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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

Current and forthcoming exhibitions and events

Highlights for Summer at the Oriental Museum

Preserving the Past, Empowering the Future: connecting communities and collections in Bangladesh

Opening 26 June. Includes a history of Bangladesh in 25 objects developed with the Varendra Research Museum, Bangladesh
People standing in front of a large buildling

Everyday Elegance: Daily Lives of Women in Late Qing China

Open now. From silver hairpins to wooden cake moulds and gilt lacquer boxes. Functional, yet elegant objects reveal the lives of women in 1800s China.
Heavily embroidered piece of textile

Free family crafts and activities

Every Saturday all year round plus Wednesdays and Fridays during school holidays. Free, no need to book.
A parent and child are sat smiling whilst colouring in a craft activity in the Silk Roads Gallery of the Oriental Museum
View more events and exhibitions

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.

 

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

Upcoming events

Family Activities: Ride the Wave

Saturday 6 June, 2026
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Model Boat

Family Activities: Magic Carpets

Saturday 13 June, 2026
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
A red and white carpet with tassles.

Family Activities: Powerful Patterns

Saturday 20 June, 2026
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Bold geometric pattern in black and red on a white background created by the Ainu people of Japan.

Family Activities: All Dressed Up

Saturday 27 June, 2026
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Detail of a Chinese collar, heavily embroidered with flowers, leaves and figures.
More upcoming events

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
2019 Malaysia Museums Workshop in Kuala Lumpur

International Partnerships

We support learning, teaching and research across the University and worldwide. Oriental Museum curators are currently working in partnership with museums across Asia on a range of collections research and exhibition projects.

Find our more about our international partnerships

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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