The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman is a museum located in Oman. It was developed as a result of a ten-year collaboration between the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Royal Estate Affairs of Oman, Jasper Jacob Associates (J.J.A.), and Arts Architecture International Ltd (A.A.I.), and opened to the public in 2016.[1]

Background

The museum was established by a royal decree in 2013 and opened on July 30, 2016.[1] It was designed to be the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation's heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day.

Collection

The National Museum houses 5,466 objects, among them an internationally significant collection of prehistoric metallic artifacts.[2] Its curator, Mouza Sulaiman Mohamed Al-Wardi, is part of an international team exploring the legacy of Oman's silverwork tradition, where historically women were also silversmiths. [2] [3][4]

The museum is equipped with infrastructure for 43 digital immersive experiences, a learning center, conservation facilities, an ultra-high-definition cinema,[5] and discovery areas for children.[6] It adopted the region's first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors learn about the various processes that artifacts go through before they are put on display.[citation needed] It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired.[citation needed]

Building

The museum is in a purpose-designed building in the heart of Muscat. The total area of the building is 13,700 square metres (147,000 sq ft), including 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) allocated for 14 permanent galleries.[7] A further 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) are allocated for temporary exhibitions.

Galleries

Building and facilities
Total plot area 24000 m2
Total building area 13700 m2
Total gallery area 4000 m2
Number of galleries 14
Permanent Galleries The Land and the People

Maritime History

Arms and Armour

Civilisation in the Making

Aflaj

Currency

Timeline

Bat, al-Khutm and al-Ayn

Land of Frankincense

Prehistory and Ancient History

Splendours of Islam

Oman and the World

The Renaissance

Intangible Heritage

Other facilities Learning Centre

Conservation Facilities

Temporary Exhibitions Gallery

Collections Gallery (Open Storage Concept)

Café

Gift Shop

Images

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Museum (Oman).

Board of trustees

References

  1. ^ Hasan, Deeba (26 July 2016). "#OmanPride: National Museum of Oman all set to open". Times of Oman.
  2. ^ Yule, P.‒Gernez, G. (eds.), Early Iron Age metal-working workshop in the Empty Quarter, Sultanate of Oman, Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie, 316, Bonn, 2018.
  3. ^ "Adornment, Identity and Empowerment: Female Silversmiths in Southern Oman". 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  4. ^ "Lectures online". 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  5. ^ y Pluse of Oman, 17 December 2015
  6. ^ Sultanate of Oman, National Museum, Muscat, 2015
  7. ^ Sultanate of Oman, National Museum, Muscat, 2015

External links

Media related to National Museum (Oman) at Wikimedia Commons

Museums in Oman
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