The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani (FBQ) Museum will open a new section right before the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, featuring a collection of over 500 antique vehicles, according to museum director Claudio Cravero.
Described as the ‘car museum’, he told Gulf Times that FBQ Museum has been preparing this major project for years, and is now being constructed.
“The collection will count around 500 cars, but will showcase 120 cars in a visitor journey through the evolution of car manufacturing globally and in parallel with Qatar’s development – a sort of narrative journey that goes from the beginning of motorisation/mobilisation in the Gulf region up to (the use of) latest brand-new models that you can see in the streets of Doha.
“It will include classical, vintage, and sports cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini. A depot-like display of up 200 cars will also be on show,” said Cravero, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Azerbaijan section’s inauguration at FBQ recently.
The ‘car museum’ will be the latest addition at FBQ Museum’s several other sections such as the carpet section and clothing hall, among others, in addition to the Q’uran room, which houses a huge number of Q’urans.
Other sections of the museum display old traditional musical instruments, furniture, photographs, artworks, and other antique pieces from various parts of the world.
Established in 1998, Cravero noted that FBQ Museum is one of the biggest private museums globally, which has a private collection of more than 30,000 objects on display.
“They range from the Jurassic era and pre-historic times to pre Islamic era up to the present day, crossing geographies and boundaries. The pieces on display are actually real, and a concentration of influences between cultures.
“Sheikh Faisal’s passion for collecting dates back when he was 10 years old and he is still collecting extensively so we received pieces that have been acquired from other collections or from auction houses, they are brought to the museum and put on display,” he said.
According to Cravero, the Azerbaijani section, which will be permanently exhibited at the museum, forms part of the private institution's close co-operation with other foreign entities and embassies in Qatar.
“We would like to highlight that this collection is essentially another new element within the narrative of the museum,” he said, adding that the Azerbaijani collection consists of around 110 items such as carpets, plates, music instruments, and “other memories that stresses the relationship between Qatar and Azerbaijan”
“We received (items) quite frequently from foreign embassies here in Qatar as a sign of recognition to HE Sheikh Faisal, strengthening the bonds between two countries,” Cravero added. “Some of the pieces are not displayed, they are conserved and preserved within a private room inside the museum, they are not accessible to the public upon entrance”.
He said previous collaborations with other embassies were connected with the Qatar Museums Year of Culture programme such as India, France, and recently, the US, among other partner countries.
Almost 25 years old, the FBQ Museum is one of the oldest private museums in the Middle East and its uniqueness is reflected in the diversity and variety of the objects it keeps.
“Another point is that it is a private institution, so whatever is done internally is really out of the generosity and passion of Sheikh Faisal himself,” Cravero said.
Described as the ‘car museum’, he told Gulf Times that FBQ Museum has been preparing this major project for years, and is now being constructed.
The new car museum will showcase classical, vintage, and sports cars
“The collection will count around 500 cars, but will showcase 120 cars in a visitor journey through the evolution of car manufacturing globally and in parallel with Qatar’s development – a sort of narrative journey that goes from the beginning of motorisation/mobilisation in the Gulf region up to (the use of) latest brand-new models that you can see in the streets of Doha.
Other sections of the museum display old traditional musical instruments, furniture, photographs, artworks, and other antique pieces from various parts of the world
“It will include classical, vintage, and sports cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini. A depot-like display of up 200 cars will also be on show,” said Cravero, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Azerbaijan section’s inauguration at FBQ recently.
The ‘car museum’ will be the latest addition at FBQ Museum’s several other sections such as the carpet section and clothing hall, among others, in addition to the Q’uran room, which houses a huge number of Q’urans.
The FBQ Museum has a private collection of more than 30,000 objects on display
Other sections of the museum display old traditional musical instruments, furniture, photographs, artworks, and other antique pieces from various parts of the world.
Established in 1998, Cravero noted that FBQ Museum is one of the biggest private museums globally, which has a private collection of more than 30,000 objects on display.
“They range from the Jurassic era and pre-historic times to pre Islamic era up to the present day, crossing geographies and boundaries. The pieces on display are actually real, and a concentration of influences between cultures.
“Sheikh Faisal’s passion for collecting dates back when he was 10 years old and he is still collecting extensively so we received pieces that have been acquired from other collections or from auction houses, they are brought to the museum and put on display,” he said.
According to Cravero, the Azerbaijani section, which will be permanently exhibited at the museum, forms part of the private institution's close co-operation with other foreign entities and embassies in Qatar.
“We would like to highlight that this collection is essentially another new element within the narrative of the museum,” he said, adding that the Azerbaijani collection consists of around 110 items such as carpets, plates, music instruments, and “other memories that stresses the relationship between Qatar and Azerbaijan”
“We received (items) quite frequently from foreign embassies here in Qatar as a sign of recognition to HE Sheikh Faisal, strengthening the bonds between two countries,” Cravero added. “Some of the pieces are not displayed, they are conserved and preserved within a private room inside the museum, they are not accessible to the public upon entrance”.
He said previous collaborations with other embassies were connected with the Qatar Museums Year of Culture programme such as India, France, and recently, the US, among other partner countries.
Almost 25 years old, the FBQ Museum is one of the oldest private museums in the Middle East and its uniqueness is reflected in the diversity and variety of the objects it keeps.
“Another point is that it is a private institution, so whatever is done internally is really out of the generosity and passion of Sheikh Faisal himself,” Cravero said.
