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Museums in Jerusalem

Jerusalem is home to national museums that incorporate the art and culture of the Jewish people, as well as to smaller, private museums that focus on a particular artist or group of Israelis. Several of the larger museums are located near the Knesset and the Supreme Court. Smaller museums are scattered throughout the Old City and in western Jerusalem. Ancient culture is well represented at Jerusalem museums, but you'll also find plenty of contemporary Israeli art and representations of Israel's history since the founding of the state in 1948. Number one pick has to be the Israel Museum that was restored and renovated in 2010. Don't plan on trying to see everything--pick a few galleries of interst ahead of time and concentrate on those. Yad Vashem's museum of the history of the Holocaust is important to understanding Israel. The physical lay out of the museum takes the visitor through the stages of the destruction of European Jewry in the 20th century. Be sure to visit the art section too.. The Bible Lands Museum will give you an overview of the different cultures and empires that have occupied this land and left their archeological mark. At number 6 on the list,the Museum of Islamic Art is a window into the culture of our Middle Eastern neighbors. Temporary exhibits change every few months and feature various aspects of Islamic culture.