Qatar Museums (QM) inaugurated two new exhibitions, “Wooden Doors of Qatar: From Storage to Stories” and “Atharna 2026: Life and Death in Pre-Islamic Qatar,” at Fahad Bin Ali Palace in Msheireb on October 25, 2026. The exhibitions are open to the public until May 29, 2027, and were unveiled in the presence of QM Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, along with other museum officials and dignitaries.
“Wooden Doors of Qatar: From Storage to Stories” showcases 52 historic doors, doorframes, and windows sourced primarily from the National Collection of Historic Doors at the National Museum of Qatar. An additional door on loan from the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is also featured. The exhibition begins in the palace courtyard with an installation titled What Once Was, designed to resemble a traditional Qatari home. The historic architectural elements are arranged within outlines of domestic spaces, complemented by an ambient soundscape that evokes themes of gathering, celebration, and privacy.
Inside the galleries, visitors are offered insight into the conservation efforts behind the displayed objects, with explanations of documentation, cleaning, stabilization, and mounting processes. The doors’ painted surfaces and wear patterns reveal evolving aesthetic preferences and multiple generations of use. To encourage community engagement, the exhibition incorporates QR codes linked to a digital platform where the public can submit photographs, memories, and stories to help identify the origins of the objects, including relevant homes, neighborhoods, and craftspeople. This initiative is part of QM’s Heritage Clinic, a growing platform focused on the research, conservation, and adaptive reuse of built heritage. The exhibition was developed by QM’s Museography and Heritage Museums Development Department in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The second exhibition, “Atharna 2026: Life and Death in Pre-Islamic Qatar,” takes visitors through a reconstructed burial mound and an archaeologist’s tent before entering a dimly lit gallery. It features archaeological artifacts such as jewelry and weapons unearthed from pre-Islamic graves. The exhibit highlights how archaeological, bioarchaeological, and material analyses are deepening understanding of ancient Qatar’s social and cultural practices surrounding life and death.
Both exhibitions coincide with the reopening of Fahad Bin Ali Palace, accessible to the public for the first time in 20 years. Originally built between 1952 and 1963, the palace complex exemplifies early modern architecture in Qatar, blending structural innovation with decorative elements typical of the Doha Deco style.
Presented alongside these shows is “Beyti Beytak • My Home is Your Home,” organized by the forthcoming Art Mill Museum. Collectively, the exhibitions provide visitors with multifaceted perspectives on Qatar’s architectural heritage, archaeological legacy, and the interplay of memory, place, and identity.