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

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