The main cultural assets of Oman

Over the decades following the accession of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the throne, when he became the Sultan of Oman in 1970, Oman developed into a modern nation without altering the innermost fabrics of a culture rooted in a millenary past, which was however largely undisclosed until recent times. Therefore, it can be said that the first and most important Oman's contribution to the World is Oman itself, with its unique history and traditions and a rich cultural heritage that can be now traced back to the dawn of humankind, as well as its rich and diversified natural heritage.

The legal framework on cultural heritage conservation

The preservation and respect for its own and other cultures is a real concern for Oman. The regulation of cultural heritage management has been a major point in the Government’s agenda. A series of separate Acts on this subject culminated in the issuing of Royal Decree 6/80 for the Protection of National Heritage in 1980.

With the implementation of a new Heritage Law which was issued by a Royal Decree (35/2019), Oman is now even more equipped to legally regulate the management of its cultural and natural heritage. The new law is a modern and extremely detailed statute for the protection of cultural heritage both in Oman and outside the Sultanate's borders according to the international agreements in force.

The cultural and natural sites on the World Heritage List

The five Omani properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Bahia Fort, the Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Ayn & AI-Khutm, Land of Frankincense, Aflaj Irrigation System, and Ancient City of Qalhat), together with the heritage and natural sites proposed in the Tentative List, provide a testimony not only of the rich history and great biodiversity of the Sultanate, but also of the established capacity of mobilizing resources and knowledge for the accomplishment of significant targets including the preservation, protection and management of important sites, with a perfect integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental.

Oman is a Member State of ICCROM since 13/12/2003

Mandates in ICCROM Council since 1958:

ICCROM Staff since 1959: - None -

Governmental Cultural Institutions

• Ministry of Heritage and Culture
  
• Ministry of Tourism
  

Governmental Museums

• The National Museum – Sultanate of Oman
  
• Museums supervised by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture
  
• Omani French Museum (Bait Fransa)
  
• Children Museum
  
• Natural History Museum
  
• Sayyid Faisat Museum
  
• Sohar Fort Museum
  

Other Governmental Museums

• Sultan Armed Forces Museums
  
• Baidt Al-Baranda
  
• Currency Museum
  
• Khasab Fort Museum
  
• Taqa Fort Museum
  
• Saidiya School for Education Museum
  
• Muscat Gate Museum
  
• Museum of the Frankinsence Land
  

Private Museums and Heritage Houses

• Bait Al Zubair Museum
  
• Al-Makan Wa Al-Nas Museum (Previously, Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art)
  
• Private museum with no websites (you can find all information and images at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture website
  
• Old Castle Museum
  
• Bait Adam Museum
  
• Bidiya Museum
  
• Abnaa Majan Museum
  
• Bait Al-Ghadham Museum
  
• Heritage Museum of Al-Afiyah
  
• Madha Museum
  

* ICCROM reserves the right to moderate the content provided by Member States for country profiles to ensure that they remain within the scope of ICCROM’s mission and pertinent to cultural heritage. However, ICCROM does not take responsibility for the accuracy and validity of the content supplied. The ideas and opinions expressed are those of the Member States.