The Archaeology and Heritage Department offers hands-on indoor and outdoor learning experiences for people of all ages. Advance booking is necessary, and all activities are subject to availability.
“ One of our tasks is to educate future generations about the history and archaeological sites in Qatar, from the prehistoric to the Islamic era. ”Faisal Al Naimi, Director of Archaeology, Qatar Museums
To request an activity, kindly email Margaux De Pauw mdepauw@qm.org.qa (English) or Maysa Al Kuwairi mkuwari@qm.org.qa (Arabic) with the following details:
Visit one of the many activated sites with an expert, or combine culture and nature during one of our educational clean-ups.
Join us for a guided tour on one of our activated archaeological and heritage sites! A guide will provide expert insights, historical context and a structured exploration, enhancing understanding and appreciation of the site's significance.
Qatar’s most popular site to visit is UNESCO World Heritage Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, one of the best-preserved examples of a traditional pearl fishing and merchant town. This experience can be extended with a guided tour of the ongoing seasonal archaeological excavations.
Other activated sites include Al Jassasiya Rock Art Site, Barzan Towers, Rekayat Fort, Al Ruwaida Archaeological Site and Zekreet Fort.
Let’s talk trash! Archaeologists learn a lot about Qatar’s past from the objects that are left behind. Help an archaeologist clean an archaeological site and learn how our ancestors lived sustainably by reusing and recycling. Participants are allowed supervised access to the site to explore both nature and history.
These educational clean-ups are possible thanks to Seashore initiative Wasm, that promotes environmental stewardship through community action. All trash is transported to their waste management facility for potential recycling.
Individuals seeking impromptu clean-up opportunities are welcome to join DEAP's Friday activities at Al Zubarah Archaeological Site and various other locations across Qatar.
Join us for hands-on educational activities to unravel part of Qatar’s history together.
Learn more about artefacts through a hands-on pottery restoration activity. With the help of a ceramic expert, children piece together fragments to re-create and decorate their own pot while also being introduced to different types of pottery, their life cycles and the concept of conservation.
Learn about different types of artefacts and ecofacts, and help archaeologists sort pottery according to functional attributes such as shape, size, material, colour and wear patterns. More experienced participants learn basic techniques of drawing pottery for archaeological purposes.
Encourage children’s natural curiosity with a real archaeological dig in the classroom. Learn how to use trowels and other tools used by archaeologists, how to find and excavate an archaeological site and how to register artefacts.
Learn about the natural sources of purple dye (murex snails), the methods of dye extraction and textile colouring followed by a presentation about Jazirat Bin Ghannam Island. This is a (seasonal) hands-on experience about the heritage of textile craftsmanship in Qatar, connecting the past with the present.
Step back in time to a prehistoric Arabian Peninsula. In this activity, children learn about life in the earliest human settlements of Qatar, including survival skills and how to handle stone tools and arrows and create rock art.
Building models allows children to engage with history in a tangible way. Putting together their own small replicas of Barzan Towers enables participants to grasp the tangible elements of architecture and deepen their understanding of Qatar’s heritage buildings.
This activity is a collaboration with Qatar Museums' Cultural Heritage Conservation Department.
Participants work together to re-create a gypsum carving while also learning about different historical architectural elements of Qatari heritage buildings.
This activity is a collaboration with Qatar Museums’ Cultural Heritage Conservation Department.
Connect with history through fascinating lectures about archaeology and heritage or by volunteering at excavations.
On an archaeological site, it is all hands on deck! We regularly welcome volunteers on our excavations and surveys. Have you always wondered what it's like to be an archaeologist, or have you always dreamed of becoming one? Then this is the ultimate experience for you.
Bring Qatar's archaeological sites to the classroom or club by booking a captivating lecture from one of our archaeologists.
