Oman Across Ages Museum – an epitome of past glories, an icon of the renaissance

The Oman Across Ages Museum, to be inaugurated on Monday March 13th by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, is a celebration of the country’s rich history, culture, and economic growth through time – while offering an insight into Oman’s tomorrow.

The Museum is a cultural and educational landmark for all Omanis taking the visitor on a vast, sweeping journey through time.

It traces the story of Oman from the first settlers of prehistory to the present, spanning different ages, dynasties and civilisations.

Special emphasis is given to Oman's renaissance since the 1970s, during which the Sultanate has experienced remarkable economic, technological, political and social progress. This unique journey is displayed with a series of installations and extensive use of interactive visual and sound presentations and devices.

It seeks to highlight the unique character of the Sultanate of Oman, and introduce its prominent features, its ancient history and its renaissance which is continuously making progress at the local and international levels under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

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).

The Museum demonstrates Oman’s transition from its past glories, to the present and into the bright future in modern style using interactive, audio-visual displays.

The Museum aims to spread awareness and strengthen the relationship of Omani youth with their cultural heritage. It encourages them to interact with their past in a way that inspires them to participate in the building and shaping the future of their homeland.

In 2015, His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said laid the foundation stone for the Oman Across Ages Museum project in the Wilayat of Manah, Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah.

Today, the project occupies an estimated area of 300,000 square metres and its buildings cover more than 66,000 square metres. Its design is inspired by the Al Hajar mountains. It is an architectural wonder that represents the Omani environment, with its unique geographical traits.

The project organisers envisaged that the building should have a creative character – an icon that represents the Omani Blessed Renaissance through its structure and design. The Museum portrays Omani architecture in a unique modern style, through its technical details, construction features and building materials.

The Oman Across Ages Museum is an environmentally-friendly structure. On its eastern side it has a low profile, so that when it receives sunlight in the morning the inside is protected from direct sunlight. On its western side, the Museum's windows are set in slanted walls that prevent the impact of direct sunlight and reduce the energy that the Museum needs for lighting.

Its design replicates the building techniques of castles and ancient buildings – its walls cooling the surrounding hot air thanks to the 130,000 square metres of high-quality Omani stone from the governorates of A’Dhahirah and North Al Batinah used to clad the walls of the Museum, both inside and out. Waste material from the stones has been used in the Museum's garden.

The Museum is distinguished by its glass facades sometimes rising as high as 25 metres, giving the building a clear silhouette that dominates the horizon.

The specifications include the use of steel coloured glass. Four layers of glass are used, 6 centimetres thick and up to 5 metres high. This gives the Museum an aesthetic outlook, providing visitors with a comprehensive view of the project while harmonising the building with its surrounding environment.

The Museum consists of two halls – The History Hall and the The Renaissance Hall.

Once a visitor sets foot inside they are taken on a journey through the geography and history of Oman – the oldest items in the Museum date back to prehistoric eras.

The History Hall consists of a series of pavilions each dedicated to a particular subject: The Land of Oman, Early Settlers, The Civilisation of Magan, The Kingdom of Magan, Maritime Heritage, Aflaj Irrigation, Embracing Islam, The Al Ya’aruba Dynasty and The Al Busaidi Dynasty. In this way visitors can travel through time and space, right from the country’s geological formation, through the experiences of the early settlers to the modern Renaissance age.

The History Hall also relates various events to their historical epochs, with two basic features taking prominence, which are Maritime Heritage and Aflaj (a traditional irrigation system). The geological formation of the Land of Oman and the Stone Age are represented in the Early Settlers pavilion, the Bronze Age is seen through the Civilisation of Magan pavilion, while the Iron Age is represented in the Kingdom of Oman pavilion.

The pavilions of the different ages exhibit various aspects of daily life. These are evident in the settlements of Ras Al Hamra and Ras Al Jinz and their relationship with seasonal migrations, maritime communication, copper trade and the construction of the Aflaj system.

The pavilions offer a high-definition environment showcasing the contribution of people of Oman to Islam, in addition to different aspects of intellectual, political and social life and economic life

Exhibits are introduced via digital media to create multi-dimensional environments that enable the visitor to experience each era in virtual reality.

Through the use of high-definition audio-visual presentations and virtual maps, the History Hall also explores the eras of the Al Ya’aruba Dynasty and then the Al Busaidi Dynasty. This chronicles the period of the State’s establishment, the period of the Omani Empire, the period of division of government between Muscat and Zanzibar and the period that led to the Renaissance. The emphasis is on aspects of daily life and achievements in various fields of life during the rule of the Imams and Sultans of the Al Busaidi Dynasty.

The Renaissance Hall consists of pavilions titled Dawn of the Renaissance, Building A Nation, Our Society, Healthy Environment, Peace and Stability, Towards A Sustainable Economy, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Ash Shura, Oman and the World, Inspiration, Creative Expression and Media and Communications.

The Hall’s entrance is an open space in the centre of gigantic columns which form an interactive space with a panoramic view of presentations via a high-resolution audio-visual display system that deals with the years of the Blessed Renaissance. This explores various aspects of the social, economic, industrial, and political transformation experienced by Oman, while at the same time preserving its authentic identity and cultural traditions.

The Hall comprises interactive digital exhibits that display the speeches of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It also explores fundamental aspects of the Blessed Renaissance such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, foreign relations, tourism and the economy.

The Oman Across Ages Museum houses 310 video exhibits and 1,200 interactive, 2D and 3D screens, map projection technology, as well as 1,300 antique exhibits, 80 replica exhibits, 500 text panels and drawings, 150 display boxes, 61 kilometres of fibre-optic cables and 21 kilometres of audio-video cables.

Notable exhibits in the Museum include the jaw of the Omantherium, a type of huge primitive elephant that lived on the land of Oman about 35 million years ago and trilobites found in the Wilayat of Mahut in the Al Wusta Governorate which date back to 250 million years to 500 million years ago.

The Museum also contains the Magan Ship, which is a re-imagining of the vessels of the Magan civilisation made of reed bundles tied with ropes of palm fibres and woven mats sealed with black tar.

Another notable exhibit is a message from His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to his teacher in the month of Rajab 1374 AH, corresponding to February 1955.

The Museum includes educational games for children with modern interactive technologies that provide a unique museum experience.

The Museum also contains the Knowledge Centre, which is an information resource for students, researchers and readers. The Centre represents a key feature of the Oman Across Ages Museum and comprises a rich source of information that contributes to building knowledge for all, from children to researchers.

The Centre provides equal opportunities for all to benefit from its facilities, equipment and services, promoting and developing cultural and historical knowledge by providing lifelong learning opportunities via interactive educational programmes, training workshops, lectures and seminars.

The Knowledge Centre, spread over three floors occupies a total area of 6,000 square metres. The ground floor houses the Ideas Lab and the Innovation Lab, which are equipped with tools and books suitable for children from 3 to 14 years old.

The first and second floors house the library of Husn Al Shumookh. The library contains more than 46,000 titles in various areas of science and knowledge. It is equipped with technology that allows researchers to access their desired titles and references, in hard copies or electronic form.

The Library provides services in person to visitors or remotely via a digital reference service operating through the Centre’s website, an instant chat service and an “Ask the Librarian” form. Services are also available via email, smartphone applications and social media.

The Library's facilities also include a lecture hall, a multi-purpose hall and facilities for disabled people.

The Museum has a shop, which offers a wide range of exclusive gifts with attractive designs, many of which are inspired by the history, heritage and culture of the Sultanate of Oman.

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). It will be open to the public from March 18th.

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