Delma Museum makes an epic return to Abu Dhabi

The newly renovated museum is now open.

The excitement is building in the capital with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mother of the Nation Festival and the Sheikh Zayed Festival all on their way. And now, one of Abu Dhabi’s famous museums, the Delma Museum is all set to welcome visitors once again. 

Nestled 42km off the coast of Abu Dhabi, Delma Island holds many secrets waiting to be discovered. The Delma Museum, built around the turn of the 20th century, is the crown jewel. Once the home and commercial hub of pearl merchant Mohammed bin Jassim Al Muraikhi, the museum is a living testament to the rich tapestry of the capital’s history.

Picture a majlis that whispers tales of the past, a badkesh that literally catches the breeze and funnels it into the majlis, and several midbasahs (date presses) where dates were stacked to create date molasses. Delma Museum is a time machine that takes you on a journey through the island’s vibrant past of more than a century ago. This place is not just about preserving artefacts, it’s about weaving the threads of our past into the fabric of our present.

For the first time in Abu Dhabi, the brilliant minds behind the restoration tackled the issue of rising dampness with an innovative solution. A waterproof membrane has been installed beneath the museum’s floors and walls. Decorative elements of the Delma Museum have also been pampered with compatible mortar and plaster mixes, and the landscape got a makeover, too. The conservation project even unearthed traces of the original mud mortar, shedding light on the coastal building techniques of the past.

So get ready to don your explorer hat and dive headfirst into the captivating history of Abu Dhabi. The past is calling, and Delma Museum is the answer.

GO: Visit www.delmamuseum.ae for more information.