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

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