Muscat; The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, joined the world in marking the World Heritage Day, which falls on April 18 every year. This year’s World Heritage Day is held under the theme 'Heritage Changes'.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism accords great attention to protecting and preserving Omani heritage, world heritage sites and monuments. It also carries out studies and research for archaeological excavations and surveys, in addition to issuing scientific publications in this regard.
Eng Ibrahim bin Said bin Khalaf al Kharousi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Heritage said that several programmes are being carried out in the heritage field in the Sultanate of Oman, including programmes for the restoration and maintenance of heritage sites, as well as coordinating with renowned universities and specialised centres to conduct excavations and surveys.
Al Kharousi added that the ministry recorded 3,423 heritage sites, while the number of historic and heritage sites that were restored by the end of 2022 stood at 310.
As many as 5 Omani sites were included in the World Heritage List and seven other sites are on the Tentative List, Al Kharousi said.
He pointed out that the number of archaeological missions stood at 26 within the programme of the 2022/2023 season.
In regards to the archaeological missions, Al Kharousi clarified that the 26 missions within the 2022/2023 season programme revealed more about the nature of life in Oman more than 10,000 years ago, that through the discovered monuments and antiquities that explore the Omani contribution to the human civilisation since the dawn of history and what the historical eras included of the human settlement in many places in Oman and the ancient human interactions with the land in these places.
He said that the ministry is working on issuing, translating and publishing various books, studies and peer-reviewed scientific research, in Arabic and English - periodically and annually to highlight many aspects of the Omani cultural heritage.
He also pointed out that the ministry exerts efforts to document the existing or near- extinction craft industries to preserve them, including a number of projects such as innovation in the Omani Sarooj, the study of innovation in the leather industry, and innovation in cotton industries in the Sultanate of Oman.
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