Calouste Gulbenkian was a petrol magnate of Armenian origin, who was based in Portugal. He is thought to be the first individual to exploit Iraqi oil and make the petroleum reserves of the Middle East available to the Western World.
A generous philanthropist, he established many schools, churches and hospitals and created the Gulbenkian Foundation in his will in order to support the arts, education and science in Portugal. It is now one of the largest foundations in Europe.
This foundation supports numerous cultural institutions in Lisbon, including the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, the Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium and the Calouste Gulbenkian Orchestra.
The head office of the foundation is located in Lisbon and it includes an exhibition space, an auditorium, a congress area, an art library and other rooms. During his lifetime, Gulbenkian amassed an enormous art collection of valuable works from all around the world.