Louvre Abu Dhabi Unravelled, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (B)

Imagine one dome covering all continents, all countries, and all civilisations, shining its light on all of them equally, unique as they are. A stroll underneath the ever-changing calligraphic shades of the dome, crossing oceans from one theme to another leads the visitor to all corners of the world in a search for universality where human concerns and evolutions are central. The specificity of Louvre Abu Dhabi, a universal museum at the crossroads of civilisations is to put these civilisations in regards.

The great vestibule welcomes the visitor and clearly introduces the objective of Louvre Abu Dhabi. Universal themes represented by maternity figures, water containers, death masks, or writing instruments showcase surprising similarities in the concerns of early civilisations. From there, the visitor follows a trail through the history of humanity, illustrated by some of the finest art from all over the world.

Wherever we are from, it all started in the same way. Communities start settling thanks to domesticated animals and crops. Around 10,000BCE, the first villages appear bound by rituals and beliefs. First profits lead to expressions of power and the first kingdoms around 3,000BCE supported by weapons and armours. With riding horses that are rapidly sculpted, sizes of empires and trade increase. Cities emerge and create a culturally-rich environment stirring great innovations such as writing that boosts exchanges. The expansion continues around 1,000BCE into large empires that raise, dominate and collapse. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).