Coinciding with the celebrations of the 49th National Day, and under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tarik al-Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum, the exhibition `Preserving the Past for the Future; Conservation and Restoration of Relics from the National Museum’ was inaugurated on Monday (11 November 2019) at the Museum.

The ceremony was attended by a number of their Excellency Ministers, Undersecretaries and Advisors of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Ambassadors of friendly and neighbouring countries, in addition to experts and individuals interested in the cultural and museum’s fields.

Since the early years of the National Museum project, there was a clear direction and vision to acquire artefacts, whether they are of Omani origin or those directly related to Oman through purchase, exchange, donation, inheriting, transfer of ownership or commissions. For this, the National Museum developed an ‘Acquisitions Policy’ document, in compatibility with the standards established by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) of UNESCO, with the objective of regulating the acquisition processes.

The exhibition includes a number of artefacts that have never been exhibited, and which were restored by the Conservation Unit with the collaboration of several international experts. The total number of exhibits exceeds (1440) unique object, including Sinaw Hoard; one of the main new exhibits, Adam Hoard, two objects from the Selme-Ibri Hoard, Portrait of Ali Muhammad Baig which is considered one of the rarest paintings acquired by the Museum from Sotheby’s Auction House in London, United Kingdom, as well as Omani daggers, and exceptional silver jewellery from the collection of the late His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Ali al-Said, Minister of National Heritage and Culture. The exhibition will also include furniture from Bait al-Alam Palace, rare books and manuscripts, world map by al-Idrisi, art works and graphic works by pioneer Omani artist and traditional costumes.

Today, the National Museum showcases more than (7000) artefacts in the permanent galleries, in addition to tens of thousands of objects in the storage for the purpose of scientific research before displaying them to the visitors.

The National Museum has been keen on connecting the conservation with the scientific research to develop the story line experience of the Museum, and to encourage scientific research to raise the level of public awareness on the ancient cultural heritage of Oman. Through this work, the National Museum aims to encourage the best scientific practices, perform conservations in more secure methods and finding developed methodologies for collections management.

It is worth mentioning that the National Museum, established by Royal Decree in 2013 and opened July 30, 2016, is the Sultanate`s flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s cultural heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day.

As a national institution with global outreach, the Museum is dedicated to ensuring Oman’s cultural heritage is understood and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally. Further, it aims to provide opportunities for cultural expression, innovation, and the transfer of traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.

The museum is located in the heart of Muscat in a purpose-designed building. The total area of the building is 13,700 square metres, including 4,000 square metres allocated for 14 permanent galleries – The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others. A further 400 square metres are allocated for temporary exhibitions.

The National Museum houses more than 7,000 objects and offers 33 digital immersive experiences, a fully equipped Learning Centre, state-of-the-art conservation facilities, a UHD cinema and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors can learn about the various processes that artefacts go through before they are put on display.