Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) will take its students, members of the Education City community, and all incoming visitors on a reminiscent journey through time as part of its Lawal Antiquities Exhibition, which will be held from October 22 to 24, 2018, at the Multaqa building (formerly known as the Education City Student Center). The exhibition will aim to showcase rarities that date back to more than a century of age. 

Most prominently on display will be a collection of antiques belonging to Kamal Naji Mohamad who began accumulating wide-ranging artefacts from an early age. Visitors will be treated to a display of antique objects including old cameras, televisions and radios that were vastly popular prior to the advancement of modern-day technologies. The exhibition will also feature a display of traditional Qatari clothes and historical books to inform visitors of the country’s ancestral past, as well as its roadmap for the future.

Commenting on far-reaching aims of the exhibition, Naji said: “For us to understand the present and imagine the future we have to look into and examine the past. Many of the antiquities on display today have touched upon our lives and are ingrained in our memories in more than one way. The collections will also aim to provide visitors with a world’s view of products and items that were one day in as much demand as today’s contemporary technologies.” 

“Qatar is a nation that is as greatly invested and honored by its past as its forward-thinking and progressive future. What we have here today is a mere reflection of the history of a nation so grand yet so deep-rooted in its heritage and origins.” 

Maryam Al-Mannai, vice president of student affairs at HBKU, said: The exhibition meets HBKU’s consistent objectives of immersing the wider community in culturally enriching experiences. Kamal Naji’s collection today reinforces that history is the narrative that gives meaning, sense and explanatory force to the past and the present.”

As part of the exhibition, Naji will provide visitors with a detailed explanation of each object and its relevance; offer live black and white photography sessions; and present screenings of old movies. 

HBKU Student Affairs is committed to nurturing a positive student experience by regularly hosting cultural events and sporting activities to service the Education City community. The overarching aim of many of these events is to strengthen the social fabric within HBKU and beyond, and provide a supportive and integrated environment that enables human development and progression in all of their manifestations. 

Founded on the four institutional pillars of Innovation, Excellence, People, and Partners, HBKU is devoted to a community of well-rounded citizens and residents. The University’s ongoing calendar of events reflects its values of inclusivity, diversity, and life-long learning. 

The Lawal Antiquities Exhibition will be open between 12:30pm and 6:30pm from October 22-24. For more information, please visit www.hbku.edu.qa