The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum as we know today is the result of the enduring passion of a man to preserve and spread cultures of the world alongside his own. Sheikh Faisal’s enthusiasm for collecting initially manifested itself as a private collection in his majlis (Arab gathering space). Through collecting, Sheikh Faisal sought to preserve elements of cultural heritage and ultimately share them with the public, his rapidly growing collection soon became too large to be housed in a private setting.

Thus the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum was founded in 1998 as a non-profit museum foundation of public interest, in a grand fort at Al Samriya Farm with a breath-taking exterior. Built of local stone with traditional turrets, the building is in itself a collector’s piece in contrast with Qatar’s developing landscape. Envisaged by Sheikh Faisal and purpose-built to preserve and display the extraordinary collection, the museum design is particularly dedicated to upholding and promoting Islamic heritage.

In 2010, the museum was selected by the Ministry of Art, Culture and Heritage as one of Qatar’s cultural landmarks as part of the ‘Qatar Capital of Culture’ activities.