Atharna 2025: Unearthing Qatar’s Ancient Textile Factories

Qatar Museums’ archaeologists invite visitors to observe fieldwork, listen to stories, and contribute their own insights to the discovery of Qatar’s past.

Visit the Archaeologist’s Tent

Step inside a real excavation tent, reconstructed within the museum. Inside, visitors can experience the atmosphere of a dig—surrounded by tools, finds, and an audio soundscape that captures the dialogue and daily rhythm of archaeological fieldwork in the desert.

Textile Production in Early Islamic Qatar

This first edition of Atharna focuses on the early Islamic sites of Mesaika and Ain Mohammed, part of the ongoing project Landscapes of Faith.

Excavations since 2022 have uncovered evidence of textile production, suggesting these settlements once functioned as workshops or factories. Through architecture, artifacts, and archaeological analysis, visitors learn how archaeologists develop and test such hypotheses to reconstruct life in the past.

Artefacts, Mysteries, and Community Insight

Thirty-five objects from the Archaeology and National Museum of Qatar collections are on display, including a showcase of “mystery objects” that still puzzle archaeologists. Visitors are invited to share their traditional knowledge and insights, linking community memory with scientific discovery.

Much like during Archaeology Open Days, when the public is invited to visit excavations and meet archaeologists in the field, Atharna 2025 brings the same experience of curiosity, dialogue, and shared discovery at the heart of the museum.