystal objects, the Chinese objects and any other estate, with no exception, in order that this real estate and its
contents form a museum for arts, ancient and modern, coming from
the territory of the Republic of Lebanon, the other Arab countries or elsewhere, as well as a room where the Lebanese artists' works shall be exhibited,
It being understood that this museum shall remain eternally and perpetually (...)"

Location
It is in the heart of Achrafieh, in what was previously called Le Quartier, that the private mansion of Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock is located, nestling in a bosky bower. Surrounded with some luxurious homes of the 19th and the 20th centuries which resisted the invasion of modernism, this architectural jewel is a museum
in itself.

With its majestic marble dual staircase and openwork banisters, the elegant white façade is
decorated with high windows and colored stain-glass windows. It represents a beautiful example of eclecticism which subtly combines Italian and Oriental art. It was thus necessary to preserve the spirit of the residence, its charm and its character, while adapting it to the requirements of modern museology.

http://www.lebanon.com/where/lebanon...rsokmuseum.htm

Arze

Byblos Archeological Museum
Byblos Citadel site
(09) 540001
Open daily from 9:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m.
The museum offers an overview of the excavations undertaken in Byblos. The history of Byblos, from Prehistory to the Arab and Medieval periods, is illustrated and associated with objects related to these periods as well as thematic panels shedding light on the daily life of the inhabitants.

Byblos Fossils Museum
Byblos
Open daily from 9:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m.
The Museum exhibits a wide variety of fossils, featuring mainly fish, found in the area of Byblos as well as other Lebanese regions. A number of rare specimens come from private collections in addition to the museum’s collection.

Lebanese Prehistory Museum
Achrafieh, Monnot, Saint Joseph University Street, (01) 339702, www.usj.edu.lb/mpl
Open on Tuesday,Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Lebanese Prehistory Museum exhibits artifacts collected since the end of the XIXth century by the Jesuit fathers. The collection relates to the evolution of the prehistoric societies who lived on the Lebanese territory from the Paleolithic to the Chalcolithic.

Baalbek Museum
Baalbek Citadel, (08) 370520
Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Opened in 1988 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Baalbek, the museum displays some 20 statues and objects, information about the Bronze, Hellenic and Roman era, as well as an exhibition of old photographs of the German Herman Burckhardt.

Beiteddine Palace Museum
Beiteddine, (05) 500077
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed on Monday (summer); open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (winter)
The museum displays objects from the Phoenician era to the XIXth century. It comprises arms, costumes, jewels and a unique collection of Byzantine mosaics.

Museum of the Armenian Catholicossate of Cilicia
Antelias, Armenian patriarchate, (04) 410001 , www.cathcil.org
Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. closed on Monday (winter); and daily from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (summer)
The museum owns relics and reliquaries, a collection of gold and silver plates from the XVIIth to the XIXth centuries, embroideries and liturgical costumes, manuscripts, as well as a series of illuminations and miniatures and Khatchkars (Armenian funerary steles)... One of the museum’s halls exhibits a collection of modern artworks by Armenian painters and sculptors from Lebanon and the diaspora.

Nicolas Sursock Museum
Beirut, Achrafieh, Sursock Street, (01) 201892
Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., closed on Sunday
The Sursock Museum is considered as the only modern art museum in Lebanon. Since 1961, about 90 exhibitions, including the Fall Exhibition, have been held, displaying the works of both Lebanese and international artists. The permanent exhibition of the museum includes a collection of Islamic art works.

Robert Mouawad Private Museum
Beirut, Zkak Blat, Army Road, (01) 980970, rmpm@mouawad.com
A mixture of Oriental and Occidental cultures, the museum is an Arab palace built in 1911 that hosts Robert Mouawad’s collection of books, ceramics, pottery, carpets, jewelry and rare precious stones.

Gibran Khalil Gibran Museum
Becharreh, (06) 671137, www.khalilgibran.org
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (summer); from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Monday (winter)
The museum presents the life of the Lebanese writer, poet and painter Gibran Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) and exhibits a collection of manuscripts, photos and paintings as well as a selection of furniture that belonged to the philosopher.

Ameen Rihani Museum
Freykeh, www.ameenrihani.org
Among a variety of things found in the museum of the writer are his manuscripts, letters, works of art, newspaper clippings, belongings, and personal gifts from world leaders.

Paul Guiragossian Museum for Contemporary Art
New Jdeideh, facing Eden Hotel, (01) 900091
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The museum exhibits a collection of unedited paintings of the artist deceased in 1993 as well as works of Lebanese and international contemporary painters. In addition, the museum offers a meeting place for artists.

Dorothy Salhab Kazemi Museum
Roumieh, Salhab building, (04) 865419
The museum presents a collection of about 150 ceramic pieces executed by the artist.

Michel Abou Jaoudeh Museum
Zalka, Saideh Street, imm. Michel Abou Jaoudeh, (03) 396558
Open upon request
The museum exhibits personal objects of the journalist, various documents as well as his 10937 articles published in An Nahar newspaper. The museum also includes a public library with more than 3000 political, historical and philosophical books.

Moussa Tiba Museum
Cana, Haret Al Salha, (07) 430149
Open on Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The museum exhibits around 245 of the artist’s works painted between 1962 and 2002.

Juliusz Slowacki Museum
Ghazir, Saint Antoine Convent, (09) 926951/2/3
Open upon request
A wing of the Saint Antoine convent, converted to a museum, is dedicated to the memory of the Polish poet, who visited Lebanon during his trip to the Orient where he wrote his famous patriotic poem entitled Anhelli.

Soap Museum
Saïda, Haret Audi, El Moutran Street, (07) 733353, www.fondationaudi.org
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Friday
Built in the XVIIth century on the site of a soap factory, the Audi Family house was turned into a museum in 2000. The factory shows the different stages of soap-making and presents the history of the soap industry in the region, from Aleppo (Syria) to Nablus (Palestine) passing through Tripoli (Lebanon).

Silk Museum
Old Silk factory of Bsous, (05) 940767, amed@terra.net.lb
Open daily from May till August from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Monday
The newly renovated museum has been reopened in 2002. The visitors can learn about the region’s history and the artistic technique of silk-making.

Terbol Museum
Terbol, near the municipality of Zahleh, (05) 455104, fondnati@inco.com.lb
Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (May to November)
In a farmer’s house recently restored, the Terbol Museum presents, a collection of ethnic objects and tools. It also includes a giftshop and a garden.

History Museum of Saida
Saïda, Moutran Street, (07) 720110, www.museumsaida.org
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Friday
Built in 1721, the Debbané family house was converted into a museum illustrating by its walls the various aspects of the Arab Ottoman architecture. It displays a historical presentation of the city as well as related objects, texts, documents and manuscripts.

Lebanese Heritage Museum
Jounieh, Teleferique building, 1st floor, (03) 850800, www.lebaneseheritagemuseum.org, info@lebaneseheritagemuseum.org
The Lebanese Heritage Museum presents original pieces representing 5 historic eras: Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic. It also displays objects from the XIXth and the XXth centuries. One of the halls is dedicated to Youssef Beyk Karam.

Wax Museum
Byblos, Mar Youhanna Morcos Street, (09) 540463, chawkiah@terra.net.lb
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The museum displays wax statues and life scenes from the Phoenician Age civilization to the modern epoch.

Marie Baz Museum
Shouf, Deir El Qamar, (05) 512777, mariebaz@inco.com.lb
The museum relates to the history of Lebanon since 1512 through 85 wax statues of people that have left their mark in history.

Hall of Fame
Zouk Mosbeh, Jeita road, (09) 225202
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Hall of Fame houses 50 silicone statues of world famous people in the political, artistic and cultural fields, some of which move, talk and sing.

Museum of Holography
Departure station of the teleferique of Jounieh, (09) 852963, fadinaufal@yahoo.com
Holography is a technology using lasers to obtain 3D pictures that float in midair. The museum houses a gallery of 100 holograms and a 3D projection room.

Planet Discovery: Children Science Museum
Beirut Downtown, Omar El Daouk Street, near Starco center, (01) 980650, www.solidere.com
Open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.;Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dedicated to children between 3 and 15 years of age, the 1200 m2 museum is an interaction and a unique learning space.

Wonders of the Sea
Jdeideh, Assaad Yazbeck residence, facing La Sagesse. (01) 891548, yazbeck@sodetel.net.lb
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (from October to June);Closed on Saturday and Sunday (July and August)
This XIXth century Lebanese residence houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the animal and plant sea life. More than 3000 shellfishes of about 630 varieties are exhibited alongside red and blue corals from the Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea as well as a collection of fossils.

Lebanese Museum for Marine and Wildlife
Tyre city center, (07) 343016/7, younesj@inco.com.lb
Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
One thousand different marine species are displayed including 25 species of Mediterranean sharks, 30 different types of starfish as well as corals, sponges and other wonders of the sea. Parallel to the marine life, there is a wide collection of animals and a variety of birds.

The Shouf Cedar Museum
Environmental Awareness Center, Victoria, Ain Zhelta, (05) 311230, www.shoufcedar.org
Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This environmental museum features specimens of the biological diversity living in the Shouf Cedars Reserve such as plants, insects, butterflies and reptiles, as well as an educational exhibit on plants.