The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah will welcome back visitors on Saturday. Courtesy: RAK Museum
The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah will welcome back visitors on Saturday. Courtesy: RAK Museum
The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah will welcome back visitors on Saturday. Courtesy: RAK Museum
The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah will welcome back visitors on Saturday. Courtesy: RAK Museum

Heritage

Ras Al Khaimah National Museum to reopen after six months

An exhibition about the date palm and its importance in Khaleeji hospitality will be held at the museum

Ruba Haza
Ras Al Khaimah

October 15, 2020

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  • Arabic

The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah​​ will welcome back visitors for the first time in six months on Saturday.

All Covid-19 precautionary and hygiene measures are in place to keep employees and visitors safe, museum officials said on Thursday.

An exhibition about the date palm tree and its significance in the society and culture of Ras Al Khaimah will be held as part of the reopening plans.

The exhibition on "Tamra", which means date palm in Arabic, will explain why the tree was included in the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list for the Middle East in 2019.

A coin that was minted in the 19th century was found in the Falaya palace compound, where the peace treaty between the Trucial States and the British was signed 200 years ago. Courtesy: RAK Museum
A coin that was minted in the 19th century was found in the Falaya palace compound, where the peace treaty between the Trucial States and the British was signed 200 years ago. Courtesy: RAK Museum

“Through the Tamra exhibition, we aim to shine a light on the role of the date palm for the guests,” said Ahmed Alteneiji, general director of Antiquities and Museums Department.

The installations in the museum will tell visitors the importance of palm trees in Khaleeji hospitality.

Some of the artefacts on display in the museum include the ‘Mardhouf Al Quwasim’, a coin that was minted in the 19th century.

It was found in the Falaya palace compound, where the peace treaty between the Trucial States and the British was signed 200 years ago.

The preserved pearling town of Jazirat Al Hamra is one of four listed as tentative Unesco sites from Ras Al Khaimah. This two-storey building belonged to a pearl merchant named Ahmed Al Omran and it is only part of a larger compound. Sarah Dea / The National
The preserved pearling town of Jazirat Al Hamra is one of four listed as tentative Unesco sites from Ras Al Khaimah. This two-storey building belonged to a pearl merchant named Ahmed Al Omran and it is only part of a larger compound. Sarah Dea / The National
Jazirat Al Hamra has courtyard houses, mosques, a souq, a fort and schools built from traditional and modern materials. Jeff Topping / The National
Jazirat Al Hamra has courtyard houses, mosques, a souq, a fort and schools built from traditional and modern materials. Jeff Topping / The National
A worker at the Jazirat Al Hamra heritage village and archaeological site in Ras Al Khamiah. Christopher Pike / The National
A worker at the Jazirat Al Hamra heritage village and archaeological site in Ras Al Khamiah. Christopher Pike / The National
Detail of a wall built of coral stone in Jazirat Al Hamra. Pawan Singh / The National
Detail of a wall built of coral stone in Jazirat Al Hamra. Pawan Singh / The National
A part of the Hajar Mountains from the historic Dhayah Fort north of Ras Al Khaimah. Silvia Razgova / The National
A part of the Hajar Mountains from the historic Dhayah Fort north of Ras Al Khaimah. Silvia Razgova / The National
Dhayah has been added to the list for its mountain and coastal settlements and natural palm gardens. Silvia Razgova / The National
Dhayah has been added to the list for its mountain and coastal settlements and natural palm gardens. Silvia Razgova / The National
Dhayah's varied geography is representative of the northern emirates. Silvia Razgova / The National
Dhayah's varied geography is representative of the northern emirates. Silvia Razgova / The National
The 2010 excavations of the medieval city of Julfar in Ras Al Khaimah. Jaime Puebla / The National
The 2010 excavations of the medieval city of Julfar in Ras Al Khaimah. Jaime Puebla / The National
Conservator Daniela Boos cleans a ceramic vessel found during the excavations of the medieval city of Julfar in Ras Al Khaimah in 2010. Jaime Puebla / The National
Conservator Daniela Boos cleans a ceramic vessel found during the excavations of the medieval city of Julfar in Ras Al Khaimah in 2010. Jaime Puebla / The National
Ahmed Al Tenaiji holds a piece of Chinese porcelain unearthed at Al Nudud in Julfar. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Ahmed Al Tenaiji holds a piece of Chinese porcelain unearthed at Al Nudud in Julfar. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Archaeologists have unearthed 700 year old pieces of Chinese porcelain in Julfar through a collaboration with archaeologists from Beijing started in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Archaeologists have unearthed 700 year old pieces of Chinese porcelain in Julfar through a collaboration with archaeologists from Beijing started in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A tomb in Ras Al Khaimah’s Shimal area, a prominent archaeological site dating back to the Umm Al Nar period. Courtesy: Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office
A tomb in Ras Al Khaimah’s Shimal area, a prominent archaeological site dating back to the Umm Al Nar period. Courtesy: Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office
More than 100 megalithic tombs are scattered over three kilometres on the gravel plains and acacia forests at the foot of the Hajar mountains. Lee Hoagland / The National
More than 100 megalithic tombs are scattered over three kilometres on the gravel plains and acacia forests at the foot of the Hajar mountains. Lee Hoagland / The National

The emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah​​, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain were known as the Trucial States before becoming the UAE in 1971.

Other fascinating artefacts on display are a 4000-year-old date palm seed from the Shamal Bronze Age settlement site, a 12th century gold coin that was found recently, various date palm tree products and a contemporary art collection from Geraldine Chansard, a French artist who lives in Ras Al Khaimah.

Visitors will also be able to see the museum's new discovery, a madbasa, which is an architectural element used to produce date syrup nearly 2,000 years ago.

It was discovered by archaeologists last year during the restoration of the museum building.

The new find is believed to date back to the era before oil was discovered in the region in the early 20th century.

In September, four sites in Ras Al Khaimah with more than 5,000 years of history were added to Unesco's tentative list of world heritage sites.

The sites are the pearling town of Jazirat Al Hamra, the lost metropolis of Julfar, the megalithic tombs of Shimal and the oasis of Dhayah.

Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world

New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.

The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.

Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.

“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.

"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."

England v South Africa schedule
  • First Test: Starts Thursday, Lord's, 2pm (UAE)
  • Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
  • Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
  • Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
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