The Palestinian Museum

The Palestinian Museum grew from an idea put forward in 1997 by members of the Taawon (Welfare Association) Board of Trustees to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nakba. Over time the concept moved from preserving memory to celebrating Palestinian culture through new programmes. The museum opened on 18 May 2016 in Birzeit, seven kilometres north of Ramallah, in a building by the Irish architects Heneghan Peng that won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2019. It is a Swiss-registered non-governmental association with a branch in Palestine, directed by Amer Shomali.

Its stated mission is the production and dissemination of emancipatory learning experiences about Palestine, its people and history, in Palestine and around the world. The 3,000 square metre building, whose form echoes the stone terraces of the Palestinian countryside, houses galleries, an amphitheatre, an education centre and conservation studios, set in gardens by Lara Zureikat planted with indigenous species. Recent exhibitions include Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine and The Dice Player: Mahmoud Darwish, alongside a digital archive and exhibitions designed to be downloaded and shown anywhere.