Muscat: The total number of archaeological and heritage places in the Sultanate is until the end of 2018 is 9,403, of which 14 are registered in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), according to National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The statistics released indicates that the number of archaeological sites by the end of 2018 reached 6,059 and there are 519 castles and fortresses, 1,272 archaeological towers, 53 archaeological walls, 347 historical mosques, 1,029 ancient Omani lanes and 124 heritage houses in Oman.
The statistics showed that about 75 employees (57 males and 18 females) are working in the heritage and historical sites in the country.
According to the statistics, the 14 Omani sites which have been registered in the records of UNESCO include the Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm, Al-Ayn, the four sites of the Land of Frankincense, Bahla Fort, Ancient City of Qalhat and five Falajs as part of the Irrigation Systems of Oman.
The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 proposed April 18 every year as the World Heritage Day.
It was approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983 and aimed to create awareness about the importance of cultural heritage and the efforts to protect and maintain them.
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