Ruwi has its own history, but this National Day holiday there is an opportunity to explore its history. Bayt Al Falaj is a familiar name and landmark, but not everyone would have realised its historical importance. In order to celebrate the National Day holidays, the Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum has announced the opening of its doors to public for three days generating a lot of excitement among the general public.
The museum will be open from December 3rd to December 5th from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm. The museum is located at Fort Al Falaj House in Ruwi.
The museum accommodates weapons, clothing, instruments and other defence systems that display both visually and audibly the development of the Omani armed forces throughout history.
The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum was inaugurated in 1988 by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
“The museum provides a view of Oman’s military history through its various stages, represented by the historic Bait Al Falaj Fort, which was built during the reign of Sayyid Said bin Sultan in 1845,” states the Ministry of Tourism.
The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum is the only military museum in the Sultanate.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the visitor can see inside the museum the Sultanate’s Military History from the period of pre-Islamic Oman until the Renaissance period. The galleries and their exhibits such as weapons, photographs and historical documents are great amount of information for students and history enthusiasts.
In addition to historical dates and events, it provides insight into the military advancement throughout the modern Renaissance — Oman from 1970 onwards. The visitor will also notice the great development of Oman military after 1970.
The museum also contains an outside exhibition, which displays a lot of military equipments which had previously been used in the Sultan’s Armed Forces, such as vehicles, tanks, aircraft and ships.
“This excellent museum is far more than just a display of military hardware. The collection is housed in Bayt al Falaj, built in 1845 as a royal summer home, but used mostly as the headquarters of the Sultan’s Armed Forces. The lower rooms outline Oman’s history while the upper rooms explore the country’s international relations and military prowess,” the Lonely Planet writes.
Lakshmi Kothaneth
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