The best museums Mascate

Opened in July 2016, the National Museum of Oman, by its architecture and the elegance of its lines, presents itself as a major and unmissable building of the country in the line of the great works undertaken under the reign of Sultan Qaboos - the Great Mosque, the Royal Opera House. Immaculate and proudly situated at the end of the esplanade facing the al-Alam Palace, this national jewel, imbued with a sober majesty, is naturally part of the old Muscat district - its peaceful and flowery streets, its well-kept buildings, its chic atmosphere steeped in history and culture... International in its conception and scenography, oriental in style, but in a refined way (vast perspectives, skylights, stylized arabesques), this fabulous complex is the showcase for retracing and appropriating the history and traditions of the country since the appearance of the human race in the Omani peninsula until today.

Fourteen permanent and thematic galleries (Maritime History Gallery, Splendors of Islam, Oman and the World, etc.) make up this vast, bright and modern complex, and allow visitors to discover no less than 5,500 objects - ancient pottery, weapons, jewelry, coffee pots, precious dishes, chests, antiques, etc. - all presented in such a harmonious way that the visitor is able to see the history of the country. - All of this is presented in such a harmonious way that one could come here for the sole pleasure of an aesthetic stroll. The museum's educational, cultural and humanitarian mission is nonetheless omnipresent and is first echoed in the twenty-minute introductory film, which is a must-see in the Gallery of Arms and Armor. Then, everyone is free to glean didactic information (in English, Arabic and Braille) from the various information panels, particularly those that introduce each gallery and each theme by drawing attention to thekey objects in each space. For the attention of children or the curious, the What is it panels highlight the most surprising objects, those whose meaning or initial function is difficult to guess at first glance, like this small incense burner in the shape of a boat exhibited in the Gallery of Prehistory and Ancient History. We appreciate the numerous interactive screens and the playful activities dedicated to the youngest visitors who will not remain insensitive to the incredible weapons, accessories, clothes, jewels, etc., testifying to the rich heritage and influence of the Sultanate through the ages. A little cheer in passing for the essay dated 1841 by the Frenchman Edmond Pâris on the shipbuilding of non-European peoples and also for the globe offered by François Mitterrand during a diplomatic visit of Sultan Qaboos in Paris in 1989 and on which the artist Fernand Pouillon has made appear the places dear to the former president such as Jarnac, Chateau-Chinon, Cluny or Solutré! By way of introduction, take the time to watch the video dedicated to the museum on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/embed/thZJNoABmGw?list=PL6FBEF7B4438D3F03) to get a clear idea of the beauty of the spaces, the size of the rooms, the modernity of the staging combined with the majesty of the openwork windows and doors where the light filters through the arabesques. Not to be missed!

New: the entrance ticket now gives access to Bait Greiza, the former residence of the sultan located 700 meters from the museum, and superbly restored.

Since 1998, when the house was converted into a museum, the folk arts and traditions of the sultanate have been presented in their best light in this beautiful old house of Sheikh Al Zubair, a local dignitary who served three sultans as minister and advisor. Funded by its founders, the Al Zubair family itself, the museum displays the private collection of Omani artifacts gathered by various members of the family over several centuries and is considered to this day one of the most interesting collections in the sultanate. The museum is composed of 5 separate buildings and includes a café and a souvenir store. It extends outside into a garden with features of the local culture, such as a reproduction of the famous Omani irrigation system: the falaj.

Bait Al Bagh is the main building. Once a gathering place for the Omani elite, it now houses six galleries on the first floor displaying collections of jewelry, clothing, pottery, weapons, and musical instruments in a fluid and easy-to-understand thematic arrangement. On the second floor, one can discover stamps, a collection of coins and another of manuscripts from the ^16th century, all of which are more or less precious objects that nostalgically recount the past of the Sultanate, its culture, and everyday life in the old days.

Bait Al Oud is the former main residence of the Al Zubair family and is mainly used for temporary exhibitions.

Bait Al Nahdhalah, a 4-story building is dedicated to the promotion of arts.

Bait Al Dalaleed, another traditional building, has been carefully restored to give visitors a glimpse of the essence of Omani life over 100 years ago. Inside, there is a majilis, an old bedroom, a café and a reading and relaxation area.

The Sarah Gallery is the first and one of the most important contemporary art galleries in the Sultanate.

Since its inception in 2005, the Bait Al Zubair Foundation has also developed numerous projects related to culture, heritage, arts, community, history and publishing. It is very active and supports young creators. Its objective is to safeguard Oman's cultural and religious heritage but also to promote, exhibit, study and develop it by encouraging the production of young artists and making them aware of the plurality of contemporary creativity.

This beautiful Omani house of white stone and wood is located in the heart of Mutrah, on the seafront. Bait al Baranda means "the house on the veranda". Thanks to the latest museum techniques, you can trace the history of the town up to the present day through interactive exhibitions ranging from geology to prehistory, maritime life and folklore. In particular, the evolution of Muscat from the 1st century to 1744 is retraced, from the first known settlement at the time of the naval battles. An essential chronological point.

A sublime glass footbridge dressed in arabesques links this House of Musical Arts to the Opera. From the first step, an oriental melody envelops us and makes us fall immediately into a musical universe. The architectural lines of the Arab-Contemporary style, the arcades, the white marble exterior, and the precious wood interior all evoke those of the Opera House, of which this House is an extension. With 500 seats, the auditorium is the "lighter" version of the larger and more luxurious main hall.

The House of Musical Arts is intended to enrich the programming of the Royal Opera House by hosting other types of cultural events: dance shows or classical music to more contemporary, jazz, baroque, world music ... A music library, a cultural center, conference spaces and a permanent exhibition on music complete this beautiful ensemble.

The exhibition is a unique model of the history of music, instructive, entertaining and interactive. A succession of rooms allows visitors to explore the sounds and music of Oman and elsewhere, from the resonance of the natural world to the best of human musical production. The discovery is divided into six chapters: Nature, Science, Instruments, Community, Connections and Performance. Eventually, a campus on opera-related professions should also be created. To be experienced!

This stone door inspired by the ancient doors was built in 1995 west of Muscat as part of the celebrations marking 25 years of Sultan Qaboos' reign. The museum opened in the upper part of the building in 2001. A short stop is worth the detour before starting the visit of old Muscat. Here you can discover the city's evolution from a fortified fishing port to an expanding metropolis. From the roof, you can admire a beautiful panorama of the old city.

Located within the walls of Bait Al Falaj, a fort built in 1845 as a summer residence for Sultan Sayyid Said bin Sultan, this museum is well worth a visit, as it is well known that nations are forged by force of arms. From pre-Islamic times to the emergence of the Sultan's power, including the period of the imans, the portrait of the country is displayed in 22 rooms. Another interest: the gardens and their weapons, including a curious boat and the old Cadillac of Sultan Qaboos.

Something very special has been woven over the years between Oman and France, a history where strategic thinking and commercial interests are intertwined. This "house of France", which was the heart and theater of this diplomatic and human chronicle, was originally the residence of a niece of Sultan Said, Ghaliah bint Salim. In 1896, Sultan Faysal proposed to France to install his first consul, Paul Ottavi, Corsica, the first of a series of thirteen, until 1920. As early as the 17th century, during sugar expeditions in the Indian Ocean, French ships anchored in the roadstead, the last point of call after Gorée, Good Hope, Sofala, Reunion Island and Zanzibar. At the beginning of the 19th century, relations took shape and in 1894 the decision was taken to send a southern off-roader previously stationed in Mogador (now Essaouira, Morocco), the famous Ottavi. Enter his office, reconstituted thanks to diplomatic archives and documents lent by the agents' descendants, discover the galleries of ships, costumes, maps and treaties, observe the astonishing parallels between French and Omani traditions, especially with Lorient and Marseille. In those days, the ladies of the region were not wearing raven veils, daring bright colours and patterns unthinkable nowadays; we will go, one day or another, to visit the Souleiado Museum in Tarascon to realize the aesthetic cousinage of the Indian women, these Provençal fabrics under oriental influence. Two treaties sealed the Franco-Omani friendship, the first in 1807 and the second, much more detailed and extensive, in 1844. Two years later, Omani captains with establishments in French colonies or territories were granted the privilege of sailing under the tricolour flag. In 1989, Sultan Qaboos, on a state visit to Paris, announced to President Mitterrand that he was making the former consulate available as a museum dedicated to bilateral relations. A unique establishment, without equivalent in other friendly countries, which was inaugurated by the two Heads of State on 29 January 1992. As a reminder that in heroic times the far-off lands were a priesthood, don't miss the French administrative documents in the consular office that detail the stays of the various representatives, and sometimes their sad fate: a first was repatriated because he "went mad"; a second was "murdered by heat stroke"; a third died "as a result of furunculosis".

Latif Al Bulushi, three words in French, Omani cap screwed on his head, gives us a wide welcoming smile. This museum, he wanted it and financed it with his savings, and this since 1999, probably so that he wouldn't have to spend his old age watching TV. Can an autodidact play the curator? By opening the doors of its collections, our host provides immediate proof of this, taking us on an absolutely striking visit, here Umayyad and Zanzibar coins struck with cloves, there original letters from a former sultan to the president of the United States or a map by Rigobert Bonne, Louis XVI's cartographer at the Navy's hydrographic service. And this chess set, a Chinese marvel in ivory offered to the White House in 1833. We stop again in front of the official agreement granting navigation under the French flag to the dhows of Sur and, stunned, in front of the stunningly beautiful photographic portrait behind her mask, a Madonna with a piercing gaze. Assembled over more than twenty years, these personal treasures now populate vast rooms on the ground floor of Latif's personal residence, named Adam after his son. Our suggestion: visit Bait Al Baranda, the Museum of Omani History in Mutrah, and then treat yourself to Bait Adam for exchange, encounters and unique pieces. Don't hesitate to make a detour to the shop: it offers typical Omani objects to bring back as souvenirs, at rather interesting prices.

Among the rare objects on display here are the remains of a fossilized tree discovered in the Al Huquf region and dated at more than 260 million years ago, and the teeth of a homotherium and a dinotherium respectively 15 and 35 million years old. The skeleton of the large sperm whale found in 1986 in Barka dominates you from its height and its 14 meters long. Otherwise, you can wander from shells to corals, from insects to animals. Dusty but instructive museum.

Located at the eastern end of the corniche, below Mutrah Fort, this establishment is a grouping of several low, white houses that aims to represent a typical Omani house from the 50s and 70s and to tell the story of the cultural heritage, customs, and the weight of traditions. One walks through a succession of rooms furnished with furniture and everyday objects that evoke the life of the Omani people some fifty years ago. We appreciate the immersive aspect of the place, the admirable collection of clothes and the art gallery at the exit.