Frankincense Land Museum - A prominent cultural landmark in Dhofar

SALALAH: Frankincense Land Museum at Al Baleed Archaeological Park, affiliated to the Office of His Majesty the Sultan’s Adviser for Cultural Affairs, is one of the prominent cultural landmarks and distinctive examples of the museums available at the archaeological parks listed on the World Heritage List. The Frankincense Land Museum is situated on the coastal strip of Salalah, about 5 km from the city centre. The museum is a comprehensive view of the Sultanate, its various governorates, its time periods and an opportunity to learn about its historic and maritime heritage. The Frankincense Land Museum provides visitors and researchers with a summary on the country’s march and an opportunity to familiarise with its long historic and maritime heritage, as well as examples of archaeological evidence through the ages to the present time through two halls; the History Hall, which is a window on many cultural and archaeological sites that contains six sections, namely the Geography of Oman, Oman in Ancient Times, the Land of Frankincense, Islamization of the People of Oman, Chapters of Omani History and the Renaissance of Oman. The Maritime Hall also highlights the major maritime events in the Omani history, Oman’s relationship with the sea, the contribution of the sea to the development of trade relations with other countries and the Omani skills in the shipbuilding industry. It includes 7 sections: Maritime Heritage, Sea, Shipbuilding, Seafaring, Trade, Virtual Sea and Renaissance. The first section of the History Hall “Geography of Oman” presents basic geographical information about the Sultanate by showcasing a sample of the Sultanate’s map and pictures of some Omani regions, cities and environments. Oman in Ancient Times section highlights archaeological and cultural evidence in several locations in the Sultanate for various periods, showcasing the centres of population across the historic periods in various parts of the Sultanate. The section on Land of Frankincense in the museum represents a picture of the historic signs, as well as the historic and archaeological importance of the land of frankincense in the Governorate of Dhofar, which has been a major source for the production and export of the finest frankincense. The fourth part of the Historical Hall is known as Islamization of People of Oman. It shows a copy of the Prophet’s message to the people of Oman, as well as highlighting the role and contributions of Omanis in Fiqh sciences, language, literature and the spread of Islam. The Chapters of Oman History section highlights the most important stations in the Sultanate’s history, as well as examples of events in which Oman had a prominent role. The final section of the History Hall entitled Renaissance of Oman highlights the modern Renaissance of Oman, scenes from the dawn of the Blessed Renaissance and the stages of the development of its march throughout the Sultanate, in addition to highlighting the most important landmarks of the modern Omani Renaissance. The contents of the Maritime Hall in the Frankincense Land Museum show the items of the Omani maritime environment and the skills of seafaring where the traditional Omani vessels in this hall stand as a strong witness to maritime skill. — ONA