Beirut, National Museum

Q2915627

The National Museum of Beirut is one of the most interesting museums I have ever visited. The first surprise is the building itself, which is in some kind of Egyptian style. Inside, it is essentially a very big hall with lots of fine sculpture, surrounded by a gallery (on the first floor) with other types of ancient objects.

Among the highlights are a stela of Ramesses II from Tyre; the sarcophagus of king Ahirom (or Ahiram) of Byblos, with the oldest known inscription in Phoenician letters; a splendid Egyptian-looking colossus from the Hellenistic period, also from Byblos; several "thrones of Astarte"; a Persian-style column from Sidon; a beautifully sculpted, Hellenistic tribune from the sanctuary of Eshmun at Bustan esh-Sheikh; a fine bust of Septimius Severus; a third-century mosaic of the Seven Sages from Baalbek; some mosaics and several sarcophagi, including one with scenes from the final book of the Iliad.

In the gallery on the first floor, you will find all kinds of statuettes, weapons, and idols from Byblos; lots of jewelry; coins; a very fine Dionysus from Tyre; Byzantine carvings and some finds from the Islamic age. The last display contains some objects that were damaged during the Civil War. After all, the museum is built on what was once known as the Green Line: the frontier that divided Beirut. A badly damaged house, just northwest of the museum, is a reminder of the horrors.

It is quite a distance from the center of Beirut, so you need a taxi to go there. You need several hours to see all, and there is a nice bookshop. Across the street is a small restaurant, where we had some pizza and ayran.

This museum was visited in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019.

94 pictures related to this museum

Tyre, Statue of a female deity	Tyre, Sarcophagus of Achilles: Washing the Body of Patroclus	Byblos, Statuettes of baboons	Byblos, Hellenistic colossus
Byblos, Royal Tomb I (Abi Chemou), Pot	Beirut, Roman colonnade (originally near the Place d'Etoile)	Byblos, Royal Tomb II (Ip-Chemou-Abi), Box with the name of pharaoh Amunemhet I	Byblos, Temple with the obelisks, Axe
Sidon, Roman doll	Chilon	Sidon, Bustan esh-Sheikh, Temple of Eshmun, foundation inscription	Sidon, Bustan esh-Sheikh, Statue of a baby
Niha, Roman altar, dedicated to a female deity (Fortuna), with two lions	Baalbek, Gold mask	Beirut, Relief of an eagle and a wreath	Byblos, Royal Tomb V (Ahirom), Relief of a bull and griffin
Byblos, Chalcolithic amulets	Bias	Tyre, Sarcophagus with a Fighting Scene	Byblos, Temple with the obelisks, Obelisk of Abi Chemou
Tyre, Sarcophagus of Achilles: lions	Sidon, Statue of a man	Byblos, Royal Tomb II (Ip-Chemou-Abi), Pectoral	Tyre, Portrait of Septimius Severus
Byblos, Temple with the obelisks, Statuette of a deity	Sidon, Figurine of Aphrodite	Coin from Byblos: Phoenician ship	Sidon, Bronze Age bottle
Byblos, mosaic with the abduction of Europa	Beirut, Theater mask	Byblos, Phoenician funerary inscription	Byblos, Royal Tomb II (Ip-Chemou-Abi), Pectoral (1)
Byblos, Relief with a hieroglyphic text	Calliope	Sidon-Dakerman, Middle Bronze jar	Tyre, Hellenistic throne of Astarte
Sidon, Sarcophagus relief of a boat	Byblos, Statue of pharaoh Osorkon II	Byblos, Temple with the obelisks, Sword, grip	Beirut, Hellenistic wall painting (First Pompeian Style)
Thales	Beirut, Medal of St. Catharine	Sidon, Base of a Persian column	Cleobulus
Baalbek, Theater, Model	Coin from Byblos: Heracles-Melqart with the features of Alexander the Great	Byblos, Temple with the obelisks, Gold disk	Sidon, Phoenician statue
Byblos, Statuette of Bes	Sidon, Capital of a Persian column	Beirut, Figurine of the Dioscuri	Beirut, Torso of a colossus
A big lump, containing some inhomogenuous pieces of ancient glass	Byblos, Royal Tomb I (Abi Chemou), Scimitar	A murex shell	Byblos, mosaic with Silenus
Solon	Byblos, Royal Tomb V (Ahirom), Relief of king Ahirom on his throne	Tyre, Phoenician statue	Byblos, Royal Tomb II (Ip-Chemou-Abi), Pectoral
Niha, Large temple, Builders' model	Tyre, Sarcophagus of the Drunken Cupids, front	Tyre, Stele of Ramesses II and Ra-Horakhty	Kamed el-Loz, Incense burner
Byblos, Chalcolithic burial	Pittacus	Beirut, Inscription mentioning Queen Berenice and King Agrippa II	Sidon, Bustan esh-Sheikh, Throne of Astarte
Byblos, Roman Nymphaeum, Statue of Hygeia	Suweydie, Mosaic of the Seven Sages	Byblos, Statuette of a hippopotamus	Byblos, Royal Tomb V, Sarcophagus of Ahirom
Socrates	Tyre, Sarcophagus of the Drunken Cupids, back	Byblos, Temple with the obelisks, Sword	Beirut, Mercury or Hermes
Byblos, Royal Tombs, Pectoral	Suweydie, Mosaic of the Seven Sages, Summer and Mother Earth	Byblos, Inlay with Egyptian lotus flowers	Periander
Beirut, Tyche	Sidon, Bustan esh-Sheikh, Tribune, Relief with Muses	Tyre, Sarcophagus of Achilles: the Corpse of Hector.	Sidon, Sarcophagus relief of Psyche
Sidon, Coin with a triere	Tyre, Head of Dionysus	Byblos, Statuette of Hathor	Byblos, Bull's head
Baalbek, Funerary wreath	Sidon, Bustan esh-Sheikh, Relief of a horseman	Beirut, Statue of a Roman lady	Tyre, Sarcophagus of Achilles: killing of a Trojan Captive
Tyre, Wall painting of a carrier	Beirut, Envy Mosaic