Muscat, Oman
National museum in Old Muscat, Oman
The National Museum of Oman, in Old Muscat facing Al Alam Palace, is the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution. It was established by royal decree in 2013 and opened on 30 July 2016 after a ten-year collaboration between the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Royal Court and international museum designers, and it tells the story of Oman from the first human traces in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago to the present. Its 5,466 objects include an internationally important collection of prehistoric metal artefacts that reveal Oman's ancient role in copper mining and trade. Galleries cover land and people, maritime history with its ships and navigators, arms and horsemanship, Omani silver jewellery, a craft in which women also worked as silversmiths, costume, manuscripts, and traditional architecture shown through detailed models of forts, houses and aflaj, plus a hall of official gifts received by the sultans. The museum has 43 digital immersive experiences, a learning centre, an ultra-high-definition cinema and discovery areas for children, and was among the first in the region to use Braille throughout its displays.
Allow two to three hours; it is large and rich. Make it your first stop in Old Muscat, then walk to Al Alam Palace and the Jalali and Mirani forts. It is air-conditioned and comfortable in the midday heat, and the discovery areas keep children busy. On Fridays it opens only in the afternoon.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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AttractionMuscat, Oman
