The Old Palace was originally built in the early 20th century by Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, who is considered to be the father of modern Qatar. For approximately 25 years the palace was at the centre of Qatar’s political leadership, serving as residence of the Royal Family and seat of government.

In 1975 the palace was converted into the National Museum of Qatar, which included a Museum of the State, a lagoon and a very popular marine aquarium. In 1980 the building won the Agha Khan award for restoration and rehabilitation of Islamic architecture. In 2014-15 the Old Palace was again restored and will be integrated into the new National Museum of Qatar designed by French architect Jean Nouvel.

The recent restoration of the palace aimed at setting a new standard for the treatment of historic buildings and architectural conservation, both in Qatar and across the region.