Muscat, December 08: Oman’s geographical location, its terrain and resources have been important factors in the way its economy and culture have evolved over the generations. The country developed trading links with other nations centuries ago and, by virtue of those links, became a bridge between civilizations and a focal point of the Arabian peninsula and the ancient world. Modern day Omanis are rightly proud of the way in which their nation has expanded into a vibrant 21st century state but celebration of history, heritage and culture remain an essential part of life in the Sultanate.
The Office of the Adviser to the Sultan for Cultural Affairs, oversees the restoration, maintenance and development of a variety of sites, from the Bronze Age Salut site, which dates from the third millennium BC, to the Land of Frankincense sites that feature on Unesco’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.
Several other government departments are also closely involved in safeguarding Oman’s heritage and culture for future generations.
The Ministry of Heritage and Culture takes part in ongoing excavation work at several archaeological sites as well as carrying out maintenance work on ancient buildings and monuments. Its remit includes museums and international book exhibitions, in which it participates in collaboration with the Ministry of Information. It also restores and prints copies of old manuscripts and promotes present-day cultural activities as the theatre, the cinema, arts and literature.
The Ministry of Information, also involved in culture and the arts, supports the Oman Centre for Traditional Music (OCTM) and prints books. The Ministry of Tourism’s activities in this sector include the world-renowned Al Felaij Castle Theatre programmes. The Bait Al Baranda Visitor’s Centre, which comes under Muscat Municipality’s jurisdiction, also runs programmes that are both cultural and entertaining.
The Ministry of Heritage and Culture is responsible for preserving, maintaining and renovating the Sultanate’s ancient monuments, including forts, castles, towers, walls and former residential quarters. It documents and prepares annual maintenance plans for these structures, and in 2008 completed restoration work on Al Muslimat Tower Wadi Al Ma’awil, Bidbid Fort, Al Faiqain Citadel in the Wilayat of Manah, Al Khabourah Fort, Fazah Citadel in the Wilayat of Liwa and Al Areen Wall in Muttrah.
Maintenance work is currently under way at Sohar Fort, Bait Al Maqham in Bausher, the Al Hamoudah Mosque in Ja’alan Bani Bu Ali and Al Hial Wall in the Wilayat of Suwaiq. Meanwhile, restoration work is ongoing at a number of forts and fortified towers across the country.
Oman’s museums have an important role to play in enriching the nation’s cultural life and showcasing its heritage. In 2008 they received 76,660 visitors. Museums, which come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture include:
A valuable living example of Oman’s proud seafaring history will come with completion, in late 2009, of the Jewel of Muscat, a seagoing vessel modelled
on a 9th century Arab sailing ship being built in the village of Qantab, Muscat.
The 18-metre ship will be built as was the custom, without nails, its wooden planks sewn together with coconut fibre, and protected by a layer of goat fat mixed with lime.
The vessel will embark on a historic voyage from Oman , to Singapore in early 2010, using 9th century navigation techniques. The project is being jointly funded by the governments of Oman and Singapore, and is being overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Omiani manuscripts in the Ministry of Heritage and Culture’s Manuscripts Department embody the country’s intellectual and cultural heritage; some of which contain stunning examples of old illuminated Islamic ornamentation and Arabic calligraphy. The Manuscripts Department preserves, restores, binds, photocopies and catalogues all the manuscripts, which are then checked by specialists and published (or reprinted where necessary), for the benefit of libraries at home and abroad. They frequently feature at international book fairs and exhibitions.
The department’s services are available for anyone wishing to peruse the manuscripts or obtain copies of them. Numerous scholars and post-graduate students use material on a wide range of topics including language, literature, religion, history, medicine, chemistry, astronomy and marine sciences. The manuscript text of Al Saheefah Al Qahtaaniyah (The Book of Qahtan) by the Omani historian Ibn Ruzaiq, which was printed and published recently, has proved to be a popular and useful source for students of Omani history.
Details of the department’s manuscript titles and authors, with names and dates of the transcribers, can be found in a comprehensive index. A catalogue of manuscripts can also be accessed online.
The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, joined Unesco’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of non-Material Cultural Heritage for the period 2008-2012. It attended its 2nd session in Sofia in February and its 3rd session in I Istanbul in November 2008. It also attended the 2nd session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of non-Material Cultural Heritage held in Paris in June 2008.
It joined the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in March 2007, and in 2005 took part in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore held in Geneva.
The ministry also attended meetings and various other events relevant to Omani culture, both in the Arab world and beyond, during the year under review.
The Oman Encyclopaedia is a national cultural project aimed at publishing a comprehensive reference work on Oman and its people. On completion it will cover every aspect of life in Oman, including society, history, religion, economy, politics, arts and literature, as well as details of wildlife, flora, fauna, climate, terrestrial and marine environment and other features.
The Oman Encyclopaedia is targeted at the general reader interested in facts and figures on Oman, including students, other scholars and interested members of the public.
The project has been planned in three main stages: preparation, implementation and production.
The preparatory stage, which began in mid-2004 and was completed at the end of 2005, included a survey of the topics for possible inclusion. The operation entailed extensive use of published reference works and studies on Oman and during this period the Encyclopaedia Committee held discussions with numerous experts to decide which topics to include in the final version; they eventually agreed on over 8,000 entries.
Compiling the encyclopaedia’s entries took place during the implementation stage, which began in 2006. A large number of scholars and specialist writers were recruited from within the Sultanate and abroad as well as research assistants to produce the draft entries, as well as photographs, maps, tables and diagrams.
Expert editors with specialist knowledge in a wide range of fields are currently checking facts and figures before production specialists design its final format. The first impression of The Oman Encyclopaedia is due to appear in November 2010.
The Royal Opera House, which is being built on HisMajesty the Sultan’s instructions in Al Qurum in the Governorate of Muscat, is currently under construction by the Diwan of the Royal Court (Royal Buildings). It will eventually cover an area of 80,000 square metres.
This hi-tech project is due for completion in 2010 and will have state-of-the-art architectural design features, lighting and sound systems. The seating in the auditorium will be ajustable according to the type of performance (ie opera, play or concert) and the stage and orchestra pit will be expandable depending on the number of performers.
It will be possible to extend the seating area to accommodate an audience of up to 1,100, while plays or operas requiring a bigger stage will have a seating capacity of 800. The Royal Opera House will also have a 32-metre high tower capable of facilitating all manner of theatrical wizardry to enhance performances.
Several art and cultural associations have been set up in recent years, including the Oud Hobbyists’ Association and the Oman Writers’ Association. The Oud Hobbyists’ Association comes under the jurisdiction of the Diwan of Royal Court and was set up on the Sultan’s instructions on November 28, 2005, is the first association of its kind in the Arab world and was officially inaugurated on November 2, 2008.
The association’s premises in Seeb include a lecture hall, a music room and a library with books on the oud and art in general as well as on cultural topics and general subjects. The library also stocks government publications and periodicals as well as audio and video tapes featuring performances by world-class musicians.
—Agencies