Museums Saudi Arabia - Attractions

This museum is in association with the Ministry of Defense and Aviation. The museum follows the development of the Saudi Forces. It displays everything from weapons to military uniforms designed especially for college students. You need to be an official visitor, affiliated to the Administration of the Military College, to get a peek into this museum.

The National Museum occupies a vast area on the premises of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre. The museum has an interesting display of manuscripts, documents, antiques and much more. All the eight halls have the display arranged in a chronological order - from the creation of the earth and universe to present day Riyadh, it's all there! Check the website for the visiting hours as it varies for families, men and schools.

The Security College Museum is as good as a documentary center, with arms, equipments, and samples of plans, photographs and other military mechanisms. It also holds important documents of the Ad'Diriyah convention that brought in a significant religious movement. Please note that you need to request the museum authorities to arrange a visit, before you go here.

Step into the Riyadh Museum for a glimpse of local art and culture. Located to the west of Al-Bathaa, the museum's eight sections explore the diverse history, beautiful architecture and archaeology of Saudi Arabia. Clothing, musical instruments, weapons, and jewelry dating back to the Stone Age are on display here. Other themes on focus include the Arabian Kingdoms, The Prophet's Mission and Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques. The mosque is open all year round.

If a museum is linked to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), it would take you no guesses to tell the kind of display you would find here. If you're interested in currency notes and are curious to know what they looked like before your birth, head over to this place. You will be amazed to find currencies from pre-Islamic era, the Islamic age and the 14th Hegira Century. It also includes currency displays of some other countries, chiefly, the Gulf. Do get in touch with SAMA to organize a visit to the museum.

If you believe in the medicinal value of plants, you should definitely visit this museum. The Drugs department of King Saud University's Pharmacy college has set up the Medical Drugs Museum. Hydrated samples of herbs found in and around Saudi Arabia are on display. So, the next time you fall ill, you should exactly know which herb would help you get out of the sick situation.

The Museum was started by the Zoology department of King Saud University. If you wish to increase your knowledge about various species, then this museum would help you do so. Live samples of animals, birds, reptiles, aquatic fauna and much more will teach you and take you closer to nature. You can also go through documents that give detailed descriptions of studies and experiments done on different species. Go ahead and enter the the wild world of animals! Only men allowed.

This is a different kind of a museum - it does have original manuscripts and books, but there are other special displays too. It has a great coin collection; manuscript tombstones make for a unique kind of curiosity, and then there are micro-filmed photographs of the said manuscripts too. Also, do have a look at the Kufi Holy book that has been written on a different medium like leather.

The museum, as the name suggests, has an interesting display of antiquities and folklore. Costumes, weapons, swords and gold daggers, mail stamps and ceramic utensils: you get a good peek into the lifestyle of Arab culture and civilization. What captures the attention of visitors is a tent - a replica of the Musmak Castle and engravings of verses from the Quran.

This is a heritage museum, but a private one at that. It has on display men's costumes, weapons and other war equipment, utensils and kitchenware. What may interest you is that, it also has a variety of old cars lined up for your viewing pleasure. Go ahead and have a look - but do remember to co-ordinate with the owner and arrange a visit.

Archeological excavations by the Antiquity Department of the College of Arts is the chief force and source behind this museum. It was set up in order to familiarize students with the various aspects in the field of archaeology. There are two sections - the first includes articles like rocks, utensils, metals and ornaments from the FAO village; the second section includes coins, utensils and other excavated items belonging to the site of Rabza. Visit the place and learn more about Arabic civilization. Only men are allowed.

King Saud University's Geology Department helped to establish this unique museum. The focus is not just on geological displays, but on gathering samples and further study as well. So, if you wish to learn more about the ground beneath your feet- be it metals, rocks or fossils, you know where to go.

If you are one of those curious people, who like to know how preserved bodies look in glass cases, then head straight here. Marvel at the plastic replicas of human organs or grimace at the sight of human bodies kept in solutions. Whatever your reaction, you surely will take home an important anatomy lesson. Only men allowed.

How did the postal services begin and thereby, progress in the Arab Peninsula? If you wish to know the answer to this question, head directly to these exhibits organised by the PTT (Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephones). Postal equipment including stamps and seals are on display. There are samples of the present equipment put up too - you could thus make note of the similarities and differences between them.

Riyadh is capital city of Saudi Arabia. The city acquires its name from the plural of the Arabic word rawdha, which translates as "garden that grows post the spring rains." Riyadh is famous for being a desert land flourishing with dates, palm trees and fragrant orchards. The city is also the center for government activities, as well as the prime location for embassies and foreign diplomats to convene their meets. The city is also famous for its educational institutes, two of which are the King Saud University, and the Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University. The famous King Fahd International Stadium is also in Riyadh. The stadium is a large structure with a capacity of 80,000 people, and is shaped like a gigantic Arabic tent. Other tourist hot spots in the city are the National Museum, the King Khalid Museum, the ring road around the city as well as the Equestrian Club.