Beirut, Lebanon
Museum in Beirut, Lebanon
The Robert Mouawad Private Museum, in the Zokak el-Blat quarter near downtown Beirut, occupies a neo-Gothic palace built in 1891 by the Lebanese politician and collector Philippe Pharaon and inherited in 1922 by his son Henri Pharaon, who improved it and filled it with precious objects throughout his life there. Tradition says the first Lebanese flag was drawn and signed in this house. The jeweller and businessman Robert Mouawad bought the palace in 1990, restored it over seven years while keeping everything the Pharaon family had left, and opened it as a museum on 11 May 2006. The architecture reflects Henri Pharaon's love of Islamic art, with 17th-century carved wooden panels collected on his frequent trips to Syria, decorated ceilings and fountains. The collection blends East and West: Byzantine mosaics, Roman marble sculpture, historic columns, jars and pottery, Chinese porcelain, ancient weapons, rare carpets, Melkite Catholic icons, manuscripts and rare books, plus two rooms of Mouawad jewellery and gemstones. It closed after the 2020 port explosion and has since reopened.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half. As a private museum its hours and fees change, so check its website before going. It is a short distance from downtown, easy to combine with the historic centre or the Grand Serail nearby. Photography inside may be restricted; ask at the entrance.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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MuseumBeirut, Lebanon
