Damascus National Museum
National Museum entrance, which incorporates a desert castle gate.
Photo
upyernoz.
First linear alphabet from Ugarit. Photo © Peter Brubacher.
Mural of the Exodus from the 3rd-century synagogue at Dura Europos. Photo © Richard Beck.
Fresco of Abraham from the synagogue at Dura Europos. Public domain.
Location map and aerial view of Damascus National Museum. For a larger interactive view, see our Damascus Map.
The National Museum in Damascus contains a world-class archaeological and historical collection spread over two wings. Many of the most important finds from excavations throughout Syria are on display here.
What to See
The artifacts on display begins even before you enter: the façade incorporates the transplanted gate of Qasr al-Heir al-Gharbi, a desert castle near Palmyra. Inside, the west wing contains pre-classical and Arab Islamic collections, and the east wing contains Classical and Byzantine collections.
The star exhibit of the National Museum is the fully-reassembled 2nd-century synagogue from Dura-Europos. Its walls are covered with Talmudic injunctions and bright figurative paintings of biblical scenes. (The celebrated church found at Dura-Europos is now in the museum of Yale University.)
The west wing has rooms devoted to Ugarit, whose exhibits include the small clay tablets containing the oldest alphabet in the world. It also contains the ivory head of an unknown prince, a collection of cylinder seals, and Mycenaean pottery imported from Greece. Another room is devoted to Mari, the Bronze Age sight on the Euphrates, with the 3rd millennium treasure of King Cansud. Further on is a room concentrating on finds from Raqqa, the Abbassid city on the Euphrates. Another hall contains Islamic jewelry, coins and armor, and the final hall is the Damascus Salon, a wood-and-marble paneled room from an 18th-century palace.
The east wing contains rooms of pottery, sculptures and glassware ranging from the Phoenician to Classical. There are rooms concentrating on the Hauran and Jebel al Arab, where most objects are made of basalt. Another hall contains classical statues, found at Palmyra, carved in ivory, bronze, and marble.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Damascus National Museum |
| Location: | Damascus, Syria |
| Category: | Museums |
| Faith: | Museum |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 33.512667° N, 36.289837° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatli, Damascus, Syria |
| Hours: | Apr-Sep: Wed-Mon 9am-6pm Oct-Mar: Wed-Mon 9am-4pm |
| Cost: | S£150 |
Travel Resources
- Damascus Map - our detailed interactive map of Damascus, plus hand-picked links to more
- Damascus Hotels - check availability, maps, photos and reviews, then book at the guaranteed lowest rate
- Damascus Hostels - reserve budget lodgings with no booking fees
- Damascus Flight Search - compare multiple travel sites to find the lowest airfare to Damascus
- Damascus Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on Damascus tourism
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- "The National Museum of Damascus." Syria Gate (2006).
- Lonely Planet Syria and Lebanon, 3rd ed. (July 2008), 95-97.
Article last updated: 10/27/2009.
