A number of museums and heritage sites across Qatar will reopen to the public from July 1, in accordance with recommendations from the Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control office of the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar Museums.

The reopening will align with the ministry’s second phase of the general resumption of public activity in Qatar, based on milestones reached in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic.

QM plans to reopen the remainder of its museums in phases while rolling out the new health and safety protocols, following global standards and carefully monitoring progress to ensure the well-being of staff and visitors.

Museums and galleries opening on July 1 include the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Garage Gallery at the Doha Fire Station. Heritage sites that are opening include Al Zubarah, Al Jassasiya and Barzan Towers.

The permanent collections of MIA and Mathaf will be open to visitors, as well as the special exhibition Picasso’s Studios, organised in partnership with the Musée national Picasso-Paris, at the Garage Gallery at the Doha Fire Station.

Museum gift shops will be open and cafes will offer limited service during museum opening hours. From Saturday to Thursday, IDAM restaurant at MIA will operate at limited capacity for dinner service, while JIWAN at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) will be open at limited capacity for lunch and afternoon tea.

The NMoQ gift shops will also be open, though the NMoQ galleries will remain closed as the museum undergoes maintenance work.

During this initial phase, public programmes, group tours and special events will remain suspended, and QM’s playgrounds, libraries, and parks (including MIA Park) will remain closed for the first phase.

In keeping with the guidelines set by MoPH, a limited number of visitors and staff will be allowed inside each museum.

  • The museums and heritage sites will be open from Sunday through Thursday, between 9am and 3pm.
  • Visitors will be required to reserve tickets in advance on the QM website.
  • Upon arrival at the museum, ticket-holders must present a “green” health status on the Ehteraz virus-tracing app.
  • Each person will also be checked for a normal temperature reading at the entrance.
  • Visitors (12 years of age and above) will be required to bring and wear a mask.
  • Hand sanitiser stations will be placed throughout the location encouraging visitors to keep their hands clean.
  • Signage reminding visitors to keep a safe distance from other visitors will also be visible on-site.
  • Cloakrooms will be unavailable during this period.
  • In addition, interactive features at each museum such as touchscreens will be temporarily removed, and gallery guides will be offered online only.

More information on QM’s new health and safety measures and ticketing information can be found on QM’s website: https://visit.qm.org.qa/.

Source : Gulf Times

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