Time-travel through Baghdad, Rome and Mughal India as Louvre Abu Dhabi launches VR experience

The National

6 hours ago

In a 1993 episode of The Simpsons, Lisa is in class, daydreaming of a headset that can take her back in time to witness the Mongol conquests alongside Genghis Khan.
The thought was compelling, even if far-fetched – an educational technology that goes beyond books and blackboards, offering a firsthand, multisensory experience of history.
We're not quite there yet, and time travel may never break the barrier of fiction. But for edutainment purposes, we have the next best thing.
Louvre Abu Dhabi has launched a project that – much like Lisa's headset – presents history as something to be lived and experienced.
The Quantum Dome Project is a virtual reality installation that unfolds over 25 minutes. It immerses participants in digital reconstructed environments from three disparate and historic corners of the globe: ancient Rome, medieval Baghdad and Mughal-era India.
Up to 10 people can enter the VR chamber at once, each fitted with a wireless headset that tracks their full-body movements in real time. Developed with French production company Small Creative Studio, the technology requires no joysticks or other hand-held devices.
Participants can move freely in between the colonnades of a Roman forum, sift through the books of the ancient House of Wisdom, and be in the midst of battle on the lakes near the Jal Mahal.
Each setting is tied to a real object in the museum's collection: a marble sculpture of Emperor Augustus, a manuscript page from De Materia Medica, and a suit of armour dubbed Four Mirrors. These artefacts act as entry points, connecting the physical world of the museum to the journey unfolding inside the headset.
'We identified objects that had potential,' says Marine Botton, senior officer of interpretation and creative content at Louvre Abu Dhabi. 'We have a rich collection, so it was difficult to choose but we wanted objects that are representative of three different eras and civilisations,' adds Botton.
'We wanted to select objects that had enough documentation, to allow us to depict as accurately as possible the historical landscapes surrounding them,' adds Amine Kharchach, interpretation and mediation manager in the museum's education and cultural engagement department. 'We worked hand in hand with our curatorial team to pick the right details.'
But this isn't a static exhibition dressed up in technology. The Quantum Dome Project follows a sci-fi narrative, bookended by scenes at Louvre Abu Dhabi itself.
The story begins in an underground laboratory at the museum, where scientists attempt to extract the 'memory' of objects using experimental quantum technology. As with any compelling story, things go awry. Visitors are flung across time and space, landing in an imperial Roman forum, in the midst of towering colonnades, citizens in togas, and a towering statue of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, in colourful orator's garb.
The experience blends historical fidelity with imaginative reconstruction. While the environments are grounded in rigorous research, certain details had to be filled with educated guesswork, especially where there are gaps in historical records.
'For instance, we knew that the head of Augustus was part of a standing statue,' Botton says. 'But we didn't know the statue's position, whether it was dressed as an orator or in a military outfit. But we dug deeper and tried to work on credible hypothesis. We would go to our scientific team, raise questions and come back with answers.'
Researchers relied on the archaeological remains of the Forum of Augustus to create its digital counterpart. But in the case of the House of Wisdom, they had no such foundation.
Once believed to be the largest library in the world, the House of Wisdom established Baghdad as a global centre of knowledge during the eighth and ninth centuries. It was said to hold tens of thousands of books and manuscripts – works on astronomy, medicine, philosophy and more. But in the 13th century, the library was destroyed by the Mongol siege of Baghdad. Legend has it that so many books were thrown into the Tigris that the river ran black with ink.
Given the House of Wisdom's tragic past and folkloric weight in the region, standing in its virtual rendering is something else entirely. The arched corridors open around a central courtyard, flanked by shelves that seem to stretch to infinity. Scholars move through the space with focused urgency, unrolling scrolls and discussing findings. The environment is highly interactive. Books flicker open as you approach, a cat purrs when you reach down to touch it.
Of course, the virtual scene is not precise reconstruction – after all, no one knows what the library really looked like – but within the Quantum Dome Project, it feels vivid and animates a past that has long been associated with myth and loss.
'Today, archaeologically, we don't have any remains associated to the House of Wisdom,' Kharchach says. 'What we did is to look at the documentation of buildings, mainly madrasas, which existed at the same time. So you have to work with the hypothesis.'
While the architecture required informed assumptions, the details within were shaped by rigorous research. 'We also have documentation that there were women working in the House of Wisdom and doing research,' Kharchach adds. 'We wanted to display that as well. We also strove to understand what the furniture looked like, what the carpets looked like, and so on.'
The mood shifts dramatically as the story propels towards the waters of Rajasthan. The Jal Mahal looms large, receding as the boat pulls away from the lake. It is a serene sight – until fiery arrows cut though the night sky.
Instinctually, viewers will move to dodge the arrows. The soldiers on the boat row faster, urged onwards by a commander dressed in the Four Mirrors armour. The suit is brought to life in the scene, showing how each of its polished panels serve to protect vital parts of the body. Its presence is eye-catching and authoritative.
The scene in Jaipur is unlike the calm reverence of Baghdad or the order of Rome. It is a moment of drama and urgency, serving as the emotional and narrative climax of the experience. It also underscores how instinct and immersion come together in this cutting-edge virtual reality. It doesn't just replicate the past, but also provokes a physical response to it.
'For us, we use technology if it's ready to support the storytelling,' Botton says. 'We wanted to connect audiences to our narrative in a fun and engaging way, but through a very strong story. And now VR is ready to support these kind of stories. This is what drove us to explore its potential.'
While the experience can be enjoyed individually, it is perhaps best savoured as a collective. Botton says ticketing price is set to encourage groups to attend. The individual price for the experience is Dh120, including access to the museum, while booking in groups of four will cost Dh95 per person.