Top 5 Museums in Makkah

1. Clock Tower Museum

The Clock Tower Museum is situated in the world’s third tallest building and world’s tallest clock tower. It is a must-visit tourist attraction for the jaw-dropping bird’s eye view of Makkah city. The museum offers science centers, observatories, and observation decks. It spreads out on the first four floors of the clock tower. The first floor has the famous Makkah Clock, deemed as the world’s most accurate clock. On the next two floors, visitors get to learn about the universe’s secrets. The museum on these floors preserves massive astronomical models. The fourth floor has enormous balconies from where tourists can get an extensive view of the Grand Mosque.

Location: King Abdul Aziz Rd, Makkah

Timings: 2 pm to 11 pm, everyday

Ticket price: Clock Tower Museum ticket price is SR 150 per person normally and SR 300 per person for VIPs

2. Makkah Museum

The Makkah Museum, earlier known as the Al Zahir Palace, is the best place for those who want to understand the past and present of the holy city of Makkah. It is, indeed, one of the most-visited museums in Makkah taking people back to the artistic era of Saudi Arabia. The place has an exquisite collection of Islamic literature, art, and archaeology. There are inscriptions on the walls symbolizing the teachings of the holy Quran and the age-old Islamic practice of calligraphy. Multiple sculptures and artifacts dating back to several centuries show the beauty of Arabic art and culture. Visitors can check the official website for booking online tickets to Makkah Museum. While walking through the rooms of the Makkah Museum, visitors get a historical and religious experience of the region’s glorious past. The museum also has separate prayer halls for men and women.

Makkah Museum Location: Makkah Al Madinah Munawwarah Rd, Al Zahir, Makkah

Makkah Museum Timings: 8 am to 12.30 pm & 4 pm to 9 pm, everyday

3. Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques

The two holiest mosques in Islam, the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, have undergone a great change ever since their inception. The main idea behind the Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques Architecture Museum is to capture and showcase the architectural transformation of these mosques throughout history. The museum displays outstanding architectural designs and relics from both mosques. It’s entrance is similar to that of the Grand Mosque with beautiful inscriptions on the teachings of the holy Quran. There are seven halls in the museum exhibiting the grandeur of the Grand Mosque, the Holy Kaaba, the Prophet’s Mosque, Zamzam Well, manuscripts, and photographs. Visitors also get a free copy of the Holy Quran and sample of Zamzam water.

Location: Old Makkah Jeddah Road, Al Hamra Umm Al Jud, Makkah

Timings: 9 am to 8 pm, everyday

4. Al-Amoudi Museum

Al Amoudi Museum is a themed museum located in the heart of Makkah. It is a popular tourist attraction, especially amongst the pilgrims. The museum houses artifacts and relics from different historical periods depicting the lives of the royal family of Saudi Arabia. It serves as a great learning center for cultural awareness. Visitors can learn a lot about folklore and the way of life of the common people of the past.

Location: Makkah – Jeddah Highway, Al Hamra Umm Al Jud, Makkah

Timings: 8 am to 11 pm, everyday

Ticket price: SR 3 per person

5. Al Shareef Museum

Al Shareef Museum, located in the Taif region of the Makkah province showcases the history of Saudi Arabia through its rich collection of artifacts, furniture, and other valuable relics. Visitors get to see year-old furniture, doors, lanterns, and other antiques with intricate detailing. Apart from the old house displays, a section in the museum exhibits various ancient tools like the ones used in agriculture and medicinal purposes. Another section displays a great collection of ancient books, manuscripts, and inscriptions. The museum also has rare manuscripts of the Holy Quran on display as well. Other unique exhibits include vintage cars, cameras, weapons, watches, radios, etc. There is an impressive museum market where visitors can buy souvenirs, antique tools, and clothes. Visitors can also experience weekly auctions organized at the museum.

Location: Al Sadad, Opposite Hassan Ibn Thabit Road, Taif, Makkah Province

Timings: 4 pm to 12 am, everyday

Ticket price: SR 20 per adult person

Makkah in Saudi Arabia is considered the holiest place in Islamic culture. The place is home to the biggest mosque in the world: Masjid Al-Haram with Kaaba, the holy shrine, at the center. Every year, approximately 2 million Muslims worldwide travel to Makkah to perform the Hajj. Makkah acts as a cultural point bringing together diverse and rich food, markets, and demography. Understanding Makkah’s religious and historical background is essential to know more about the changes that the city has gone through. This is where the museums and exhibitions steal the spotlight. The museums in Makkah inexplicably represent the history and culture of the city helping the travelers learn more about Islam and Arabian tribes.

Suggested Read: Top 10 Places To Visit With Family In Makkah And Madinah

Museums In Makkah FAQs

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Al Shareef Museum history

Established back in the year 2005, Al Shareef Museum is one of the most famous private museums in Taif. While the museum has several highlights, what adds the most to its popularity is its owner Al-Sharif Ali Bin Malbas. He has been traveling across the entire country for around three decades in search of unique and valuable historical artifacts. Counted among the top tourist destinations in Taif today, The museum has a vast collection of incredible artifacts, paintings, and furniture.

Al Shareef Museum architecture

The museum sprawls across an area of 6,000 square meters in the Umm Al-Sebaa neighborhood of Taif. The large traditional building of the museum has been constructed from old stone with jittering rain gutters emerging from the rooftop. One of the museum’s major highlights is its diverse wooden doors decorated with iron frills, giving the museum a striking architectural style of the past. Additionally, elaborate lanterns hang on each house to light up the museum alleys beautifully.

Museum’s main attractions

Al Shareef Museum has an exceptional antique collection that is revered by historians all across the world. Further, its beautiful architecture and various other amazing attractions are enough to attract hundreds of tourists all year round.

Listed below are some of the major highlights of all that the museum has to offer.

1. Household display from 150 years ago

Al Shareef Museum exhibits a very large collection of heritage pieces and artifacts of all kinds, displaying them by their function and specialization. This exquisite collection provides visitors with a deeper understanding of how the country’s ancestors used to live in the past. The museum has numerous sections, including an elaborate recreation of a housewife’s room from nearly 150 years ago. The section displays sewing machines, jewelry, and clothes. Other sections include life-size models of the ancient living rooms for women and men from centuries ago.

2. Tools and vintage car displays

In addition, the museum has sections that exhibit everything from medical tools dating back 60 years, weapons, and agricultural tools to old children’s toys, copper tools, cooking utensils, and other household items. Another section of the museum displays a plethora of ancient books, old manuscripts of the Holy Quran, and a breathtaking collection of rare pieces that date back to when the Saudi state was founded. Visitors can explore other interesting exhibits such as old cameras, radios, and watches. For most visitors, the best part of the tour is a collection of 30 different vintage cars, including a 1926 Ford. These cars provide insight into the initial days of automobiles and how they were different to present-day motor vehicles.

3. Museum’s market

The museum has a market that features a huge collection of antique weapons, souvenirs, and clothes representing the region’s traditional folk dresses. A corner of this market is solely dedicated to craftsmen, carpenters, sculptors, and tailors who spend their time working on different kinds of projects. This corner consists of an array of stalls and shops, each dedicated to a particular craft featuring tools and machines belonging to that craft. Additionally, these craftsmen and artists provide tourists with customized souvenirs.

4. Weekly auctions

The most prominent and distinguishing feature of the Al Shareef Museum is that it holds a weekly auction of various rare artifacts. These auctions are widely regarded as the most important attraction of the private museum. A number of amateur and professional collectors attend these auctions every week. Though the auction has limited artifacts on sale, with a watchful eye, one can find a great piece from the history of Saudi Arabia.

Al Shareef Museum general information

Location: The museum is 9 km south of Taif city center

Al Shareef Museum timings: the museum stays open to visitors from 4 pm to midnight every day.

Ideal visit duration: It can take 2-3 hours to explore the museum completely.

Entry fee: The museum charges an entry fee of SR 20 per adult.

Instagram profile: @alsharif_museum

When in Taif, visiting Al Shareef Museum is among the top things to do for a tourist. With its massive collection and rare heritage pieces, the museum is a gem for history enthusiasts or those interested in learning more about the local history. Additionally, the local guides make the experience of visiting the museum much more informative.

Suggested Read: 10 Tourist Places To Visit In Taif, The City Of Roses In Saudi Arabia

Al Shareef Museum FAQs

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