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

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