Nabu Museum is an art museum located in El Heri near Chekka, Lebanon. Its collection primarily consists of Bronze and Iron Age artifacts representing Roman, Greek, Byzantine, Phoenician, Mesopotamian, and contemporary Lebanese cultures, as well as manuscripts and ethnographic material. The museum's collections also include local, regional, modern and contemporary art by Lebanese artists.[1] [2] [3] The museum gets its name from the Mesopotamian Patron God of literacy, Nabu.
The museum's collection of contemporary Lebanese art consist of work by artists including Shafic Abboud, Amin al-Bacha, Helen Khal, Dia Azzawi, Shakir al-Said, Omar Onsi, Mustapha Farroukh, Ismail Fattah, Adam Henein, Khalil Gibran, Paul Guiragossian, and Mahmoud Obaidi.
The structure housing Nabu Museum was built in collaboration with Dia Azzawi, an Iraqi artist and Mahmoud Obaidi, an Iraqi-Canadian artist.[4] The façade that envelopes the entire structure is made of weathering steel. The interior of the building was designed by Obaidi. The museum was licensed by the Lebanese ministry of culture under decree number 16/2018 on 8 March 2018.
Al-Rastan is a city in central Syria where a Roman era mosaic[5] depicting the Trojan wars was uncovered. The mosaic is approximately 20 meters in length and six meters in width, dating back to around 400CE. The property was purchased by Nabu Museum and was donated, along with the expenses of excavation and preservation of the mosaic, to the Syrian directorate of Antiquities and Museums. Dr. Humam Saad, who led the excavation and archaeological research at the General Directorate of Antiques and Museums in Syria stated “it is not the oldest of its kind, but it is the most complete and rarest”.[6] [7] Nabu Museum is hoping to purchase other properties in the area in an effort to preserve the surrounding heritage sites and continue excavating the mosaic. Following this initial discovery, further excavation in 2023 supported by Nabu Museum uncovered more of the mosaic structure that depicts The Battle Of The Centaurs, a mythical battle between the Lapiths and the centaurs at the wedding feast of Pirithous.
In 2022, Nabu Museum was nominated for the Agha Khan Award for Architecture. The Agha Khan Award for Architecture is given on a triennial basis to projects that “set the standards of excellence in architecture, planning practices, historical preservation and landscape architecture.[8]
The Syrian directorate of Artefacts and Museums sent a letter in 2019 expressing its thanks and appreciation to all entities that participated in protecting Syria's historical artefacts and assisting in their repatriation. This included the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and Nabu Museum.
Archeological objects from Mesopotamia, including 337 cuneiform tablets were returned to Iraq in early 2022 after Nabu Museum recovered them from various countries around the world. The handover took place at the National Museum of Beirut, Lebanon, in the presence of Nabu Museum representatives, the Iraqi Ambassador to Lebanon, Haydar Chaiyāh Barāk, and the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Abbas Murtada[9] The Iraqi ambassador stated that “this handover would not have been possible without the good intentions and complete cooperation of the Lebanese government and the director of Nabu Museum”.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
The director of the Iraqi council of antiquities and heritage, Layth Majīd Husayn, thanked Lebanon and the Director of Nabu Museum for their cooperation in facilitating the restoration and repatriation of Iraqi artifacts.
Nabu Museum also holds regular classical concerts by local and international classically trained artists.
An ongoing competition that Nabu Museum holds is called "Victims of Migrant Boats". This is an international competition where artists submit sculptures symbolizing and honoring the victims of migrant boats - a tragedy that Lebanon has been witness too for several years now.