NCCAH uncovers Lost Worlds in Doha

Lost Worlds will bring together a collection of some astonishing and rare treasures from the natural world when it opens this October at the Sheraton Hotel, Doha, Qatar (21 October - 11 December 2004).

The first exhibition of its kind in the world, organisers are hoping that it will encourage and pave the way for many future cultural events, while raising awareness of the fragility of the natural world and the responsibility mankind has to preserve it for future generations.

Visitors to the exhibition, which the NCCAH will be hosting free of charge to the public, will encounter gigantic creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago - a Triceratops skeleton and the skeleton of a 150 million year old, 27 metre long Diplodocus. Dinosaur skulls and eggs will also be on display. The exhibition offers visitors the chance to see meteorites, fossils of extinct sea creatures, plants, reptiles, mammals and even a fossilized tarantula that lived 130 million years ago.

'We believe that this magnificent collection will inspire the people of Qatar and open their minds to the beauty and wonder of the world around them', says Hussain Rajab Al-Ismail, Director for Museums and Antiquities. 'Most of the extraordinary plants and creatures on display are now extinct. As this is the first exhibition of its kind, most people who visit will not have had the chance to see these kinds of treasures before. We hope that Lost Worlds will raise awareness of the fragility of the natural world and the responsibility we all have to look after it for future generations.'

Lost Worlds will also include a large collection of extinct birds, including the famous "dodo" and a rare specimen of a fossilised ancient bird from China. Natural history artworks by renowned artists such as Jacques Barraband and William Hart will celebrate the inspiration artists have discovered in nature.

Older works will be presented alongside contemporary paintings by British Artist Elizabeth Butterworth, who has been commissioned to paint new watercolours for Lost Worlds. One of the few remaining original copies of Audubon's magnificent work "Birds of America" will also be on display; allowing visitors to enjoy beautiful illustrations from this most celebrated of all books of bird paintings.

The exhibition has been organised by the NCCAH with the help of The Natural History Museum in London. Lost Worlds is the first in a series of innovative and exciting projects organised by the NCCAH. Construction is already underway on several new museums and cultural institutions in Qatar, including the National Library. Scheduled to open in 2006, the Library will house a permanent Natural History Museum, which with more than 5000sq meters of exhibition galleries, will be the biggest of its genre in Middle Orient.

The museum will focus on the problems of preserving the environment and will present examples from the past, including the famous Jurassic extinction 65 million years ago, to show today's very real threat of extinction due to mankind's activities. Important fossil collections, including giants from the past, will be - together with a gem collection, the highlight of the future museum.