RAMALLAH, West Bank — Much about Yasir Arafat remains an enigma, in death as in life.

The man who came to embody the Palestinian national cause was variously born in Jerusalem, or Gaza, or Cairo. It was never entirely clear what led to his death in a French military hospital in November 2004.

The Yasir Arafat Museum will proffer answers to these questions when it opens to the public here on Thursday, the eve of the 12th anniversary of his death at 75.

But like most things relating to Mr. Arafat and his ambiguous legacy, the museum’s contents are unlikely to put to rest the enduring arguments about his quest for Palestinian liberation, which combined peacemaking with armed struggle. A revolutionary hero to admirers, he was viewed by his many detractors as an archterrorist until the end.

The museum’s narrative begins at the dawn of the 20th century and traces the rise of Palestinian nationalism, its struggles with Zionism and Israel, and Mr. Arafat’s role at critical points. The story ends abruptly with his demise, without any conclusion, reflecting his ultimate failure in achieving his goal of Palestinian independence, whether through diplomacy or the gun.