Photo: Roland Halbe/Courtesy Louvre Abu Dhabi
Opened to the public in November 2017, The Louvre in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated in partnership with its original French cousin, The Louvre Paris, and is currently the only other Louvre in the world. With 8,000 square metres (86,000 square ft.) of galleries – it is the largest art museum in the Arabian Peninsula. Since the coronavirus outbreak, like many other institutions in the region, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has been closed to the public, however, the museum recently offered audio tours on its app for an immersive art experience. There are over 150 tours that are offered in seven languages, including Arabic, English, French, Mandarin, Russian, German and Hindi. The curated clips take you through the fascinating stories behind the museum’s ever-growing roster of exhibits.
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.@LouvreAbuDhabi is adding to its digital offering by providing free access to more content through virtual tours, video, audio & downloadable activities. This ensures that the museum’s stories of cultural connections, as told by its artworks & exhibitions, remain accessible. pic.twitter.com/l7gUSFrTlD
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) April 14, 2020
Featuring a global selection of over 600 pieces of art drawn from their growing permanent collection – The audio tours take you through ancient Mesopotamian civilizations and Neolithic revolutions to the legend of the dancing Shiva and everything in between. The app also offers a few curated “highlight” tours to glance over the museum’s exhibits in 60 minutes or 40 minutes – depending on the time you have available.
If you are interested in more than the art galleries and historical exhibits, the app offers guided architecture tours as well. For those who wouldn’t mind a virtual guided “walk” under the dome or a lazy stroll around an ancient fountain from Damascus, Syria, there are a host of video tours guiding you through many historical structures currently housed at the museum where you can stop to admire their delicate and colorful geometric tilings or ancient limestone surfaces. For those who are interested in the remarkable architecture of the museum itself, there is a guided tour taking you through the concept and inspiration behind the building.
The app is available to download on Apple App Store and Google Play for free.
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