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As a collector keen to accumulate
as many artifacts as possible, I not
only wanted to pursue
my own hobby but also to give others the
opportunity to view my collection. To achieve this goal, I have decided to combine and display my
collection in a specialized museum. This particular museum was
built by myself within our farm, located in Al-Shahaniya, some 20km from Doha.
My main objective in this project is to promote the historical
and cultural awareness to the next generation of Qataris.
Bearing this in mind, the museum is open to all students
and people of all nationalities.
I stared this hobby when I was young, having a particular
interest in old objects which either I or my family had managed
to collect, such as school objects or toys that my family had
bought for me, I was keen to prepare and participate in
collective school art activities and fairs by making art models.
Around this time, I had started to collect various stamps and
coins, especially as these were easily available to children. I
was also beginning to develop an interest in photography,
collecting and decanting photographs.
During my childhood, Doha was a relatively small city,
surrounded by a wide sea and a vast, empty land of sand, stones
and wild plants. |
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Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al-Thani |
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We frequently looked out to the horizon, wondering about the
social changes and past history of this country.
We also used to sit with our fathers, listening to
stories of old, told by our elders. There were tales of
centuries-old confects and the lives and habits of our
ancestors. We listened to others reciting their knowledge of
history books and encyclopedias, and the development of Arabic
Islamic history. On other occasions, the intellectuals who
memorized and recited verses by Al-Motanaby, Al-Bohtory and
Abu-Nouass, enchanted us. We were proud when someone
retold the poems of Al-Qatari Bin Fojaa, especially as this
historical hero was born, lived and killed on this land… All
these factors have created a desire within me to learn as much
as possible about our history and ancestry.
At the time, I realized just how important these materials were
providing a glimpse into our own past. Consequently, I started
to collect simple items, such as stone quivers and fossils that
I found throughout the Qatari lands. This collection has
developed over the years into an extremely varied compilation,
which I wish to present in my personal museum. I have also
illustrated and documented some of my collection in this
website. I
was especially encouraged and guided by my late father, Al-Sheikh Jassim Bin Faisal Al-Thani. He had encouraged myself and
my brothers to visit museums, archeological and art sites during
our holidays in different Arab and foreign countries, allowing
us to also learn about the legacy of other civilization, customs
and cultures.
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My late father, may God have mercy upon him, was
very determined that we should learn more during these visits, be
open to other cultures and try to understand the factors in
their evolving. And, God has made me prosperous by obtaining
this hobby, allowing me this modest participation in presenting
our history. One of the best ways to show our past is in the
shape of collectibles, demonstrated in the three dimensions of
history: the past, the present and the Future.
There is no doubt that my collection is simple and modest but in
spite of this, it can provide useful meanings in terms of
historical facts, as well as answers to the questions of
interested people. For these reasons and an overall desire to
create an interest in our heritage, I have decided to put the
entire collection under one roof.
The embodiment of the idea of establishing a museum was
achieved after realizing that this collection might be able
to participate in providing the cultural context in
guidelines and evidence.
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The late Sheikh Jassim
Bin Faisal Al-Thani
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Enabling scholars to achieve their tasks and also to promote the
spirit of research in history and culture, especially to the
next generation the illustrated collection in this website is
only a sample of what the museum safes contain, and I
optimistically hope that this collection will be of interest to
everyone who views it. This is the first brick in the
establishment of this museum, which I hope will develop and grow
with the support of interested members of the public scholar and
other collectors, as well as providing a complimentary role to
the Cultural Museum in the State of Qatar.
In
September 2002, the museum became a member of (ICOM)
international Council of Museums – UNESCO.
* In order to get a copy of
the museum’s brochure
Please click here to
fill the order form.
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