RIYADH: Founded by a Saudi teacher, the Old Education Museum in Riyadh documents the Kingdom’s development of the learning sector, told in a display of more than 5,000 artifacts from across different eras.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the artifacts at the museum showcase the Kingdom’s journey, including details of books and educational establishments covering the Holy Qur’an. They also document the development of the first formal education system, after the Directorate of Knowledge was established in 1926. This was followed by the start of the modern formal education system with the establishment of the Ministry of Knowledge in 1953, and later the Ministry of Education.
The museum is the personal initiative of teacher Ali Al-Muberek, who has been collecting and preserving education-related artifacts for 25 years. (SPA)
The museum is the personal initiative of teacher Ali Al-Muberek, who has been collecting and preserving education-related artifacts for 25 years. The collection is displayed over an area of 300 sq m in his home in Al-Fayha neighborhood.
Visiting the museum is an exciting journey that brings back memories of distant classrooms. It is managed by Al-Muberek himself, including care and cleaning, restoration work for collectibles, and receiving visitors. The museum also serves as an archival reference for researchers.
The museum is the personal initiative of teacher Ali Al-Muberek, who has been collecting and preserving education-related artifacts for 25 years. (SPA)
Through a chronological sequence, visitors can embark on a journey that documents the evolution of the education ecosystem in the Kingdom. The tour involves 32 sections, including a display of educational curricula for many old and rare subjects that used to be taught in schools.
Historic schoolroom items such as pens and inkwells are displayed. One of the rarest items is an inkwell made of tamarisk wood dating back more than 75 years. Historic classroom set-ups are also on show, from the “Hanbal” sitting rug through to the double-connected tables and single tables in front of a chalkboard.
The museum is the personal initiative of teacher Ali Al-Muberek, who has been collecting and preserving education-related artifacts for 25 years. (SPA)
The museum also contains other rarities, with some dating back decades to the time when King Abdulaziz was unifying Saudi Arabia.
Al-Muberek, who is the first teacher in the world to set up a comprehensive museum for education in his home, said that it was a way to preserve the history of Saudi learning.
The museum is the personal initiative of teacher Ali Al-Muberek, who has been collecting and preserving education-related artifacts for 25 years. (SPA)
He was inspired to develop the collection after he had visited museums showcasing various tangible heritage and saw the need for more interest in education.
Al-Muberek acquired artifacts and documents through auctions and the purchase of some rare holdings for high sums. He also visited schools in various regions to collect artifacts, which are represented in the different sections of the museum.
One section highlights some of the awards, medals, historical pictures and models of clothes and sports shoes distributed to students.
A part of the museum is also dedicated to photographs and press clippings related to education.
