National Museum of Saudi Arabia - Exhibitions

Exhibitions

The exhibits are organized in eight "Exhibition Halls" or "Galleries".

• Man and the Universe

The first exhibit encountered in the museum is a large fragment of a meteorite found at the Wabar craters in the desert of the Rub' al Khali. Further exhibits and interactive displays explain the solar system, plate tectonics, the geology and geography of the Arabian Peninsula and the development of the fauna and flora of Arabia. Large exhibits include the skeleton of a Platybelodon and Ichthyosaur. The gallery concludes with stone age man.

• Arabian Kingdoms

This gallery illustrates the early kingdoms, focusing on Dilmon, Madian, Gariah and Tima'a. The exhibition continues with the intermediary Arab kingdoms by showcasing the cities of Al-Hamra, Dawmat Al-Jandal, Tima'a and Tarout. The late Arab kingdoms are represented by the civilizations that thrived in Al-Aflaaj, Najran and Ain Zubaida.

• The Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyyah)

This gallery is dedicated to the time from about 400 BCE until the dawn of Islam. Cities of this time portrayed are Makkah, Jarash, Yathrib, Khaibar, Najran, Khadrama, and Dawmat Aljandal, as well as the markets at Okaz, the al-Majaz, Najran and Habasha. The evolution of script and calligraphy is displayed and explained with many examples.

• The Prophet's Mission

Here the life and mission of the Prophet Mohammad is illustrated. On one wall there is a large family tree explaining the prophet's family and relations in great detail. From this gallery the visitor has to use a bridge which connects to the next gallery performing a symbolic cross-over from the time of ignorance to the time after the revelation of Islam to the prophet.

• Islam and the Arabian Peninsula

The time covered in this gallery include the Islamic beginnings in Medinah and the history of the rise and fall of the Caliphate. It also illustrates the time of the Mamluks and the Ottomans up to the First Saudi State.

• First and Second Saudi States

Shown here is the culture and history of the two early Saudi states. A large model of Diriyah is shown under a glass floor, so that it can be examined in great detail.

• The Unification

This gallery is dedicated to King Abdul Aziz and how he regained Riyadh and established his kingdom.

• The Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques

A major exhibit in this gallery is a large model of Makkah and its surroundings.