USM Museum, Penang

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USM Museum , officially known as Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, is the museum and art gallery located within the grounds of Universiti Sains Malaysia. In a similar sense as the Penang Museum once was, the USM Museum combines both a museum and an art gallery within the same building.

USM Museum, officially known as Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah (7 December, 2009)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah was established through a proposal upon the founding of the School of Humanities in 1971, and the introduction of a Fine Arts Programme in 1972. The establishing of the museum and art gallery was undertaken by the first vice-chancellor of the university, the late Tan Sri Prof. Hamzah Sendut. Much of the artifacts on display at the museum were purchased during that time.

The museum appointed its first curator, Wan Zakaria Wan Ismail, in 1981. Until then, T.K. Sabapathy acted as the first honorary curator. The USM Museum opened to the public on 21 January, 1982. On 19 March, 2007, it was inaugurated as Muzium & Galeri8 Tuanku Fauziah, in honour of Tuanku Fauziah binti Tengku Abdul Rashid, the Raja Perempuan of Perlis, who served as the Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 2001 to 12 December, 2006.

USM Museum, officially known as Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah (7 December, 2009)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

On the ground floor of the USM Museum, which is divided into two wings, the art gallery occupied the south wing. In the arcades and the north wing are galleries displaying traditional musical instruments and copies of the Quran.

The upper floor of the museum is devoted to archaeology, mining and space exploration, among others. Within the archaeology section are displays on the various archaeological sites in Malaysia. In the mining section are diagrams and dioramas of oil rigs, while the space exploration section showcases man's flight into space.

How to reach the USM Museum

If you're coming from Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, turn right at the first roundabout and then go to the end of the road.

If you're coming from Jalan Sungai Dua, turn right upon reaching the first junction upon entering USM grounds. Go along the road. At the second roundabout, turn left and go to the end of the road.

If you're coming from Jalan Bukit Gambier, turn right at the first T-junction, then continue along the road until you reach the second roundabout. Turn left and go to the end of the road.