Described as the centrepiece of Saadiyat Cultural District, Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi opens to the public today (Wednesday 3 December), joining an impressive list of cultural institutions already drawing residents and visitors from all over the world to the western tip of Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island.
It's probably also the museum that international visitors will have heard least about, despite its rather spectacular appearance: the enormous edifice is crowned with slanting steel towers designed by British architect Lord Norman Foster to resemble a falcon's feathery wingtips.
Within walking distance of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abrahamic Family House, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, which opened on 22 November, Zayed National Museum celebrates the UAE's history, culture and environment through its unique collection of more than 1,500 objects, gathered from all seven emirates and curated in six main permanent galleries.
The museum also pays tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late ruler of Abu Dhabi, known as the nation's founding father for uniting the federation of seven emirates on 2 December, 1971; a date enshrined in the emirates' National Day.
His story is told in Our Beginning, the gallery where visitors start their tour and where I'm given tantalising glimpses of the museum's collection when I visit a few days ahead of opening. Prize exhibits include the sleek black Chrysler car that became synonymous with Sheikh Zayed's travels to check the progress towards modernisation across the UAE firsthand.
Subsequent galleries dig deep into the past. To Our Ancestors traces human habitation in the region from Paleolithic era stone tools that are 300,000 years old to pottery finds, a reconstruction of Al Ain's Hili Grand Tomb and a tiny 8,000-year-old lustrous pink pearl to tell the story of trade routes. Through Our Connections, meanwhile, uses touchscreen technology to impressive effect to breathe life into archaeological discoveries such as Christian settlements on Sir Bani Yas island.
By Our Coasts tells the fascinating stories of Arab navigators like Ibn Majid, who was born in Julfar – what is now Ras Al Khaimah – in 1432, through imaginative, almost cinematic displays, as well as examining coastal architecture, fishing, pearling and boatbuilding. If you're determined to explore the UAE, the museum proves an invaluable resource for adding context to your travels.
Until the new year, the museum is running Deep Roots and Everlasting Legacy, a public programme comprising dance, folk and poetry performances, musical recitals, craft workshops and hands-on cultural activities alongside museum tours.
Open to non-ticket holders, Erth Restaurant, which last year earned a Michelin star for its novel take on traditional Emirati cuisine at Qasr Al Hosn, is Zayed National Museum’s signature restaurant and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, overlooking the museum’s dramatic water feature. Cafes in the museum's outdoor gallery-cum-garden provide a good vantage point to admire the emirates' native flora and fauna while enjoying a coffee.
The museum gift shop, Al Nagwa Boutique, is also well worth a visit for its lovely selection of specially commissioned bags, jewellery and children's games. Here, I'm sorely tempted to buy a desert version of the board game Snakes and Ladders, printed on a fabric square with palms for ladders, and prettily decorated with camels and birdlife. Proof that Zayed National Museum rewards in great and small measures.