On April 28, 2026, as part of my five-day trip to the state of Palestine, I had the honour of visiting the Mahmoud Darwish Museum in the Palestinian capital city of Ramallah.
In a tribute to one of Palestine’s most revered poets, Mahmoud Darwish, the municipality of Ramallah, in collaboration with the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation, established the Mahmoud Darwish Museum. This cultural landmark honours his legacy, celebrating his immense contribution to Palestinian literature and identity.
The museum, which is located on a hill overlooking Jerusalem, is made up of a public garden, memorial museum, outdoor theatre, and a library. It houses a collection of Darwish’s mementos, poetry collections and a video exhibition space offering visitors a chance to reflect on his literary genius and enduring legacy.
The museum’s design reflects Darwish’s personae, embodying simplicity, humility and a deep connection to the land. The ascending slopes and staircases symbolise his journey in presenting his cause to the world.
One of the important mementos which I saw at the lovely, quaint and peaceful museum was a group photograph of Mahmoud Darwish, the former Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Yasser Arafat, and the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka. The picture, I was told, was taken during Wole Soyinka’s visit in the company of other members of the International Parliament of Writers to Palestine in 2002.
Another significant landmark in the museum was Mahmoud’s iconic signature which was well embossed on a giant concrete backdrop against which visitors to the museum could take pictures.
The gift shop attached to the museum was full of items such as pens, cups and T-shirts which bore Darwish’s special imprints. I bought a grey T-shirt with one of Darwish’s favourite poems beautifully emblazoned on it.
Regarded as the national poet of Palestine, Darwish’s works which blend themes of exile, identity, homeland and resistance have been translated into over twenty languages.
In addition, Darwish wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988 and received honours such as the Lenin Peace Prize and France’s Knight of Arts and Letters medal.
As we all gather here tonight to honour this great humanist and literary savant, may his brilliant thoughts and writings continue to inspire all lovers of justice and humanity around the world.
