Palestine Museum Scotland: The newly opened sanctuary to celebrate Palestinian art and culture in Edinburgh's Dundas Street

On 17 May 2025, over 400 visitors entered a bright Georgian townhouse on Edinburgh’s Dundas Street to celebrate the grand opening of Palestine Museum Scotland. What they discovered wasn’t just a museum — it was a space where Palestinian artists could share their stories and challenge dehumanising narratives about Palestine and its people through art.

Behind the museum's opening is Faisal Saleh, a Palestinian entrepreneur turned museum founder. Born in Al-Bireh in the West Bank to a Palestinian refugee family displaced in 1948 from their village of Salama, near Jaffa, Faisal moved to the US in 1969 on a scholarship to complete high school. He later enjoyed a successful career in technology, founding and selling a software company. Despite his success, he always sought ways to become involved in efforts focused on Palestine. 

So, in 2010, he began searching for ways to reconnect with his roots. Though he initially considered opening a tennis academy in Palestine, his vision grew larger.

In 2018, he opened The Palestine Museum US in Connecticut — the first museum in the Western Hemisphere entirely dedicated to Palestinian art and culture.

“It became clear to me that my role was to be what I call a ‘museum maker,’” Faisal tells The New Arab. “Just as a filmmaker creates films, a museum maker creates cultural spaces where none existed before.”

Faisal explains that for him, founding museums is an international mission. Although COVID-19 delayed his expansion plans, he remained determined. While he initially had his sights set on London, Edinburgh offered the ideal combination of affordability, visibility, and cultural relevance.

“Edinburgh is a cultural hub,” says Faisal. "Over a million people come here every August for the festivals. It’s artistically vibrant, and there’s strong support for Palestine.”

He adds that when he saw the Dundas Street building — a former gallery housed in a Georgian structure dating back to 1810 — he knew it was the right place. “It’s on the best street for art in the city.”

From the homeland to the diaspora

Staying true to his goal of amplifying Palestinian voices through art, the inaugural exhibition, curated by Faisal, offers an expansive view of Palestinian culture, featuring works from artists across Palestine and the diaspora, including Gaza, the West Bank, the US, Jordan, Syria, and Australia, spanning both historical and contemporary perspectives.

“It's curated like a museum, not just an exhibit,” Faisal stresses. “We wanted to show the diversity of Palestinian art, from the homeland and the diaspora.”

Sharing insights into what visitors can expect in the coming weeks, the museum’s most striking feature is a floor map of Palestine, showing the villages that were destroyed before Israel renamed them. This includes the 500 villages that were depopulated and erased, as well as areas where invasive pine trees were planted.

“Palestinians walk in and immediately search for their family’s village,” says Faisal. “It’s emotional. People cry.”

Other key pieces include All That Remains, a hanging Keffiyeh bundle resembling those carried by people in Gaza when they were forced to leave, suspended from the ceiling with barbed wire, and children's drawings from Operation Cast Lead in 2009 — simple yet haunting depictions of tanks, jets, and destroyed homes, created by Gaza's children and often moving visitors to tears, as Faisal recalls.

Additionally, there is a powerful bronze sculpture of Dr Hassan Abu Safiya’s face, a paediatrician from Gaza who was abducted by the Israelis and was last seen walking towards a tank before being taken into custody.

To complement these powerful pieces, the museum also features works like a painting by Nabil Anani, which depicts a peaceful Palestinian landscape, and Samia Halaby’s abstract painting Venetian Red, created for the Venice Biennale.

“These pieces don’t focus on violence. That’s not what we’re here to show,” says Faisal. “The pieces speak to what Palestinians carry — grief, loss, but also hope, life, and resilience.”

The 'uncancelled venue' 

Beyond showcasing rich and powerful art, Palestine Museum Scotland has also become a space for Palestinian voices to share their stories, especially if, as Faisal puts it, “they get cancelled.”

Since 7 October 2023, some institutions have backed away from hosting Palestinian speakers or advocates for Palestinian rights. However, as Faisal highlights, Palestine Museum Scotland refuses to follow suit.

“We like to call ourselves the ‘uncancelled venue,’” Faisal laughs.

“If your event gets cancelled elsewhere, call us,” he says. “We’re here to provide a platform for you to have your voice heard.”

In making this point, Faisal highlights that the museum has hosted speakers who were rejected elsewhere, including Dr Swee Chai Ang, a Malaysian surgeon and founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians, and Dr Jumana Odeh, a Palestinian paediatrician.

For Faisal, these events are just the beginning of Faisal's larger plan to establish the museum as a year-round hub for discussions, film screenings, poetry readings, and cultural events.

“We’re not afraid,” says Faisal. “We’re not going anywhere.”

What’s next?

While Edinburgh is the newest addition to the Palestine Museum US main site, Faisal’s vision extends further. London remains on the horizon, along with plans to explore museums in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway, with the ultimate goal of creating a network of Palestinian cultural spaces across Europe and beyond.

“We want to connect with people directly,” says Faisal. “We want to make sure Palestinian stories, art, and identity are not erased, but celebrated.”

Ultimately, for Faisal, creating museums isn’t just about preserving the past — it’s about making a statement. “In the midst of one of our darkest times, we opened a museum on the most prestigious street in one of Europe’s cultural capitals,” he says.

He adds, “By opening this museum, we assert our presence and history, despite all efforts to silence us. It’s not just about art — it’s about showing the world who we are. Come take a look for yourself.”

To learn more about Palestine Museum Scotland, support its mission, or stay updated on upcoming events, visit the Palestine Museum Scotland Instagram page

Zainab Mehdi is The New Arab's Associate Editor and researcher specialising in governance, development, and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region

Follow her on Instagram: @zaiamehdi_/@zainabmehdiwrites_