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

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