Vienna - Austria
In the heart of the Austrian capital, Vienna, away from the hustle and bustle of crowded museums, there is a unique museum of its kind that is the only one in the world dedicated entirely to globes. This surreal place, whose building dates back to the seventeenth century, includes more than 220 rare globes, most of which date back to before 1850, and takes its visitors on an exceptional journey through the history of humanity in its attempts to understand its planet.

From the golden treasury to the worlds of mythology

The tour begins in the "Golden Treasury", a luxurious hall decorated with centuries-old murals depicting scenes from Greek mythology, and containing rare astronomical and geographical instruments. The exhibition then extends to four halls dominated by extreme silence, as the visitor can almost hear his steps between the glass display cabinets that contain priceless historical treasures.

Stories from the Age of Exploration
Among the most prominent pieces on display are two balls dating back to the mid-sixteenth century, one terrestrial and the other celestial, made by a single craftsman ten years apart. In the first globe, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the coasts of Africa appear, while North America seems to disappear into unknown polar regions, and an imagined southern continent appears instead of Australia and Antarctica, while sea monsters spread in the Pacific Ocean.

“The globes show how they have changed our perception of our planet, and this is the only place in the world where you can see so many of them together,” says museum director Nikolaus Schobesberger. He adds: "Every globe is a record of what people knew as much as it reflects what they did not know."

From the dragon to the moon...the development of human knowledge

The globes take the visitor on a journey through the evolution of human knowledge. On some, dragons and sea monsters fill unexplored areas, and on others, California appears as an island. Some pieces also bear traces of the colonial outlook through drawings depicting indigenous people in a stereotypical manner, while Spanish and Portuguese flags appear on the African coast.
One of Schobisberger's favorite pieces is a lunar globe dating back to 1961, in which the visible part of the moon was meticulously drawn while the other part was left completely white, because humans had not yet seen the far side. Only two years later, an updated version appeared to which the newly explored aspect was added, embodying the idea that the world we see is not static, but rather changes as the boundaries of knowledge expand.

An ideal destination for Arab tourists

The Museum of Globes in Vienna represents an ideal destination for Arab tourists looking for unique cultural experiences away from the crowds. The museum, which is located in a historic palace dating back to the seventeenth century, offers a contemplative journey into the history of geography and astronomy, making it an indispensable stop for lovers of history and exploration.

Arab visitors can enjoy a quiet tour interspersed with interesting stories about how our ancestors imagined the world, with the opportunity to take unique souvenir photos next to rare globes, some of which date back more than 400 years. The museum also represents an excellent educational opportunity for families, as children can discover how geographical knowledge has developed over the centuries.
The museum plans to launch a new virtual map that displays the locations of about 50 globes distributed on the roofs of buildings in Vienna, in an attempt to transform the entire city into an extension of the museum, providing an integrated tourist experience for exploration enthusiasts.