Wirth Gallery of
The Middle East

A family examines a Middle Eastern artifact in a gallery case.

Status

Temporarily Closed

Location

Level 3,
Middle East

Admission

Included with admission View Membership

The Cradle of Civilization.

The Wirth Gallery of the Middle East is temporarily closed while we refresh our galleries. Stay tuned for more information soon! 

In an area of the Middle East known as the Fertile Crescent, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet, ancient societies flourished and made enormous advances in culture and technology. These advances, in areas such as writing, mathematics, law, medicine and religion, were so significant they have become the foundations for many of the customs we practise today.

Trace the development of script and writing over almost 4,000 years, from its beginnings as ancient cuneiform tablets to exquisite Arabic script. Follow the evolution of craftsmanship beyond utility to exceptional beauty with artifacts made of wood, metal, stone and glass. Examine how expressions of faith developed through ancient practices, represented by Palaeolithic clay figures, ancient Sumerian worshipper statuettes, Jewish ossuaries, and Christian and Islamic religious objects.

Examine the legacies left by the ancient Babylonians, Sumerians, Assyrians and others from the region in a gallery that explores a heritage spanning the Palaeolithic Age to the 20th century AD.

About the Gallery

What?

More than 1,000 artifacts from the Middle East are presented in thematic displays of Documents & Writing, Technology, Spirituality & Religion, Art in Life, and Arms & Armour.

Where?

The gallery focuses on a geographic part of the Middle East, referred to as the Fertile Crescent, that stretches from the Eastern Mediterranean and Iraq to Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.

When?

From the Palaeolithic Age to AD 1900.

Explore More
Search the ROM's online collections

Gallery Highlights

ROM's Striding Lion was found at the throne room façade of the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar II. Trace the history of the civilization that produced this legendary Babylonian king, whose accomplishments include the building of the Tower of Babel
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Wirth Gallery of the Middle East Unlike other materials, pottery cannot rot or be melted down for re-use. Generally the most common archaeological find, pottery tells us much about artistic style and influence. Examine our progressive display of pottery finds from the region, dating from the 4th millennium BC to the 19th century AD.
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The first true written alphabet was born in the ancient Middle East, and its progression from Babylonian cuneiform tablets to the elegance of Arabic script is chronicled with objects such as this beautiful mediaeval manuscript of a 15th-century Qur'an from Egypt
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The ROM's Wirth Gallery of the Middle East. The strength and majesty of the now-extinct Asian lion were attributes associated with the region's royalty, and combat with a lion gave a king great prestige. Many objects in the gallery invite visitors to explore the different ways the lion motif was represented in Mesopotamian culture.
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Used to fill a space with pleasant scent, incense burners belonged in every well-to-do household. This one, made of bronze in Eastern Iran (12th-13th centuries) displays various types of decoration: bands with inscriptions, arabesque ornaments in medallions and the figure of a bird perched on top of the “hood.”
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