Showcase for Palestinian art
THIS MONTH the Palestine Museum Scotland celebrates its first anniversary since opening its doors on Dundas Street in Edinburgh's New Town.
As part of the Palestine Museum US, founded by the Palestinian American businessman Faisal Saleh, the Scottish museum is the first and only Palestine museum in Europe. The Palestine Museum US in Woodbridge, Connecticut, opened in 2018, becoming the first mu- seum in the Americas devoted to Palestinian art.
Saleh (pictured) was born in El-Bireh (Ramal- lah), to a refugee family from the pre-1948 Palestinian village of Salameh (Jaffa). Arriving in the United States in 1969 at age 17, he earned a BA in Economics and an MBA in Business Management and founded several companies.
Saleh says, "We chose Scotland as the first European location for our museum expansion because of the strong support provided by the Palestine solidarity movement."
Situated in Edinburgh's Georgian New Town, the museum occupies an 1,100-square-foot space in an 1810 building at 13a Dundas St.
With so many galleries on Dundas Street, we could not be in better company. It is the best art address in the city," says Saleh. Saleh reflects on the highs and lows and challenges of the museum's first year in Edinburgh.
"Managing a large number of volunteers and keeping our daily shifts staffed has been a challenge. As the first all-volunteer museum of its kind, we had to experiment with management structures. Drawing on my corporate experience, I established multiple functional teams, so we have a staffing team, a sales and merchandise team, an events team and several others. This has worked well, and we now have talented teams of motivated volunteers committed to the Palestine cause. Our volunteers receive high marks on visitor reviews, and I'm proud of their dedication.
"A high point was August 2025, when we hosted over a dozen events, including book launches related to Palestine and the Gaza tragedy. Low points were during the Scottish winter, with low visitor turnout due to cold temperatures and short daylight hours. On the regula- tory side, successfully registering the museum as a UK entity and Scottish charity were major achievements.
"We've experienced three petty vandalism acts, but they didn't impact our artwork or operations. It's highlighted our use of art to deliver our message, while others resort to vandalism.
"The reaction to the museum from the general public has been incredible. We've had an outpouring of support and empathy from the local Edinburgh community and tourists. Visitors have made generous donations and purchased art and merchandise. We sell a variety of merchandise including art prints of Palestinian artworks, cards, books, silver jewellery, and keffiyas (a traditional scarf representing Palestine). Our neighbouring galleries in Dundas Street have shown interest and support, and we've received help beyond our expectations. We look forward to future collaborations.
"Although based in the US, I visit the museum every few months to meet with staff, provide training, and review daily activities. I stay in touch with team members via phone and email, reviewing daily activities, and am available to answer questions and address issues."
After working for 32 years in local government in Glasgow, Frank Mellon began volunteering shortly after the museum opened. "After visiting, I was really taken by the artworks on display and its mission to promote Palestinian heritage and culture, and as a retired person I was keen to contribute to the Palestinian cause. The museum is a fantastic space to spend time in. There is a strong team spirit amongst the volunteers and it's great working with them."
Heather Hackett, a retired primary school depute head has volunteered since the museum opened. "I've been interested in Palestine for a long time and want to help in any way I can. The museum allows people to see and understand the Palestinians through interacting with their culture and thus gain understanding of their love for their land which runs through every Palestinian I have ever met. I've met so many people from so many different walks of life and so many different countries. It is fascinating how Palestine brings us all together and has led to many interesting conversations and indeed friendships with visitors and the other volunteers."
Rayya Ghul, a retired academic developer, started volunteering in September 2025. As a Palestinian Scot, she had been looking for ways to support the Palestinian cause. "I've spent all my life feeling the pain of the atrocities against the Palestinians. Volunteering at the museum is such a positive way to be part of the resistance. I get to tell the story of Palestine to visitors and help them to see us as humans with culture and civilisation."
Rayya is involved with organising events at the museum, which includes talks, panel discussions, book launches and poetry reading.
In May, Palestine Museum US will present an exhibition of Palestinian tatreez (embroidery) at the international 2026 Venice Biennale. Organised by museum director Faisal Saleh, the show, titled "Gaza – No Words – See the Exhibit", has been announced as an official collateral event of the six-month festival. The exhibit features 100 embroidered works created by Palestinian women in refugee camps and villages in Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank. Each piece consists of 55,000 stitches, totalling 5.5 million stitches, and depicts scenes from the ongoing violence in Gaza.
"The pieces are intended to serve as an indelible record of the atrocities in Gaza, preserving evidence and bearing witness to the experiences of those affected. We are honoured to bring this important work to the world's stage," says Faisal Saleh.
The museum is also inviting individuals and organisations to sponsor works in the exhibition, with supporters' names to be embroidered alongside those of the makers. The exhibition will be hosted at Palazzo Mora in Venice from May 9 to November 22. It will be open daily from 10am to 6pm, except Tuesdays, and admission will be free.
FRANCES ANDERSON
Palestine Museum Scotland, 13a Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QG @palestinemuseumscotland Open daily 11am - 6pm
