After our tour at the old city of Riyadh, we have the chance to visit the National Museum of Riyadh. We arrived at the museum at exactly four in the afternoon and as we enter, people gather around and took pictures. Some of them, went to buy ticket for it only cost 10 SAR, not bad to discover whats inside this building. We decided to take pictures first before we take our ticket and put our bags in the baggage counter because bags are not allowed in the premises of the museum.
As we enter, the hospitality of Arabs are overwhelming. They served us Arabic tea, they called it "gawa" (I don't know if I spell it right). I have already tasted the tea so i didn't take the offer because I don't really like the taste of it. Anyways, entering the first hall was a huge stones and it focuses on how the earth was formed. It was purely science and different kinds of rocks and gemstones were displayed. Books and magazines were also available on tables. Pictures of different traditions of Arabs were in frame.
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| Writings on the stone |
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| Jewelries and ornaments of the Arabic ladies |
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| Combs made up of wood |
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| The typical kitchen of Arabs centuries ago |
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| Head shield and armor during the battle |
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| oldest Holy Quran |
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| the miniature of Old Al Diriyah |
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| Arabs also practice traditional medicine. |
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| Modern machine for extracting oil from the ground. |
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| Pen and Paper of Arabs years ago. |
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| The car of the late King Abdullaziz, the first King of Saudi Arabia. |
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| The replica insideof a tent in the wilderness of the Arabs |
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| Gold jewelries and coins |
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| The replica of Old Diriyah |
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| Miniature of Mekkah |
There are eight halls in the museum ( Man and the Universe, Arab Kingdoms, Pre-Islamic Era, Hall of the Prophet's Mission, Hall of the Arabian and the Peninsula, Hall of the First and Second Saudi State, Unification of the Kingdom Hall and Hall of Hajj and Two Holy Mosque) The museum was jampacked with historical, archeological, cultural, and religious facts about Saudi Arabia. It was also the home of the antiques and diversional economic and commercial activities of the ancient Arabs. The museum was huge and my brain cannot grasp all of the stuff I saw. The one hour tour inside was overwhelming. My feet sore but I was really blessed. After the sightseeing, the guards who are very polite and welcoming escourt us to watch a mini-movie about the evolution of Islam and the quest of the late King Abdullaziz. In that moment, I grab the opportunity to close my eyes a little bit and relax my feet. When the movie started, I begun to wonder and amaze. Indeed, every nation has a lot to offer.
We didn;t notice the time. It was dark outside when we finished. In my own perspective, museum is a time machine built for everybody who is interested to go back in the past. It will make you think and imagine vast and on the process it will make you say "wow"! Museums are the cemetery of histories.
-Kimmy-
