The Project

The Majlis - Cultures in Dialogue is at the core of an ambitious project initiated by the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum to create a multifaceted forum for respectful yet incisive dialogue that connects people, beliefs and cultures. The exhibition is organized in partnership with Qatar Museums, UNESCO Doha Office and the Qatar National Committee for Education, Culture and Science. It will be presented at various major venues in Valletta, Paris, Vienna and throughout Europe.

The Majlis

A majlis is the social space present in homes throughout the Arabian Gulf. For hundreds of years and up to the present day, it has been a setting for hospitality and dialogue, where families welcome visitors bearing stories and exotic gifts from their homelands, where children learn from their elders, and where communities gather to make decisions, great and small.

For the first time, The Majlis – Cultures in Dialogue will offer European audiences the experience of a real majlis. Visitors of the exhibition will be encouraged to sit, listen to stories and exchange ideas with each other and with scholars on what they see, discover and experience in the displays. Each visitor will have a unique experience at the exhibition; the same object will trigger different thoughts and emotions in each individual. The majlis, a space for encounters and the transmission of knowledge, will provide the captivating scene for sharing these experiences. This will be supplemented by organized activities such as panels, interactive films, lectures, storytelling and more.