The American University of Beirut Archaeological Museum is the third oldest museum in the Near East, after those in Cairo and Constantinople. General Cesnola, the American Consul in Cyprus, donated the first gift of Cypriot pottery in 1868, two years after the founding of the Syrian Protestant College (renamed the American University of Beirut in 1920). The AUB Archaeological Museum was established on this foundational collection.
In 2006, the AUB Museum underwent a complete renovation sponsored by the Society of the Friends of the Museum and the Joukowsky Foundation. The museum provides a unique overview of the archaeology in the Near East from the Early Stone Age to the Islamic Period showcasing collections from Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, and Iran.
Audio guides are available free of charge.
You can take a virtual tour of the museum, click here