The Federal Republic of Somalia reopens its National Museum in Mogadishu
Somalia is making great strides in reviving its cultural heritage by restoring its main cultural institutions, including the National Museum, National Library and National Theatre. On 1 July 2020, the nation celebrated the reopening of its National Museum after being closed for almost 30 years due to civil war and conflict.
The museum was originally opened in 1933 and ran until 1991 when it was closed down at the start of the civil war, during which time its infrastructure incurred significant damage.
The rehabilitation was financed by the Federal Republic of Somalia and rebuilding began in 2019.
Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture and education, which was signed with the President of Somalia during the UNESCO Director General’s historic visit to Mogadishu on 11 February 2020, UNESCO has been working closely with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, the Somali National Commission for UNESCO and the Permanent Delegation of the Federal Republic of Somalia to UNESCO to develop a National Strategy for Culture, which will include a programme of capacity building and support for the staff of the National Museum.