The exhibition Roads to Jerusalem will attempt to present the phenomenon of Jerusalem as a city of three cultures: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim.
It will show Jerusalem not only as existing in a specific geographic, historical and cultural reality, but also as an imagined space: a metaphysical destination for pilgrims, a fantasy for travelers, and the eschatological end of the road in the afterlife for generations of the faithful. According to religious traditions, the world originated in Jerusalem and would end there one (Judgement) day. The city is full of contradiction and paradox. Shared and divided, its status has been tied to the spirituality and piety of the followers of various faiths and to tumultuous political conflict, not infrequently provoked by religious motives.
The exhibition is designed as an open and multicultural space of learning and dialogue where historical art and craft meet the work of contemporary artists. As well as artworks and artifacts created in Jerusalem and, more broadly, in Palestine, we will display ones that express fascination and longing for the land by evoking memories and symbolic explorations. Reflection on Jerusalem’s universal history, eternal myth and complicated present will be influenced by Warsaw’s local point of view. While the exhibition’s title refers to Jerusalem as a destination for pilgrims and wanderers, it also points to the particular location where it will be held: the main building of the National Museum in Warsaw, whose address is 3 Aleje Jerozolimskie, or Jerusalem Avenue.
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Audio guides
Audio guides at the National Museum let visitors discover the history and context of the works on display through professionally produced recordings. They make it possible to explore the exhibitions independently, choosing the content that interests you and your own pace of visiting.
Photoglob Co., Zurich, Switzerland,
Bazaar by the Citadel in Jerusalem, c. 1900, National Museum in Warsaw
Unknown artisan, Central Asia,
Quran Manuscript, 18th century,
National Museum in Warsaw
Unknown artisan, Poland,
Antependium with Noah's Ark, late 17th century, National Museum in Warsaw
James Robertson (1813-1888), Felice Beato (1832 [?]-1909), Antonio Beato (c. 1835-1906), The façade of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem, 1857,
National Museum in Warsaw
Lahav Halevy (b. 1965),
Heaven, Hell of a Place, 2005
National Museum in Warsaw
Unknown workshop, England, Illustration on canvas depicting various freemasonry symbols, early 19th century, National Museum in Warsaw.
Unknown artisan, Poland,
Parochet for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, 18th/19th century,
National Museum in Warsaw
The Workshop of Wilhelm Kalteysen von Oche (?),
Triptych of the Crucifixion, c. 1450,
National Museum in Warsaw
Greek Orthodox Workshop,
Proskynetarion, Jerusalem, 19th century,
National Museum in Warsaw
Johann Daniel Herz (1693-1754; st.), Augsburg 1735, View of Jerusalem with Scenes from the Life and Passion of Christ,
National Museum in Warsaw
Exhibition partners
Patrons and sponsors
Partners
Collaboration
Media patrons
Digital Museum
Discover the digital collections of the National Museum in Warsaw and explore thousands of works of art — from painting and sculpture to prints, photography and decorative arts. Browse objects, artists and collections, learning their history through detailed descriptions and high-quality reproductions. Visit the site and see the richness of the MNW collections from anywhere, at any time.
See also
14 May – 25 October 2026 Xawery Dunikowski Museum of Sculpture in Królikarnia
17 April – 13 September 2026 The National Museum in Warsaw