Al-Zaher Palace Museum, Archaeological museum in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Zaher Palace Museum is housed in a traditional palace in Mecca with a grand central hall topped by a dome supported by 24 marble columns. The collections include archaeological finds, documents, and photographs organized across two floors for different types of display.
The palace was built in 1946 by King Abdulaziz and first served as a guest residence before becoming a school. Its transformation into a museum allowed important historical and archaeological materials to be preserved and displayed in one location.
The name Al-Zaher means "the radiant" and reflects the bright, open feeling of the palace with its high ceilings and natural light flooding through large windows. Visitors can see how the arrangement of displays tells the story of Islamic civilization's development across different periods.
The museum is divided into specialized sections across two floors, with the ground level displaying prehistoric finds and geological exhibits while the upper floor presents Islamic art and related pieces. Visitors can move between floors based on their interests to explore different collections.
A large marble fountain stands at the center of the main hall, surrounded by columns arranged in a circular pattern that supports the palace's architectural structure. This central placement of the fountain reveals how the building was originally designed as a residence before being repurposed as a public museum.
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