The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) opened to the public in 2018.
Ithra is Saudi Aramco's flagship corporate social responsibility initiative and the largest cultural contribution in Saudi Arabia. Ithra includes a library, knowledge tower, idea lab, cinema, theater, Great Hall, energy exhibit, museum and children's museum.
The museum part includes four galleries:
- modern art
- art and history of Saudi Arabia
- Islamic art
- natural history and ecology
Ithra's collections include, among others, a folio from the Blue Quran and fragments from the Holy Quran from around 750 AD.
Ithra covers an area of over 80,000 square meters.

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia situated on King Faisal Road in the al-Murabba district and part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre, the museum officially opened on 23 January 1999 to mark the centennial of Saudi Arabia’s founding.
Designed by Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama, the museum draws inspiration from the red desert sands and Najdi architectural motifs, featuring sweeping limestone walls that evoke both Riyadh’s landscape and its spiritual direction toward Mecca.
Museum Layout & Exhibitions
Divided into eight permanent halls, the museum presents a chronological narrative of Saudi and Arabian history:
1. Man and the Universe – Prehistoric life, fossils, meteorites.
2. Arabian Kingdoms – Artifacts from pre-Islamic civilizations like Dilmun and Thamud.
3. Pre-Islamic Era – Cultural practices and script evolution before Islam.
4. Prophet’s Mission – Life of Prophet Muhammad; includes manuscripts and family lineage displays.
5. Islam and the Arabian Peninsula – Islamic history through the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
6. First & Second Saudi States – Models of Diriyah and insights into early Saudi governance.
7. Unification of the Kingdom – King Abdulaziz’s role in forming modern Saudi Arabia.
8. Hajj & Two Holy Mosques – Models and explanations of religious importance in Mecca and Medina.
Exhibits include life-sized skeletons, dioramas, meteorite fragments, a Nabatean tomb reconstruction, Islamic manuscripts, and multimedia installations such as touchscreens and films.
The National Museum of Saudi Arabia houses approximately 4,413 archaeological and historical artifacts in its collection, displayed across around 221 display cabinets.
The main building of the National Museum of Saudi Arabia covers about 37,080 m². Meanwhile, external estimates suggest a total site or footprint area closer to 17,000 m², with some sources citing about 28,000 m²—likely reflecting slightly different definitions (such as including auxiliary spaces or outdoor areas).

The National Museum of Serbia was founded in 1844.
The collections of the National Museum of Serbia include:
1. Art
- European and Serbian paintings: The collection includes works by artists such as Monet, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso and Serbian masters such as Nadežda Petrović, Paja Jovanović and Uroš Predić.
- Icons and Sacred Art: Collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons related to the Orthodox tradition of Serbia.
2. Archeology
- Artifacts from the prehistoric era: Objects dating back to the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron periods, including famous finds from the Vinča culture.
- Ancient collections: A rich collection of sculptures, ceramics, jewelry and coins from the times of ancient Greece, Rome e.g. the Belgrade Cameo (2nd - 4th century AD) and bronze bust of Roman emperor Constantine the Great (around 325), and the Byzantine Empire.
3. Numismatics
- The museum has one of the largest numismatic collections in the Balkans, with coins and medals from antiquity to modern times. There are Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Serbian medieval, Ottoman and European coins.
4. Sculpture and applied art
- Sculptures from antiquity to modern art, with particular emphasis on Serbian and European sculpture.
- Applied art includes items such as ceramics, jewelry, fabrics and everyday objects from various eras.
5. Modern and contemporary art
- Works by contemporary Serbian and European artists, including paintings, sculptures and installations.
6. Ethnography
- Collections related to the material culture of the peoples living in the Balkans, including folk costumes, tools and objects of everyday use.
The National Museum of Serbia has over 400,000 exhibits in its collection, and about 3,000 items are displayed in the museum's permanent exhibitions.
The permanent exhibitions of the National Museum of Serbia cover an area of approximately 5,000 square meters.

National Gallery Singapore was founded in 2015.
The collection of over 8,000 works of art is presented on an area of ​​64,000 square meters.
The National Gallery Singapore exhibits works of artists from Singapore and Southeast Asia from the 19th to the 21st century.


National Gallery Singapore, Link Bridges at the Padang Atrium

The National Museum of Singapore opened in 1887.
The collections consist of artifacts related to the history of Singapore, such as the approximately 1,000-year-old Singapore Stone with inscriptions in Old Hawaiian or Sanskrit, and 14th century gold ornaments discovered at nearby Fort Canning Hill in 1928.

The ArtScience Museum was opened in 2011.
The ArtScience Museum presents important traveling exhibitions linking art, science, culture and technology. The exhibitions organized by the museum were devoted to the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, among others, as well as elementary particle physics, robotics, palaeontology, marine biology and space exploration. Examples of other exhibitions:
- Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World (2011),
- Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon Winds (2011),
- Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (2011-2012),
- Cartier Time Art (2011-2012),
- Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb (2013),
- Dinosaurs: Dawn to Extinction (2014).
The ArtScience Museum has 21 galleries with a total area of 6,000 square meters.

The Red Dot Design Museum Singapore was founded in 2005.
The Boutique Museum presents innovative product designs that have won the international Red Dot Design Award.

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) opened in 1996.
SAM presents contemporary art from a Southeast Asian perspective while covering the broader Asian region such as China, India, Korea and Japan. The museum's collection includes works by artists such as Suzann Victor, Dinh Q. Lê, Nge Lay.
SAM presents contemporary art in 20 locations across Singapore, including Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
SAM has been organizing the Singapore Biennale since 2006.

Iziko Museums of South Africa established in 1825.
Iziko Museums of South Africa is a combination of the following museums:
- Bertram House,
- Bo-Kaap museum,
- Groot Constantia,
- Koopmans-de Wet House,
- Maritime Centre,
- Old Town House,
- Planetarium,
- Rust en Vreugd,
- Slave Lodge,
- South African Museum (has over one and a half million specimens in its collection),
- South African National Gallery,
- South African National Gallery Annexe,
- Social History Centre,
- The Castle of Good Hope.

Apartheid Museum opened in 2001.
The museum illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid and the history of South Africa in the 20th century.
The area where the Pillars of the Constitution, Journeys and 21 exhibition halls are located covers an area of 7 hectares.
The exhibitions feature film materials, photographs and artifacts supplemented with texts, including those related to Nelson Mandela.

National Maritime Museum opened in 2012.
The exhibitions focus on all aspects of marine and ocean life, from sea creatures to the history of the maritime industry based on 5,000 years of maritime culture. In the museum, you can see, among others, a replica of the Ship of Joseon Envoy.
Over 12,000 artefacts are presented at the exhibitions.
The museum covers an area of 45,444 square meters, including a total floor area of 25,870 square meters.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art established in 1969.
It has 4 locations in Gwacheon, Seoul, Deoksugung, Cheongju.
MMCA presents modern Korean and contemporary art from around the world. You can see works there, among others, Nam June Paik and Andy Warhol.
Around 7,000 works of art are stored at the headquarters in Gwacheon.

MMCA Gwacheon © Park Jung Hoon

Gyeongju National Museum founded in 1945.
It is in possession of monuments and artifacts from the time of the Silla kingdom.

The National Museum of Korea was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Household Museum.
It has over 310,000 exhibits, on 307 227 square meters of exhibition space. One of the most important artifacts is the golden crown of Silla and the 10-story pagoda of the Gyeongcheons Temple.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is a museum that represents daily life and culture of Korea and is visited by more than two million people every year. We provide educational and cultural opportunities to better understand and experience the traditional Korean lifestyle. Since its establishment in 1946, the National Museum of Anthropology has primarily investigated and researched Korean folk culture, while having has acquired, preserved, and exhibited Korean folk cultural artifacts. Over the years, we have held permanent and special exhibitions, published reports, while also having conducted lectures and other public education programs. Now, in keeping with the paradigm for museums in the 21st century that require them to be more responsive to the public and take an open and specialized approach, we are striving to expand our visitor base and reach out to visitors more effectively.

National Palace Museum of Korea founded in 1908 as the Korean Imperial Museum. The museum occupies in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. In its collection, the museum has over 40,000 artifacts from the time of Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire.

Changdeokgung Palace was built between 1405 and 1412 during the reign of King Taejong, the third king of the Joseon dynasty, as the second royal palace after Gyeongbokgung (the main palace of the dynasty), currently the National Palace Museum of Korea. In 1592, during the Japanese invasion of Korea (Imjin War), it was burned down. The reconstruction of the palace began only in 1609 during the reign of King Seonjo, and was completed during the reign of his successor, King Gwanghaegun. Later, Changdeokgung was destroyed and rebuilt several times, especially in the 18th century. In 1910, after the annexation of Korea by Japan, the palace was taken over by the Japanese authorities and part of it was destroyed. During the Japanese occupation (1910–1945), many palace buildings were demolished or transformed. After Korea regained independence, Changdeokgung underwent numerous restoration works.
Changdeokgung Palace was built in the traditional Korean architectural style that is characteristic of the Joseon Dynasty period (1392–1897). This style of architecture emphasizes harmony with the surrounding nature and introduces elements of Confucianism, which played a key role in Korean society and culture during this period. These are the main features of the style in which Changdeokgung was built:
1. Harmony with the surroundings - Changdeokgung was built in a way that aimed to integrate the building with the natural landscape, in accordance with the principles of geomancy (feng shui). The palace did not disturb the natural terrain, which is visible in its asymmetric layout. The palace area was incorporated into hills and valleys, preserving the natural shape of the land.
2. Asymmetrical layout - unlike the symmetrical palaces in China or Japan, Changdeokgung has a more organic, asymmetrical layout due to its harmony with the surrounding nature. The buildings are arranged in accordance with the natural terrain, which gives a sense of spaciousness and naturalness.
3. Simple yet elegant architecture - Changdeokgung's architecture is characterized by simplicity and minimalism, which is in line with Confucian values. Wooden structures, tiled roofs and decorative details are carefully designed to be aesthetically pleasing but not overdone. The roofs of the buildings have characteristic, slightly bent ends, which is typical of traditional buildings in Korea.
4. The beauty of details - the palace is richly decorated with details, such as painted wooden beams (so-called dancheong), which are covered with colorful geometric and floral patterns. Dancheong has both a decorative and protective function, protecting the wood from harmful weather conditions.
5. Huwon Garden (Secret Garden) - also known as the Complex Garden, is an integral part of the palace complex and a perfect example of striving for harmony with nature. The garden includes picturesque ponds, pavilions, pagodas and bridges that have been designed to be fully integrated with the natural landscape.
6. Building material - the primary material used for construction is wood, and the buildings have traditional roofs covered with clay tiles. Many of the palace's buildings, including the most important halls, are built of wooden frames and have open spaces, which allows for natural ventilation of the rooms.
Changdeokgung Palace consists of many buildings with different functions that played key roles in the life of the royal court of the Joseon Dynasty. These are the main buildings of Changdeokgung Palace:
1. Injeongjeon (Throne Room)
2. Seonjeongjeon (Board Hall)
3. Huijeongdang (King's Personal Hall)
4. Daejojeon (Queen's Chamber)
5. Nakseonjae (King Heonjong's private residence built in the 19th century)
7. Donhwamun (Main Gate)
8. Juhamnu (Royal Library Pavilion)
Changdeokgung Palace does not have a permanent museum collection, it is mainly a royal residence and a historical monument. Nevertheless, there are valuable monuments, artifacts and collections related to Korean history and the Joseon dynasty, which can be seen as part of temporary exhibitions or special events.
Here are some of the resources and collections related to Changdeokgung:
1. Architectural monuments and decorations
- Dancheong: The colorful paintings on the wooden palace structures are some of the most beautiful examples of traditional decoration in Korean architecture. These decorations, which are an important element of cultural heritage, decorate the beams, ceilings and roofs of the palace buildings.
- Pavilions and Bridges: Located in the palace gardens (Huwon), pavilions such as Buyongjeong, Juhamnu, and stone bridges are valuable examples of Korean architecture and are considered national heritage.
2. Collections related to the Joseon dynasty
- Royal clothing (hanbok): Traditional royal clothing, including the ceremonial robes of the king, queen and members of the royal family.
- Royal furniture: Original wooden furniture used by rulers, such as desks, chairs, beds and other elements of palace interior design.
- Musical Instruments: Traditional instruments that were used in court ceremonies and celebrations, such as drums, gongs, and other stringed and percussion instruments.
3. Manuscripts and historical documents
- Administrative books: Documents describing the daily functioning of the royal court, as well as important political decisions.
- Royal Letters and Records: Documents containing correspondence between members of the royal family or records of kings.
4. Royal arts and crafts
- Ceramics and Porcelain: Ceramics that were used at court, including Korean celadon and white porcelain.
- Painting and calligraphy: Traditional court paintings, often depicting landscapes, plants and scenes from court life, are presented in temporary exhibitions.
Changdeokgung Palace covers an area of approximately 58 hectares, of which Huwon Garden covers approximately 32 hectares.

The War Memorial of Korea, opened in 1994, commemorates military veterans and victims of wars.
In the covered exhibition halls and in the open air, you can see war memorabilia, weapons and military equipment from prehistoric times to modern times.
The museum has more than 13,000 exhibits in its collection.
It covers an area of over 20,000 square meters.

Leeum Samsung Museum of Art opened in 2004.
Leeum is divided into:
- Museum 1 - traditional Korean art - ceramics, including porcelain and stoneware, landscapes and folk paintings, manuscripts, swords, jewelry. Museum 1 covers an area of 2,300 square meters and a total area of 9,800 square meters.
- Museum 2 - contemporary Korean and international art - works e.g. Salvador Dalí, Joseph Beuys, Jesús Rafael Soto, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Isamu Noguchi, Yves Klein, Jeans Arp, Bae Young-whan, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frank Gehry, Koo Bon-woong. Museum 2 covers an area of 1,800 square meters and a total area of 5,200 square meters.
- Child Education & Culture Center covers an area of 4,000 square meters and a total area of 13,300 square meters.
- Sculpture Garden – e.g. Maman by Louise Bourgeois.

Museum Kimchikan opened in 1986 as the Kimchi Museum.
The museum is dedicated to kimchi, one of the foundations of Korean cuisine. Kimchi is a spicy dish made of fermented vegetables with a predominance of cabbage with toppings.
The museum is divided into three parts, the first presents the history of kimchi, the second shows how kimchi is prepared and what its nutritional benefits are, the third presents a multitude of historical and regional varieties.

Sagrada Família started in 1882, not yet completed Roman Catholic minor basilica. Designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) in Style Modernisme. Length 90 meters, width 60 meters, planned height 172.5 meters. The Sagrada Familia has a museum inaugurated in 1961.

The Museu Picasso opened in 1963.
The museum has over 4,000 works by the painter Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). The permanent exhibition features the artist's painting, drawing, engraving, and ceramics.
The Museu Picasso was the first museum in the world dedicated to the work of Pablo Picasso and the only one created during his lifetime.
The total area of the museum is over 12,000 square meters.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) opened in 1934, officially inaugurated in 2004.
The MNAC has the world's most important collection of Romanesque wall paintings. Its collections also cover subsequent periods: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque up to contemporary art. In the museum you can see paintings by such masters as: Titian, Rubens, El Greco, Velázquez, Goya. The art of Catalonia at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century is represented by the works of, for example, Ramon Casas. The entire collection is completed by: Cabinet of Drawings and Prints, Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia.
There are nearly 300,000 works of art in total.

FC Barcelona Museum opened in 1984.
You can get acquainted with the history of the club thanks to the audiovisual touch screen. The sports art collection includes works by Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies. In the museum, we will also see the club's trophies and memorabilia, including those related to Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
Entrance to the museum is combined with visiting the Camp Nou stadium. There is also a fan shop on the premises of the museum.
The museum covers 3,550 square meters.

Photo: FC Barcelona/Autor: Sara Gordon

The Museo de la Ciencia CosmoCaixa, opened under its current name in 2004, is owned by the Fundación "la Caixa".
The main permanent exhibitions are "Sala Universo" with "Lab Math", "El Muro Geológico" with "Restos y Rastros", "Bosque Inundado", "Base Antártica". The museum also has a digital planetarium.
The exhibition and educational area covers more than 30,000 square meters.

The Museum of the History of Barcelona (MUHBA) opened in 1943.
MUHBA deals with the urban life of the city from its beginnings to the present day, i.e. over the last 2000 years.
The MUHBA on site:
MUHBA Casa Padellàs - House of the History of Barcelona
MUHBA Plaça de Rei
MUHBA Temple of Augustus
The Door of the Sea and the Dockside Thermal Baths
MUHBA Roman funeral Way
MUHBA The Domus Avignon
MUHBA The Domus of Sant Honorat
MUHBA El Call
MUHBA Santa Caterina
MUHBA Oliva Artés
MUHBA Good Shepherd
MUHBA Fabra and Coats
MUHBA House of Water
MUHBA Vil. la Joana
MUHBA Park Güell
MUHBA Shelter 307
MUHBA Turó de la Rovira
MUHBA Collections Center

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in 1997 is a museum of modern and contemporary art.
The total area of ​​the museum building is 24,000 square meters. The exhibitions cover about 11,000 square meters.

Panoramic view of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Teatre-Museu Dalí, opened in 1974, is dedicated to its creator Salvador Dalí. In the hometown of the painter Figueres you can see the Teatre-Museu and Jewels. Nearby: Port Lligat - Salvador Dali House and in Pubol - Gala Dali Castle. The museums are run by Fundacio Dali.

Alhambra a fortified palace complex originally built in 889 as a small fortress. Nasrid palaces, the final period of the flourishing of Islamic art in the Iberian Peninsula, were built in the mid-thirteenth century. The Alhambra was expanded many times, among others in the fourteenth century, sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century in the spirit of Renaissance and Mannerism, in the twentieth century numerous renovations and conservation works were carried out. The main monuments of the Alhambra include: Court of the Lions and fountain, Hall of the Ambassadors, Generalife, Palace of Charles V.
They are in the Alhambra: Museum of the Alhambra (archeological), Museum in Honor of Ángel Barrios (dedicated to the composer) and the art gallery of the city of Granada.
The Alhambra covers an area of ​​approximately 14.2 hectares.

Museo Nacional del Prado was founded in 1819.
The collection includes works from the royal collection, collected from the 16th to the 20th century.
- Spanish painting - from Romanesque art to the 20th century, you can find works of artists such as: El Greco, Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, the works of Velazquez (almost 50 works) and Goya (over 140 paintings) are most widely represented,
- Italian painting - from the 15th to the 18th century, the best collection of paintings from the Venetian school, including works of Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto,
- Flemish painting - from the 15th to the 17th century, presentation of the works of Rogier van der Weyden, Bosch,
- French painting - from the 16th to the early 19th century, e.g. paintings by Poussin and Lorrain,
- Greek sculpture - two original sculptures from the archaic period (including kuros from the 6th century BC), Roman copies of the works of Greek masters from the classical period (a miniature copy of Athena Partenos by Fidias, a copy of Athena Myron from the group Athena and Marsia,
- a collection of drawings from the 15th to the 19th century, the Spanish school looks best here (including Goya), but you can also find drawings by Michelangelo,
- graphics - a rich collection consists of Franco Goya's cycles.

Reina Sofía was opened in 1990.
It presents contemporary Spanish art in an international context from the end of the 19th century to the present day. Pablo Picasso's painting Guernica from 1937 is exhibited in Reina Sofía. Other artists whose artistic achievements are in the collection of Reina Sofía are, for example: Salvador Dali, Joan Miró, Juan Gris, Georges Braque, Francis Bacon, Alexander Calder, René Magritte, Robert Delaunay, Man Ray and Yves Klein.
The collection comprises over 20,000 works, five percent of which are on display.
The museum also houses an art library with over 100,000 books.

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza opened in 1992.
The collection includes 800 years of Western art; about 1,600 paintings by, among others, Van Eyck, Dürer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Goya, Delacroix, Van Gogh, Pissarro, Munch, Chagall, Pollock, Rothko, Bacon.

Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) built between 1735-1764 in the classical baroque style. It is the official residence of the Spanish royal family and the largest royal palace in Western Europe. It has 3,418 rooms and covers an area of 135,000 square meters.
The palace is decorated with frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Anton Raphael Mengs. The interiors exhibit oil paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Francisco de Goya, Velázquez and a set of five string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari (Stradivarius Palatinos). The palace houses, among others, the Royal Armory and the Crown Room.
The origins of the museum date back to 1935.

The Royal Alcázar of Seville (Real Alcázar de Sevilla) began to be built in the 10th century under the rule of the Moors. In 913, Abd ar-Rahman III of the Umayyad dynasty built a fortress. In the 12th century, the Almohads built, among others, Al-Muwarak Palace and gardens, which became the basis for later expansions. After the reconquest of Seville in 1248 by Ferdinand III of Castile, the alcázar became the seat of the Castilian kings. In the 14th century, King Peter I the Cruel commissioned the expansion of the palace in the Mudéjar style, which combines Christian and Moorish elements. During this period, among others, Palace of Peter I and Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Virgin). From the 16th to 18th centuries, new Renaissance and Baroque elements were added, such as the Galeria de Grutescos and the Palace of Charles V. The Royal Alcázar of Seville currently still serves as the royal residence during the visits of Spanish monarchs to Seville.
The Royal Alcázar of Seville has in its collections, among others, ceramics (Andalusian azulejos), a collection of Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries, paintings (portraits of monarchs and historical scenes), and artifacts from excavations in the alcázar.
The total area of the Royal Alcázar of Seville is approximately 9 hectares, of which the gardens occupy approximately 6 hectares.
The gardens of the Royal Alcázar of Seville are designed in various styles, from Moorish to Renaissance and English.

Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe opened in 2000 and is part of the City of Arts and Sciences.
The museum is dedicated to science, new technologies and the natural environment, and it houses exhibitions on the heritage of science, climate change, the human body and biometric data. The motto of the museum is: "It is forbidden: not to touch, feel or think".
It covers an area of over 42,000 square meters, of which 26,000 square meters are dedicated to exhibitions.

Institut Valenciá D'Art Modern (IVAM; Valencian Institute of Modern Art) opened in 1989.
The IVAM collection includes over 11,300 works (5,000 of which are photographs) by modern and contemporary artists, mainly from Valencia, Spain, Europe, Latin America and North America.
The collections are divided thematically:
- Ignacio Pinazo (1849-1916) and Julio González (1876-1942) - the beginnings of modernity,
- analytical abstraction,
- phenomenal and dada poetics,
- gestures informalism,
- reality and its chronicles,
- city cartography,
- individual mythologies and the present 1980-2010.

The Vasa Museum houses Vasa, the world's best-preserved ship from the 1600s with over 98 percent of its original parts preserved, and ornamented with hundreds of carved sculptures. The 69-meter-long warship sank on its maiden voyage in Stockholm in 1628. After a laborious salvage effort in 1961, Vasa broke the water's surface again after 333 years on the seabed. For more than half a century the ship has been slowly, carefully and painstakingly restored to a state approaching its original glory. Since 1990 Vasa is on display in the purpose-built museum.
There are eleven different exhibitions around the ship which tell about the life on board Vasa, the symbolism of its sculptures, the country of Sweden in the 1620s, the people who followed Vasa down into the deep, the salvaging in the 1960s and the efforts to preserve the ship for the future, and outside is the museum's 17th century garden.

The warship Vasa in the Vasa Museum. Photo: Anneli Karlsson, the Vasa Museum/SMTM.

The history of the Nationalmuseum dates back to 1792.
Collections include:
- paintings, sculptures, drawings and graphics from 1500-1900, including the 17th-century Rembrandt collection
- portraits from the early Middle Ages to the present day
- the world's largest collection of portrait miniatures, with over 5,200 works
- porcelain collections
- modern art
- applied art and design
The collections number approximately 700,000 objects, of which 500,000 are drawings.

Nationalmuseum Stockholm, interior Upper Staircase. Photo Anna Danielsson, Nationalmuseum

The Skansen, founded in 1891, is one of the oldest and largest open-air museums in the world. On an area of 30 hectares, there are 150, in the vast majority, original, historic buildings which are a replica of a typical 19th-century city. In their houses, craftsmen dressed in traditional period costumes demonstrate their pre-industrial craftsmanship.
Part of the open-air museum is a zoo where you can see wild animals living in Scandinavia and domestic animals.

The Stockholm Palace (Stockholms slott) is the official residence of the Swedish kings. Built in the years 1697 - 1771 in the baroque style, a large part of the interior is in the Rococo style. 230 meters long, 125 meters wide (with side wings). There are 1430 rooms in total. In addition to the Royal Apartments, the palace houses, among others, the Hall of State, the Royal Chapel, the Treasury with the Regalia of Sweden, the Royal Armory (Livrustkammaren) - over 30,000 artifacts, Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities, and the Museum Three Crowns (Museum Tre Kronor) - the Tre Kronor Palace, built in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, on the site of which the present Stockholm Palace stands, burned down in 1697.

Photo: Kungl. Hovstaternas organisation

Now operating under the name of Kunstmuseum Basel, it opened its collections for the first time in 1671.
The museum there is in 3 locations: Hauptbau (1936), Neubau (2016), Gegenwart (1980).
The Kunstmuseum Basel has, among others, the largest collection of paintings by the Holbein family in the world, works by Martin Schongauer, Matthias Grünewald, Arnold Böcklin, Ferdinand Hodler, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger, Paul Klee, Oskar Kokoschka, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Gabriel Orozco. The entire collection covers the last 700 years of art history.
The collection includes approximately 4,000 paintings, sculptures, installations and videos, as well as 300,000 drawings and graphics.

Kunstmuseum Basel, Hauptbau
Herbst 2014
Julian Salinas

The Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz) was opened in 1959.
The museum presents the development of traffic and mobility by road, rail (including cableways), water and air, as well as space expeditions, telecommunications and tourism. An additional offer is the planetarium, Swiss Chocolate Adventure, Filmtheatre, Media World, and Hans Erni Museum.
There are about 2,000 historic vehicles in the museum's collection. In addition, the museum has over 4,000 other exhibits related to the history of transport and over 15,000 documents related to this topic.

The Swiss National Museum was officially inaugurated on 25 June 1898.
The Swiss National Museum consists of: National Museum Zurich, Forum of Swiss History Schwyz, Château de Prangins, Collection Centre.
The Swiss National Museum houses an extensive and diverse collection that spans Switzerland's cultural history from prehistoric times to the present day. With over 870,000 objects, the museum's holdings are organized into 14 distinct collection groups, each offering unique insights into various aspects of Swiss heritage.
Key Collection Groups:
- Archaeology: Artifacts from the Palaeolithic Age to the early Middle Ages, including significant prehistoric tools and Bronze Age items.
- Silver and Non-Ferrous Metals: Sacral and secular goldwork objects from the 12th to the 21st century.
- Graphic Arts, Photographs, Illuminated Manuscripts & Facsimiles: Drawings, graphic reproductions, illuminations, manuscripts, facsimiles, and historic photographs.
- Ceramics & Glass: Medieval ceramic vessels, dishes made and used in Switzerland, figurines, sculptures, and reliefs.
- Carriages, Sledges & Wagons: Representative examples of various carriages, magnificent sledges from different periods, and typical agricultural wagons.
- Painting & Sculpture: Paintings emphasizing ecclesiastical and historical art, portraiture, and the world's largest collection of stained glass.
- Furniture & Interiors: A comprehensive array of Swiss-designed and produced furniture, representing the largest public furniture collection in Switzerland.
- Numismatics & Seals: Coins, medals, banknotes, securities, credit cards, coin-minting dies, and the most important collection of seals in Switzerland.
- Jewellery & Timepieces: Jewellery from the 18th to 21st centuries and a representative cross-section of clockmaking over the last 500 years.
- Special Collections: Toys, musical instruments (with a focus on military music), customs-related items, baking moulds, tin figures/casting moulds, and the Hallwil Collection.
- Technology & Traditions: Objects from everyday life, crafts and trades, workshop equipment, computers, electrical devices, communication means, and measuring instruments.
- Textiles & Fashion: Fabrics, clothing, accessories, traditional costumes, church paraments, and flags, including the most comprehensive textile collection in Switzerland.
- Weaponry & Uniforms: Switzerland's most significant collection of weaponry from the High Middle Ages to the mid-20th century, along with uniforms, headgear, equipment, and decorations.
- Witnesses to History: Artifacts reflecting social, political, economic, and cultural events shaping Switzerland from 1945 to the present day.
The Swiss National Museum offers a total area exceeding 9,400 square meters.

The Kunsthaus Zürich traces its origins back to 1787, opened in 1910.
The Kunsthaus Zürich collection includes works of art from the 13th century to the present day. The collection includes works by, among others, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso and the Swiss Ferdinand Hodler, Alberto Giacometti and the Dada movement.
Kunsthaus Zürich has 11,500 square meters of exhibition space.

Photo credit: © Franca Candrian, Kunsthaus Zürich

Palmyra, the ancient city, began to develop and become important in the Bronze Age, around the second millennium BC. Palmyra was an important trading center on the caravan route that connected Persia with the Mediterranean coast. The city reached the peak of its development during the Roman period, especially in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
Main monuments of Palmyra (ruins, severely damaged in 2015-2017):
1. Temple of Bel
2. Arc de Triomphe
3. Colonnade (over a kilometer long colonnade was the main artery of the city, it consisted of a series of Corinthian columns that led from the Temple of Bel in the east to the Funeral Temple No. 86 in the western part of the city)
4. Roman Theater
5. Agora (the city's central commercial and administrative square)
6. Temple of Baalshamin
7. Tower Tombs (Valley of Tombs)
8. Diocletian's Camp
9. Tetrapylon (consisted of four groups of four columns)
10. Temple of Al-Lat
The archaeological site of Palmyra covers over 1,640 hectares.
Antiquities from Palmyra are presented in many museums around the world, including:
1. National Museum in Damascus
2. Palmyra Museum (closed since 2015)
3. Louvre
4. British Museum
5. Vatican Museums
6. Pergamonmuseum
7. Metropolitan Museum of Art
8. Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Qatar Museums