The
country’s rich cultural heritage is well preserved in Muscat's many museums, including:
- The Oman Museum, which covers
5,000 years of local history, with displays on shipbuilding, Islam and
fort architecture
- Bait
Al Zubair located
within a traditional Omani house, giving insight into Omani lifestyle and
traditions
- The Natural
History Museum,
with in-depth exhibitions of the country’s geology and wildlife; the
museum is currently undergoing extensive renovation and expansion
- Beit
Al Fransi, former
home of the French Consul dedicated to the long rapport between France and Oman
- Bait
Al Barandah, where
interactive exhibits cover 100 million years of history
- The National Museum in Ruwi, chronicling Oman’s ruling dynasty, as well as exhibiting
Omani silverwork and an 8th-century letter from the Prophet
Mohammed to the rulers of Oman,
inviting the local people to Islam
- And the Armed Forces
Museum, a military museum located in the
150-year old Bait Al Falaj Fort.
- Also worth a visit are The
National Gate Museum, Children’s Museum, Currency museum, Ecology Oman
Centre, Turtle Museum in Ras Al Hadd and the Franklin Centre
Museum in Dhofar.
Additions
to the country’s museum scene include:
· Muscat’s
brand-new National Museum, with displays covering Omani
history from prehistoric times to the present day
· The new Maritime
Museum in Sur, Oman’s northeastern coastal town that
has long been an important centre for dhow construction
· Mawaleh, Seeb’s new Museum of Omani Dress. The brand-new project, whose goal is to
conserve Oman’s
colourful national dress – and thus safeguard an important part of the
country’s identity – is spearheaded by the non-profit group, Centre for Omani
Dress (www.omanidress.com). The museum details men's and women's traditional
costume, with special sections dedicated to children's clothes and general
accessories.
Not
a museum, but a Muscat
must-see all the same, the Sultan Qaboos
Grand Mosque was inaugurated in 2001. It is renowned for its enormous
hand-woven carpet (70 x 60m) and 14-m Swarovski crystal chandelier.