Located in the village of Heilig Landstichting, near Nijmegen, the Museumpark Orientalis is a unique open-air museum in the Netherlands. It offers a rare immersion into the cultural and religious roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, within a setting that recreates villages, alleys, and Middle Eastern landscapes.
Galerie photos
Ziko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A museum born from a Catholic project
Created in 1911 as a place of devotion for the faithful unable to travel to the Holy Land, the park was originally named *Heilig Land Stichting*. Initially purely Catholic, it gradually broadened its scope to become a cultural and interreligious museum. Several period buildings, including a reconstructed synagogue and a Greco-Roman villa, are now listed as national monuments.
A journey through the three Abrahamic religions
The site is divided into several thematic zones representing life and beliefs in the ancient Middle East:
- Beth Juda: a reconstruction of a Jewish village with a synagogue and a Syrian farm.
- Bait al-Islam: an Arab village with a mosque, caravanserai, and Bedouin camp.
- Roman street: an ancient street with houses, a Mithras temple, and an early church.
The tour highlights the stories, rites, and symbols of the three major monotheistic religions, within a hilly and wooded natural landscape.
A museum in transition
After facing financial difficulties in the 2000s, the museum was relaunched in 2012 with the support of public and private partners, including the Sultanate of Oman. It now offers temporary exhibitions, such as *Toen God nog schreef* (“When God Was Still Writing”), focused on sacred texts.
Events throughout the year
Museumpark Orientalis is open from March to October, with a highlight event in December: the Feast of Light, a large exhibition of nativity scenes and Christmas decorations. The museum holds one of the largest nativity collections in the Netherlands.
A place of peace and dialogue
Beyond its historical interest, Orientalis aims to be a place of interreligious dialogue and reflection. In 2015, a trail dedicated to Nobel Peace Prize laureates was inaugurated in the park. The site also hosts educational activities, debates, and guided tours for school and cultural groups.