Ramadan energy running low? Roam the region's best museums from your sofa. No crowds, no commute, no breaking a sweat before iftar.
As the day winds down and energy levels drop during Ramadan, the idea of wandering without moving feels especially welcome. But while tuning in to a TV series might work for some, others would much rather explore the past—ancient masks, fallen fossils, endless echoing halls of history. Yet, the fast asks us to slow down, to reflect and rest. Thankfully, in a world of consoles and artificial intelligence, technology now offers us a new way to explore the world’s histories from the comfort of home, to feed the mind and spirit while waiting for sunset—virtual museum tours.
From the ancient amphitheatres of Tunisia and the timeless Nile of Egypt to the ancient soul of Palestine and the futuristic shimmer of the UAE, these are all the virtual museum tours in MENA that will have you exploring the region’s past and present, without spending energy you don’t have before iftar.
The Syria Prisons Museum (Digital Only)
📍Rif Dimashq, Syria
Launched in September 2025, this investigative virtual museum documents crimes and violations in Syrian prisons, preserves the memories of prisoners and victims of enforced disappearance, and lets visitors explore testimonies, archives, and 3D-rendered spaces to honour the missing and understand history safely from home.
El Jem Archeological Museum
📍El Djem, Tunisia
A quick click and you’re centred right in the patio of El Jem Museum, where Tunisia greets you in the language of Roman mosaics. Mythological personages stare out from the second century, frozen mid-story. Wander further and the prowling African wildlife emerges; hunting scenes frozen in stone. Pause beside any piece and the stories unfold—bit by bit—who ruled, who fought, and who worshipped here. All of it, waiting for you to uncover without breaking a sweat (or your fast).
Gayer Anderson Museum
📍Cairo, Egypt
Cairo’s Gayer Anderson Museum isn’t a straight line through ancient Egypt, it’s more like history spilling its pockets. A Pharaonic mummy rubs shoulders with a Persian bed and an Istanbul singing bird, each piece out of place yet perfectly at home. Hidden rooms let the walls gossip about parties long over. It’s Cairo playing host to a beautiful pile-up of worlds that you can wander through while staying safely under the same roof hanging above your head.
The Palestinian Museum
📍Birzeit, Palestine
The Palestinian Museum opens its doors without asking you to cross a threshold. Its digital archives and rotating exhibitions unfurl like a living memory box, each click brushing dust off stories that refuse to fade. Here, resilience is practiced, proving that this holy, disputed land is more than its scars. You can trace it all from where you stand—the history that slipped through the cracks and lived to tell itself.
The Sursock Museum
📍Beirut, Lebanon
This museum is a quiet rebellion of elegance tucked into Beirut’s streets. White walls cradle modern and contemporary art like whispered secrets, while the gardens outside hum with the memory of afternoons long past. Each gallery is a conversation across decades, a dialogue between what was, what is, and what might be.
The National Museum
📍Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
With eight main galleries spanning prehistoric Arabia to modern-day Saudi, this museum is basically a time machine in disguise. Ancient artifacts sit alongside dazzling Islamic art, while dioramas practically whisper stories of the desert, the cities, and the people who shaped them. Wander through and you’ll trace the peninsula’s full arc, from its earliest inhabitants to the Kingdom it is today.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
📍Abu Dhabi, UAE
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a globe-trotting art party under one floating dome where ancient treasures chat up contemporary masterpieces. You can hop on a live 45-minute virtual tour with an educator every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 2 PM. Available in English, with Arabic, French, and Chinese on request, the tour lets you wander the halls from your sofa—but don’t wait too long, it’s only around until June 12th, 2026.
Jan 31, 2026
