This museum offers the very rare opportunity to step onto a rich sheikh's property and take a peek at his personal belongings. Sheikh Faisal has spent a lifetime collecting beautiful things. His vast, remarkable collection of artefacts includes carpets, furniture, swords, ancient tapestries, Bedouin outfits, plus a whole Syrian house (transported and placed inside the museum). The whole lot is displayed in an enormous fort-like building, which was hand-cut from limestone, purely to house all these weird and wonderful items.
The seemingly endless displays include dozens of classic American cars, dhows (traditional wooden boats), motorbikes, full-sized stuffed camels and other desert creatures, plus controversial pieces such as an elephant's foot. Visitors will need a good few hours to take everything in, starting with the 10-minute educational video in which Sheikh Faisal talks about Qatari culture and heritage. There's a small cafe at the end of the museum.
Tour operators in Doha run excursions here, or it's roughly 45 minutes by car from central Doha. You will have to show ID when entering the grounds, and entry is permitted up to an hour before closing time.
