Photo by Azzam Al Mannai at Lehmesa: Return by Moonlight
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums (QM) has announced the final phase of a diverse program of exhibitions set to conclude in February, as part of the Qatar Creates fall-winter 2025 season.
These exhibitions bring together leading voices in art, architecture, and environmental research, collectively presenting powerful narratives around cultural memory, artistic creativity, environmental responsibility, and architectural excellence, reaffirming Qatar Museums' role as a leading platform for cultural production and knowledge exchange.
Among the key highlights is the exhibition A Nation's Legacy, A People's Memory: Fifty Years Told at the National Museum of Qatar, running until Feb. 7, Marking the 50th anniversary of the National Museum of Qatar, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through time, tracing the museum's evolution from its founding in 1975 at the Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Palace to its landmark reopening in 2019 in the iconic desert rose-inspired building designed by Jean Nouvel.
Spanning five decades of transformation, the exhibition underscores the museum's central position in Qatar's cultural landscape, highlighting its vital role in preserving national identity, advancing cultural diplomacy, and fostering global exchange.
It also showcases the museum's pioneering use of innovative techniques and visual storytelling to present Qatar's history, featuring contemporary re-creations of beloved elements of the original site, such as the Earth Dome, alongside rare documents and photographs from the museum's early years.
In a related context, the immersive exhibition Lehmesa: Return by Moonlight explores the life cycle of the sea turtle known locally as "Lehmesa", with a particular focus on the Hawksbill turtle that returns to Qatar's shores each nesting season.
The exhibition addresses pressing environmental challenges, including habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, as well as the fragile marine ecosystems along Qatar's coasts. Lehmesa: Return by Moonlight underscores Qatar's commitment to marine conservation and the protection of its natural heritage for future generations.
