20 March 2021
Faisal al-Miqdad, Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic visits the National Museum
Under the diplomatic and cultural collaboration between the Sultanate of Oman and the Syrian Arab Republic, His Excellency Dr. Faisal al-Miqdad- Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic paid a visit to the National Museum on Saturday, 20th of March 2020 CE and was greeted by His Excellency Jamal bin Hassan al-Moosawi- Secretary General of the National Museum during an official visit to the Sultanate.
During the visit, the Syrian archaeological objects and the Palmyran objects were displayed as they were restored and conserved by the restoration team at the National Museum. 131 Syrian archaeological objects were destroyed within the years of crisis, furthermore 9 Palymran objects were restored in coordination with the Hermitage Museum. His Excellency the Minister received a guided tour in the National Museum galleries. Among of which, the Maritime History gallery where the Manuscript of “The Book of the Benefits of the Principles and Foundations of Seamanship” is presented in which the National Museum inaugurated for the Omani Navigator, Shihab al-Din Ahmed bin Majid as-Sa’adi. The manuscript was loaned from al-Asad Library in the Syrian Arab Republic to the National Museum for one year.
In the joint cultural and museum collaboration between both countries, the National Museum of Oman signed in 2019 along with the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, which manages 5 national museums, a Memorandum of Understanding in the cultural and museum fields, as well as an agreement for the preservation and conservation of Syrian damaged findings during the years of the crisis; including a number of objects of significance and a special historical and aesthetic dimensions from the ancient city of Palmyra. These archaeological evidence embody the human history and cultural heritage not only of Syria, but of all of humanity, as well as organising a temporary exhibition in the National Museum after the completion the restoration operations, in order to enhance the joint cooperation in the cultural and museum fields between both countries in accordance to the set goals for which the National Museum was established. The collaboration concerns the exchange of exhibitions and exhibits, the exchange of museum experiences, and the provision of support in the field of conservation and preservation, and the management of collections.
It is worth mentioning that the National Museum participated in the Syrian Culture Day in November 2019, as artistic discussions took place in the National Museum in Damascus, to negotiate the fields of art and management related to the restoration and conservation of the Syrian damaged artefacts. Furthermore, the National Museum hosted previously a lecture titled “The Efforts of Preserving the Cultural Heritage of the Syrian Arab Republic” presented by Nadtheer Awadth- Assitant Director of the Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums, with the presence of the Syrian Ambassador to the Sultanate along with a number of ambassadors of several countries, diplomats, officials and those interested in the fields of antiquities and museums. The lecture included several topics, focusing on introducing the antiquities of the Syrian Arab Republic and the damage caused to the antiquities and museums during the crisis that the Syrian Republic experienced, in addition to the methods of protection taken by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in the Syrian Arab Republic.