Oman to launch National Museum

Muscat, May 24 (BNA): The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman is a vital project aimed at achieving cultural and humanitarian mission, raising public awareness, cementing the Omani noble values, activating the belonging of the citizen, resident and visitor to Oman, its history, heritage, culture and developing their creative and intellectual abilities. The museum seeks to preserve the material and non-material evidences and collectibles that constitute the history, heritage, culture and arts of the Sultanate in all its manifestations. It also highlights the civilizational, historical and cultural dimensions of the Sultanate with the utilization and adoption of best practices and standards in the fields of museum management. Jamal bin Hassan al-Moussawi, Director of the National Museum of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture said that the official opening of the museum is expected to be at end of 2015. The museum logo and identity application were inaugurated on November 23rd, 2014, to coincide with the trial operation ceremony of the facilities. The trial operation was conducted in September 2014 for the stores, preservation and conservation and collectibles stores. Al-Moussawi said, in a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA) that during the period between trial operations stage and the official opening, groups of visitors of citizens and expatriates will be invited in order to assess the system of museum quality. The National Museum is known at the level of the Sultanate and the region by several components. It contains the first museum education centre in the Sultanate. It includes the first facilities for preventive conservation and conservation that are designed according to standards of the International Council of Museums. It is the first public building in the Sultanate that includes advanced facilities for people with special needs, including the blind and persons with physical disability by employing the language of symbols (Brill) in Arabic as part of the museum explanation open store system where a visitor can see and live the stages passed by the archaeological artifacts. The museum will include the first UHD cinema Hall in the Sultanate. A 12 minute presentation is being made, which addresses the most prominent historical stages of Omani man in an innovative way, so that it touches the conscience of the individual and evokes in him the spirit of pride as a citizen and the spirit of fascination with resident and visitor. The number of archaeological artifacts in the museum halls are around six thousand artifact, including archaeological antiques, craft industries, manuscripts, documents, correspondence, old publications, postage and models of ships, boats and tools of navigation, conventional arms, models of castles and forts, historic buildings among others. Al-Moussawi explained that the museum will have later a website to make available to researchers and scholars to review the available research and studies in this regard and to closely learn about the museum contents. The national capabilities are being built. The museum recently dispatched a number of staff for vocational training and rehabilitation outside the Sultanate. It also hosted specialized courses in the field of museum work in Oman by global institutions, such as (Tate) from the United Kingdom, (Smithsonian) of the United States of America and the British Museum and Calouste Gulbenkian Institution from the Republic of Portugal, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.