Zayed National Museum has announced a programme of public activities for September and October built around the archaeology and ancient history of the UAE, ranging from thematic gallery tours to hands-on workshops and dedicated access sessions.
The centrepiece tour, Archaeology: Traces of the Past, walks visitors through how ancient settlements, tools and environmental remains help reconstruct the stories of early communities. The programme also connects this history to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s commitment to preserving the nation’s heritage and supporting archaeological research.
Several workshops are on offer. Treasures Beneath the Sand introduces participants to excavation methods through a sand-filled dig box, with visitors uncovering shells and stones before crafting them into a wearable piece inspired by archaeological objects. Ancient Impressions explores cuneiform, one of the world’s earliest writing systems, with participants pressing symbols into clay to experience how ancient civilisations recorded names, trade and daily life.
The Memory Cup, inspired by an ancient cup in the museum’s collection bearing falaj illustrations, invites participants to hand-shape and decorate their own clay cup around a personal memory. A fourth drop-in workshop, From Fibre to Voyage, draws on the museum’s Magan Boat, teaching participants to make miniature rope using traditional palm fibre techniques.
Running alongside the archaeology strand, the UAE History Tour continues to offer guided narration by a Senior Emirati Museum Experience Expert.
Two quarterly access programmes are also scheduled. Beyond Sight on September 19 combines a gallery visit with a tactile creative activity for visitors who are blind or partially sighted. Sensory Journeys on September 27 offers mosaic-making through a multisensory session for participants with developmental and learning disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum, and their companions.
The museum’s existing recurring programmes, including Quiet Morning, Al Dhuha Hour, and A Walk Through Our History, the latter also available in Emirati Sign Language, continue throughout the period. Details and bookings are available through the museum’s website.
