Museum of the Incense Road

The tour develops a multi-sensory experience. The North Gallery, linked to the history of the Incense Route, shows that Arabia is the crossroads of civilizations. It evokes the connections between trade, culture and power. Visitors can plunge into the historical reality of routes from India to Egypt, from Italy to southern Arabia, reflecting exchanges, trade and reciprocal influences in architecture and art. Pediments inspired by ancient Rome carved in desert rock, Indian stones on Mesopotamian goddesses, Hellenistic forms on Arab jewelry… The West Gallery, “The Spiritual Journey”, shows the cultivation of incense and opens onto the Sand Garden. This is an immersive gallery where we explore through the senses the rituals and ways of burning incense, in ancient and contemporary civilizations. We understand that this is a universal practice. Galerie Sud, the 1001 stories of incense, deals with legends and plays with the tradition of Arab oral narratives. Stories and artifacts come to life here through sound immersion. The first story is about the tree, how to balance harvest and rest, how it should be nurtured and preserved. From this modest, generous tree, how did the legend originate? A gift for kings, mentioned in the Bible and the Koran, incense’s uses go back to the dawn of time, for beauty and medicine… We’ll learn how incense was used for the funeral of Nero’s wife, Egyptian embalming practices, how it was given to Alexander the Great… but also for the world’s great perfumers. The East Gallery is the Temporary Exhibition, which can accommodate all types of exhibitions. The journey is both physical and spiritual. The aim is to build shared values. It’s a place of discovery that highlights the significance of incense and creates spaces for encounters.