Ras al-Khaimah’s National Museum

The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah is a museum located in the north of the United Arab Emirates, the museum contains archaeological collections and historical artifacts of the country. The emirate of Ras al-Khaimah’s National Museum holds a rare Judaic archaeological piece from the Arabian Gulf: a Jewish gravestone of a man named David, which is dated between 1507 and 1650. The limestone headstone has a Hebrew inscription that begins with: “This is the grave of the deceased David of blessed memory, son of Moses.” The tombstone was first discovered in 1998 in the Shamal area of Ras al-Khaimah.

The museum is located in the Dhayah Fort, which was built in the 16th century, and attacked by the British in 1819 due to allegations of pirate attacks. The fort was used as a ruler’s residence until 1964, then the fort was used as a police station and later a prison. In 1984, work began on converting the building into a museum, a project led by Jayanth Laxman. The museum opened for the first time in 1987. During the first year of opening, Merschel Schenkel donated a collection of shells to the museum. The museum’s fossils were donated by the Ecology Group of Dubai, which were collected between 1984 and 1986.