His Majesty presides over official opening of Oman Across Ages Museum

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik today presided over the official opening of the Oman Across Ages Museum in the Wilayat of Manah, Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah.

Upon His Majesty's arrival at the Museum, he was received by Nasr Hamoud Al Kindi, Secretary General of the Royal Court Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum and Chairman of the Main Committee of the Museum Project; members of the Main Committee and the Director General of the Museum.

Then His Majesty headed to a memorial plaque, where he switched on the light, marking the official opening of the Museum.

Oman Across Ages Museum is located in the Wilayat of Manah in the heart of the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah just one hour and 40 minutes (160 km) by car from Muscat and 20 minutes (20km) from Nizwa (for more information click here).

Then His Majesty viewed the foundation stone of the Oman Across Ages Museum, passing by the vehicle that was once used by His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said when the latter laid the foundation stone of the Museum in 2015.

After that, His Majesty visited the Reception section, where the first ticket of entry to the Museum was issued in the name of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who presented the ticket as a gift to the Museum, to be added to the its collections.

His Majesty then passed through the Arts Corridor to the National Day screen, measuring 18 metres by 11 metres, which symbolises the glorious National Day (18th November).

There, His Majesty listened to a speech delivered on behalf of the Main Committee of the Oman Across Ages Museum project, by Engineer Al Yaqdhan Abdullah Al Harthi, Director General of the Museum. Eng. Al Yaqdhan said that the Museum advocates the use of the latest technologies in presenting its valuable collection that indicates the depth and authenticity of Omani history.

In his speech, Eng. Al Yaqdhan said that the design of the Museum’s building was inspired by the grandeur of the Al Hajar Mountains. He observed that the building is in harmony with the Omani environment through the type of materials used in its construction.

Eng. Al Yaqdhan voiced the committee’s gratitude to His Majesty for his constant support towards the accomplishment of this monumental project.

His Majesty then watched an introductory film about the Oman Across Ages Museum. The informative film outlined the architectural aspects of the Museum and how it uses modern interactive technologies to present ancient civilisations in chronological sequence. The film displays antiques from each era and explains the diverse facilities housed by the Museum.

After that, His Majesty toured the Museum. He listened to a summary of the most prominent pavilions in the “Gallery of History”, the “Gallery of the Blessed Renaissance” and the “Gallery of the Future”. The latter exhibits projects that won awards at the second round of the Bilarab Bin Haitham Award for Architectural Design.

His Majesty also visited the lecture hall and the Ideas and Innovation Labs at the Knowledge Centre. There, he listened to briefings about a number of innovations and student projects from the schools of the A’Dakhiliyah Governorate.

At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, His Majesty received a commemorative gift from the Oman Across Ages Museum. The gift, a model of the Museum, was presented by Nasr Hamoud Al Kindi, Secretary General of the Royal Court Affairs.

In a symbolic gesture, His Majesty the Sultan offered his own personal cane as a gift to the Museum, to be added to its collection.

Before leaving the Museum, His Majesty was briefed about an ancient limestone rock bearing a set of primitive drawings from Wadi Lahjaij in the Governorate of Dhofar that figures among the collections.

The official opening ceremony was attended by members of the Royal Family, the Chairmen of the State Council and the Shura Council, Ministers, Heads of security and military units and other officials and dignitaries.

The Oman Across Ages Museum was set up in accordance with the Royal Orders of His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who laid the foundation stone for the project on July 14th 2015.

Given the project’s significance to His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the Museum was located near Hisn Al Shomoukh. The Wilayat of Manah has a strategic location in the heart of Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. This provides the Museum with an ideal position close to many other tourist attractions in the Wilayat of Manah and Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. The project serves as a cornerstone for other tourism, cultural and economic projects in the Governorate.

The Oman Across Ages Museum is envisioned to be a world-class destination that will contribute to spreading awareness and consolidate the attachment of Omani youth to their country’s cultural heritage, encouraging them to interact and contribute to building their homeland and shaping its features.

The Museum also aims to highlight the unique character of the Sultanate of Oman and to portray its advantages, its ancient history and its renaissance, which continues to advance both locally and internationally.

The idea of the Museum’s design was derived from the shape of Omani rocks and the Al Hajar Mountains range. The edifice rises from the ground and extends to a great height in a unique design that reflects the Omani landscape. The project also merges into the Omani environment through the stones used in its construction and its trees.

The Museum's halls take the visitor on a narrative journey through time, starting from the late prehistoric era until the present day. The permanent exhibition wings are divided into two: The History Gallery and The Renaissance Gallery.

The History Gallery deals with several epochs and historical eras, namely, Oman's geological formation in the Land of Oman, the Stone Age, represented by the wing of the Early Settlers, the Bronze Age, represented by the wing of the Civilisation of Magan, the Iron Age, represented by the wing of the Kingdom of Oman. In addition there are pavilions titled “Embracing Islam”, “The Al Ya’aruba Dynasty” and “The Al Busaidi Dynasty.”

The presentations in the History Gallery use digital media to create multi-dimensional virtual environments that enable visitors to experience the events of each era. Documents and maps provide further information.

The pavilions house a number of antiques and presentations on various topics and archaeological sites such as the settlements of Ras Al Hamra and Ras Al Jinz and aspects of life at that time, including seasonal migrations, maritime communication, the copper trade and the development of the Aflaj water system.

They also contain a highly realistic virtual environment that documents the Omani people’s contribution to Islam, as well as aspects of intellectual, political, social and economic life related to those interactions. The pavilions document the contribution of Omani scholars.

The Renaissance Gallery was designed in the form of an open space with gigantic columns in the centre which form an interactive space for the presentation of the high-resolution audio-visual display system that deals with the first five years of the blessed renaissance. This offers a panoramic view of the hall and consummates the visitor’s experience as it explores various aspects of the social, economic, industrial, and political transformation experienced by Oman, while at the same time preserving its authentic identity and ancient cultural traditions.

The Gallery contains interactive digital tools that display the speeches of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and of the His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It also explores key aspects of the Blessed Renaissance, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, foreign relations, tourism and economy.

The Knowledge Centre is divided into three floors targeting all segments of society. It occupies a total area of 6,000 square metres.

The ground floor comprises two laboratories and a large lecture hall, as well as a classroom fitted with appropriate tools and books dedicated to children. The Innovation Laboratory and the Ideas Laboratory are designed for children aged 3 to 14 years.

The first and second floors include the Library of Hisn Al Shomoukh, which was transferred from Hisn Al Shomoukh to the Oman Across Ages Museum. The library contains more than 46,000 titles in various areas of knowledge and it is equipped with devices that allow researchers to access their desired titles and reference books in hard copy or digital form.

The Museum also contains facilities for the comfort and convenience of visitors. The Museum provides special rooms as a free service for visitors to leave their bags and belongings there before starting their tour. The service is available during the Museum’s working hours from 9am to 9pm.

The Museum includes a lecture hall that can accommodate 319 people. The hall offers spectacular views to an outdoor garden surrounding the Museum building and is equipped with lighting, acoustic equipment and internet, in addition to translation facilities.

The Museum includes an Innovation Laboratory dedicated to educational programmes, including those implemented by the Oman Across Ages Museum, or programmes of community institutions that participate in achieving educational benefits for various segments of society. The Lab, which is located on the ground floor, occupies an area of 149 square metres and can accommodate 62 people.

The Museum offers special facilities for children. It includes an Ideas Lab for Children aged 3 to 14 years old. The Lab is equipped with advanced educational equipment and it is designed to host and hold workshops and educational programmes for children of different ages. The Lab is located on the ground floor. It occupies an area of 143 square metres and can accommodate 56 people.

The Museum also includes a multi-purpose hall equipped with the latest technology. The Hall can be used for hosting lectures, conferences or workshops. It occupies a total area of 1,200 square metres and it can accommodate about 600 people.

The Oman Across Ages Museum is a welcoming place for all segments of society providing all facilities for its visitors, including people with disabilities, with paintings and texts written in Braille, tactile models similar to the Museum’s original possessions, electronic audio devices, wheelchairs and golf carts for transportation.

The Museum store offers a number of museum-specific products as gifts to visitors. It also provides Omani products such as pottery, palm leaves and various handicraft products. A contract has been signed with a small and medium enterprises to provide these products from various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.

A First Aid Centre provides medical services in case any visitor suffers an injury or emergency. The centre is equipped with all necessary medical tools and equipment, in addition to an ambulance and medical staff qualified to provide primary medical care.

The Museum also has a café that provides visitors with delicious traditional and international food and drinks. The cafeteria is located next to the Reception Desk, close to the Multi-Purpose Hall. In addition, the Sabla Café near the lake provides coffee, drinks, sweets and snacks. Self-service machines for drinks and snacks are also available at the Knowledge Centre.

The Museum includes a garden where the visitors can relax. The garden is located at the back of the Museum. Its design replicates Omani nature. It has terraces, seats, a long walkway and a set of trees reflecting the country’s natural environment. The most important trees in the garden include frankincense trees and date palm trees. The garden also includes a falaj that runs over a distance of one kilometre.

The garden contains a limestone rock belonging to Wadi Lahjaij in the Dhofar Governorate. The rock weighs 75 tons. It contains a group of drawings that were engraved using hammering on the surface of the rock to create images of human beings and animals such as ibex and camel feet. The drawings includes letters of the alphabet, shapes, circular lines and shapes of celestial bodies, in addition to drawing the shape of the sun.

The Oman Across Ages Museum's pavilions entertain visitors through the use of the latest modern technologies, including Projection Mapping, LCD screens, and LED screens with a total area of approximately 800 square metres.

The Museum allows visitors to enjoy approximately 310 video displays, including interactive game technologies for children, documentaries, 2D and 3D technical drawings and amazing shots and scenes.

The Museum boasts more than 1,200 devices to operate various display methods to provide the visitors with an enjoyable experience. It uses curved-screen 360 degree technology, which allows the visitor to turn right around while viewing films.

The projectors use virtual reality technology consisting of multiple screens that contain hanging cameras.

In the Early Settlers pavilion within the History Gallery, the visitors move the screen over parts of the Museum to see the early settlers of Ras Al Hamra and experience their lifestyle.

Under Royal Decree No. 15/2023 the Oman Across Ages Museum is established of under the honorary patronage of His Majesty the Sultan. It also states that the Museum should be a legal entity with administrative and financial autonomy. The Museum has a board of trustees headed by the Secretary General of the Royal Court Affairs. The Museum will open its doors to visitors from Saturday 18 March 2023.

Oman Across Ages Museum is located in the Wilayat of Manah in the heart of the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah just one hour and 40 minutes (160 km) by car from Muscat and 20 minutes (20km) from Nizwa (for more information click here).

This is an unofficial English translation of the original Arabic text. To view the official Arabic text, click here.