A new private museum, containing around 6,000 pieces of antique artifacts was inaugurated in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Exhibits include jewellery, weapons, oil lamps, ceramics, copperware, Quranic and Hadith manuscripts, prints, coins and stamps.
Some of the exhibits originating from Central Asia, Persia, India and the Middle East date as far back as 2,000 years BC.
The collection belongs to UAE national Dr Ahmed Khoory, who started acquiring antiques 40 years ago. “My first collection was of coins and stamps. The oldest coin is from the Ilam dynasty in Mesopotamia and dates back to 700 B.C., while the oldest coin from the Gulf area is from 500 B.C., depicting the Persian King Dariush,” explained Dr Khoory.
His coin collection has now reached 2,000 silver and gold pieces, 40 of them belonging to the period of Alexander the Great, who ruled the Middle East, part of Asia Minor and North Africa some 2,250 years ago.
Clay and copper oil lamps are among the oldest artifacts Dr Khoory posseses, although the oldest piece is a good-luck charm, from the Middle East. It is 4,000 years old.
“It is quite heavy, so it was not for wear, but to be kept in the house, as decoration. It has two faces, decorated with birds and snakes, which in some ancient cultures were symbols of fortune”, said Dr Khoory. A special cabinet is dedicated to Emirati and other Gulf countries’ antiques, including at least 500 pieces of semi-precious stones and silver Bedouin style jewelleries and 350 semi-precious stone rings, dating back to 2,500 years ago, as well as praying beads made of amber, agate, rubies and other precious stones.
Dr Khoory also explained that most of his artifacts were taken to the British Museum in London, for autentification.
“I am always very careful to avoid buying faked items; however, even experts could get cheated, especially on a shopping spree in a foreign country,” he said, adding that now he double-checks and verifies the items before buying.
Dr Khoory opened the museum in his private villa in the ADCO compound on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
All visitors are welcome to view the collection free of charge, providing they make an appointment in advance, through his office at ADCO.
“For the future, I would like to open a web site as well and also to cooperate with other private collectors and with the new museums that will open on Sadiyat Island in the near future,” he said. Source
Exhibits include jewellery, weapons, oil lamps, ceramics, copperware, Quranic and Hadith manuscripts, prints, coins and stamps.
Some of the exhibits originating from Central Asia, Persia, India and the Middle East date as far back as 2,000 years BC.
The collection belongs to UAE national Dr Ahmed Khoory, who started acquiring antiques 40 years ago. “My first collection was of coins and stamps. The oldest coin is from the Ilam dynasty in Mesopotamia and dates back to 700 B.C., while the oldest coin from the Gulf area is from 500 B.C., depicting the Persian King Dariush,” explained Dr Khoory.
His coin collection has now reached 2,000 silver and gold pieces, 40 of them belonging to the period of Alexander the Great, who ruled the Middle East, part of Asia Minor and North Africa some 2,250 years ago.
Clay and copper oil lamps are among the oldest artifacts Dr Khoory posseses, although the oldest piece is a good-luck charm, from the Middle East. It is 4,000 years old.
“It is quite heavy, so it was not for wear, but to be kept in the house, as decoration. It has two faces, decorated with birds and snakes, which in some ancient cultures were symbols of fortune”, said Dr Khoory. A special cabinet is dedicated to Emirati and other Gulf countries’ antiques, including at least 500 pieces of semi-precious stones and silver Bedouin style jewelleries and 350 semi-precious stone rings, dating back to 2,500 years ago, as well as praying beads made of amber, agate, rubies and other precious stones.
Dr Khoory also explained that most of his artifacts were taken to the British Museum in London, for autentification.
“I am always very careful to avoid buying faked items; however, even experts could get cheated, especially on a shopping spree in a foreign country,” he said, adding that now he double-checks and verifies the items before buying.
Dr Khoory opened the museum in his private villa in the ADCO compound on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
All visitors are welcome to view the collection free of charge, providing they make an appointment in advance, through his office at ADCO.
“For the future, I would like to open a web site as well and also to cooperate with other private collectors and with the new museums that will open on Sadiyat Island in the near future,” he said. Source
1 comment:
sir.
i have some antique manuscripts to offer you. and i am in abu dhabi now i woul like to meet you or any other person who can talk ffor you.
thank you
regards
Syed ghayoor
0558049665
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