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Oriental Museum

From Ancient Egypt to modern China, the Oriental Museum is devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the great cultures of Northern Africa and Asia.
Lunar New Year 2023 celebration at the Oriental Museum, showing red lanterns with gold tassels

Eternal Ascent: Bentley Beetham and the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition

An exhibition marking the centenary of the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition, the first Western, and ultimately tragic, attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world.

The story is told from the perspective of one man, Bentley Beetham, using pictures selected from his large collection of photographs and glass lantern slides taken during the course of the expedition.

Climbers walk between mountain peaks

Upcoming events

Autism-Friendly Family Activities

Thursday 16 May, 2024
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Make a painting

Buddha's Birthday

Saturday 18 May, 2024
12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Image of white marble buddha, sat cross legged and meditating with one hand in his lap and the other touching the floor. His eyes are closed.

Celebrating Durham Pride

Saturday 25 May, 2024
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Image of an Ancient Egyptian Stella depicting an offering table scene.

High and Mighty

Wednesday 29 May, 2024
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Image of mountains made out of paper in the form of a collage.
More upcoming events

Toy Box: celebrating toys and games across cultures

A student-led, family-friendly summer exhibition showcasing toys from across Asia and Egypt to celebrate a simple fact of humanity: we all love to play.

Come and meet the new loong, or Chinese Dragon, at the Oriental Museum! Tao Tao wants to introduce you, your family, and your friends to toys and games from Ancient Egypt to 21st century Japan.
Find out more
drawing of a range of toys from around the world

Plan Your Visit

Find out everything you need to know to get the most from our visit: how to find us, opening times and more. Plus, everything you need to know if you or anyone in your group has any special needs or requirements.

‘The Orient’ is not an area with defined geographical boundaries. The term can mean widely differing things to different people. In the case of the Oriental Museum, the definition is a wide one indeed, with the collections covering a huge area from North Africa to South East Asia. This is the legacy of the origins of the Oriental Museum in the teaching of oriental languages at Durham University.

The museum will close at 4pm on Saturday 24th February to prepare for the Lantern Festival event. 

Contact us
Two people stand in front of a curved desk speaking to a staff member behind the desk dressed in a purple shirt. Behind them, a shop is visible with display shelves on two walls.
Tickets and times
A life-size metal sculpture of a two-wheeled chariot pulled by two rearing horses stands on a lawn close to a path. Behind is a brick wall.
Getting here
A person looks at a display of Japanese arms and armour with a child who is in a wheelchair.
Access
A line of parking bays leading to a courtyard area with picnic tables. Behind this is the entrance to a building with a shallow ramp and double red wooden doors.
Facilities

Our collections

Find out more about the history of the museum and our collections.

  • China

    This internationally important collection has strengths in ceramics and jade.
    Qing dynasty imperial dragon robe

  • Egypt and Sudan

    More than 7000 objects ranging in date from prehistory to the Christian Period.
    Anhydrite cosmetics flask in the form of a trussed duck dating to the 2nd Intermediate Period

  • Japan

    The fastest growing collection boosted by significant recent donations of ceramics and woodblock prints.
    Ivory carving of a weaver and his family, dated to around 1913

China

This internationally important collection has strengths in ceramics and jade.
Qing dynasty imperial dragon robe

Egypt and Sudan

More than 7000 objects ranging in date from prehistory to the Christian Period.
Anhydrite cosmetics flask in the form of a trussed duck dating to the 2nd Intermediate Period

Japan

The fastest growing collection boosted by significant recent donations of ceramics and woodblock prints.
Ivory carving of a weaver and his family, dated to around 1913
View all our collections
Group of stone objects with ties around them to attach labels, with museum object numbers tied to them

Search our collections

We welcome anyone who wishes to study our collections. Find out more about searching our collections online and how to make a research appointment.

Search our collections
A child examining a stone

Learning and Engagement

The Oriental Museum has a range of activities, workshops and events for schools, home learners, families, visitors and a range of groups.

Schools and Home Learning Families and Lifelong Learning
This is a fabulous small specialist museum, containing exhibits from China, Japan, India and Egypt among others. It contains a fascinating range of artifacts, beautifully curated and accompanied by commentaries, videos, etc.. It is on four levels, but accessible to all. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable…. We spent a couple of hours, but could easily have stayed longer, as each exhibit is worthy of attention. One of our best experiences when visiting Durham.
Katyportwood
United Kingdom

International partnerships

We support learning, teaching and research across the University and worldwide. Find out more about some of our major international partnerships.

  • National Museum of Japanese History

    Bringing together specialists from the Oriental Museum and the National Museum of Japanese History to work on a wide range of projects.
    National Museum of Japanese History signing of Memorandum of Understanding

  • Palace Museum Beijing

    Bringing together two world renowned centres of research and excellence for the first time.
    Visitors to the Lonquan of the World exhibition look at a lantern on loan from the Oriental Museum

  • University of Malaya

    Curators at the Oriental Museum have been working with the University of Malaya to research important Chinese ceramics collections.
    2019 Malaysia Museums Workshop in Kuala Lumpur

National Museum of Japanese History

Bringing together specialists from the Oriental Museum and the National Museum of Japanese History to work on a wide range of projects.
National Museum of Japanese History signing of Memorandum of Understanding

Palace Museum Beijing

Bringing together two world renowned centres of research and excellence for the first time.
Visitors to the Lonquan of the World exhibition look at a lantern on loan from the Oriental Museum

University of Malaya

Curators at the Oriental Museum have been working with the University of Malaya to research important Chinese ceramics collections.
2019 Malaysia Museums Workshop in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more about our Partners and Projects

Nearby attractions

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Botanic Garden

Set amongst beautiful mature woodlands, the Botanic Garden offers a wide variety of landscapes to explore and discover.

10 Minute Walk
Four children jumping into the air and smiling, while at the Botanic Garden

Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre

Find out everything you need to know to make the most of your visit to Durham.
20 Minute Walk
Cosin's Library Bookcases

Durham Castle

Sitting at the heart of Durham's World Heritage Site and occupied continuously since the 11th century.
20 Minute Walk
A Castle Tour in the Great Hall of Durham Castle.

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