Restored historic palace with arches and sand coloured buildings in the background
Researchers

Doha's Old Palace

1 May 2020

Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's Old Palace Old Palace, built in the early 20th century, was at the centre of Qatar’s political leadership for approximately 25 years.

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After serving as residence of the Royal Family and the seat of government, the palace was converted into the National Museum of Qatar in 1975, which included a Museum of the State, a lagoon and a marine aquarium. The building won the Aga Khan award for restoration and rehabilitation of Islamic architecture in 1980. The Old Palace remains at the heart of the current National Museum of Qatar.

Through its most recent restoration, we aim to set a new standard for the treatment of historic buildings and architectural conservation, both in Qatar and across the region.

This joint project between Qatar Museums and Ziegert Roswag Seiler Architekten Ingenieure (ZRS) restores the palace to its original fabric using new elements where structurally necessary, but without the use of air conditioning. The Palace has been restored, complemented and refurbished a number of times, and all of these layers facilitate the story of its rich history. The building is a living gallery exhibiting a way of Qatari life of days gone by.

Read More About the Project