UAE | Heritage and Culture

An antique collection 4,000 years in the making opens up

An antique collector has opened a private museum in his home which will accept visitors by appointment.

  • By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 01:13 February 24, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Dr Ahmad Khouri holds up a 4,000-year-old marble sculpture and 2,500-year-old clay pot.
  • Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
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Abu Dhabi: An antique collector has opened a private museum in his home which will accept visitors by appointment.

Dr Ahmad Khouri, 56, has been collecting items for four decades and has acquired about 6,000 antiques of historical value.

A lock-shaped marble sculpture dating back 4,000 years is the oldest item in Khouri's collection, which also includes 2,000 silver and gold coins.

His oldest coin is from the Ilam dynasty in Mesopotamia and dates back to 700BC, says Khouri, a project manager at an Abu Dhabi-based oil company.

"The oldest coin from the Gulf area is a 500BC coin depicting the Persian King Dariush. I have 40 coins with Alexander the Great who ruled the Middle East, part of Asia Minor [Turkey] and North Africa 2,250 years ago," he said.

One of the collections which most reflects local Gulf history are his 20 pearl, gold and silver weighing sets, remnants of the pearl diving culture which existed in the Gulf countries before oil was discovered.

"Some of them are more than 200 years old but still look shiny and new, and they remind you of the flourishing pearl trade during that time," he said.

He said a 210-year-old book of hadith, the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), is the most important item in his old book collection.

Any other favourites?

"A special collection of 35 pieces of special silver octagonal and circular boxes, decorated with very fine Islamic calligraphy. Some still contain the original miniature copy of the Quran."

He said his philatelic collection includes more than 2,000 UAE, Ottoman, Persian, British and other Islamic and regional stamps, some dating back to the early 20th century.

Khouri said he has submitted a number of his antiques to British Museum in London to confirm their authenticity, and has spent about Dh6 million to buy the antiques from local and international markets.

Visit

Anybody wishing to visit the museum can contact Dr Khouri on 055-4443414

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