Sursock Museum

The Sursock Museum is an iconic landmark art space that enriches Beirut’s cultural scene. The Sursock Museum was born out of Lebanese collector Nicolas Sursock’s commitment to the endorsement and promotion of art. Recognizing the need for institutional support of artists in Lebanon, Sursock left his mansion to the city of Beirut as an art museum upon his death in 1952. It is a historic Magical white palace from the outside, rich with art pieces from within.             

The Museum opened its doors in 1961 with an exhibit of works of contemporary Lebanese and international artists. The museum’s collection consists of 5,000 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glassware, and iconography, dating back to the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.Much of the 20th century, as well as archival photos, were taken by aerial surveillance pre-WWII that has very interesting views of the region. It is distributed on several levels, in the main floor is an exhibition about the city, the upper floor has the main Sursok belongings, an authentic view of the rooms and the classy decoration and antique items. The original house is also interesting to see how people of that era lived and entertained. It features a private collection of Lebanese painters in addition to exhibitions around architecture, paintings, and screening of movies during movie night. The ground floor is for modern art, they change the pieces every now and then and exhibit new work.

the first floor has old vintage photographs taken by Lebanese photographers of people of Lebanon and Greater Syria. A true treasure not to be missed. the second floor has different art pieces for Lebanese artists. The underground had a photography collection about Beirut City. The Debbas photography collection is a must-see for those wanting a glimpse of historic Beirut. 

It is a pleasure to sit in the museum front garden surrounded by gardenias and bougainvillea and meet friends for coffee or lunch. The food there is delicious. The museum shop is worth a visit for the upmarket offerings of the crafts scene in modern-day Lebanon.  A line of trees interrupted by paths restores symmetry and welcomes a contemporary concrete, metal and glass building, which houses a library, a cafeteria, and a car lift. The esplanade in front of the museum is organized around a central path surrounded by six skylights. This mineral garden paved with stone hosts sculptures throughout the year.  I highly recommend you come here if you want to get a feel of Lebanese contemporary art and of an art institution supporting the country's development of the young artists.