Oman’s latest museum Oman Throughout the Ages is an absolute should on our checklist of issues to do within the Sultanate. It’s been created with the identical wow issue you’d count on of museums within the neighbouring UAE with wonderful storytelling to attraction to guests younger and never so younger.
The museum opened in March 2023 and is a wonderful spring board for exploring the remainder of the nation. It units the scene with hi-tech shows in regards to the nation’s historical past, tradition, panorama and politics.
I prefer it a lot that I’ve been thrice because it opened taking a good friend, my circle of relatives and our visiting mother and father. This put up consolidates our expertise to supply helpful data for vacationers and residents, notably households, who’re considering of visiting Oman Throughout the Ages.
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Who designed the Oman Throughout the Ages Museum?
The museum was deigned by Australian architect agency Cox Structure. Their transient was to create a spot that mirrored the encompassing Hajar Mountains, therefore the dramatically angular exterior.
Inside there’s 9,000sqm of exhibition area in addition to convention services, a library and analysis centre, cafes and a restaurant. Outdoors you possibly can stroll via gardens bordered by lakes and Aflaj-like channels (Aflaj is the identify for Oman’s UNESCO recognised irrigation programs).
There’s locations to picnic and maintain out of doors occasions within the winter months.
What’s there?
The museum tells the story of Oman’s previous, current and its aspirations for the longer term in two components, the Historical past Gallery and the Renaissance Gallery.
You start with a stroll via pre-historic instances earlier than assembly the nation’s first human inhabitants, studying in regards to the creation of irrigation programs, the nation’s rise as a maritime nation, its Islamic religion and the pre-Twenty first Century dynasties of Oman’s leaders.
There are walk-in scenes from 1000’s of years in the past, interactive shows, life-sized fashions and artefacts collected from everywhere in the nation.
The Renaissance Gallery is the one I discover most fascinating as you be taught in regards to the fast modernisation of Oman beneath Sultan Qaboos bin Mentioned and his successor Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.
There are additionally interactive reveals about Oman’s society, tradition, trade and media.
Oman Throughout the Ages additionally has an enormous quantity of indoor area for touring exhibitions and out of doors area for occasions.
There’s an inside courtyard with mirror pool and you’ll stroll all the best way across the exterior of the constructing the place there are examples of petroglyphs (Omani rock artwork), reflection swimming pools and gardens filled with vegetation you discover rising within the mountains and wadis.
Strolling across the exterior of the museum is one of the simplest ways to understand the mountain-inspired design with its sharp angles and towering options. Nevertheless there isn’t a shade, so it’s extra comfy to discover this area within the winter season.
It’s free to stroll across the museum grounds.
How household pleasant is Oman Throughout the Ages?
It is a very family-friendly museum with interactive shows and video games all through. It undoubtedly makes our suggestions for locations to go to when in Oman with youngsters.
A few of my women’ favorite issues to do are recreating petroglyphs, defending an historic fort beneath siege, matching individuals with jobs in modern-day Oman and dressing individuals in conventional garments.
All of those are introduced as interactive video games, making the museum expertise customisable.
Kids aged 5 and up will get rather a lot out of visiting.
Remember which you can’t convey meals or drink into the exhibition areas so have your snacks earlier than you enter. There’s plenty of areas to take a seat and eat exterior the exhibitions.
How accessible is the museum?
There are lifts between the completely different ranges, accessible bathrooms, free to make use of wheelchairs, Arabic Braille and tactile data boards.
All data is in Arabic and English.
You can even purchase an audio tour in Arabic and English.
Meals on the museum
There’s a cafe contained in the museum foyer the place you should buy moderately priced gentle meals, drinks and sweets.
We’ve used this every time we’ve got been to the museum. There’s additionally a restaurant in direction of the again and a restaurant upstairs.
When is the Oman Throughout the Ages Museum open?
The museum’s everlasting galleries are open each day from 9am to 5pm excluding Fridays when it’s open from 1.30pm to 5pm. The museum’s different services, together with its restaurant, are open till 9pm Saturday to Thursday and till 7pm on Fridays.
Opening instances could also be barely shorter throughout Ramadan and the museum is more likely to shut on the primary day of Eid al Fitr Adha and Eid al Adha.
Keep watch over the museum’s Instagram web page for opening updates.
How a lot is entry to the museum?
Once we visited in 2023/24, entry value 5 OMR for vacationers, 2 OMR for residents and 1 OMR for residents of Oman and GCC international locations.
There are decreased charges for youngsters, college students and senior residents.
How do get to Oman Throughout the Ages
Oman Throughout the Ages Museum is positioned in Manah, which is lower than a 20 minute drive from the centre of Nizwa and an hour and 40 minutes from Muscat Worldwide Airport.
It’s best to go to the museum by automobile. There’s free underground parking.
Right here’s the place to seek out Oman Throughout the Ages Museum on Google Maps:
Alternatively, you may get a Mwasalat bus (route 54) from Muscat to Nizwa. You then must get a taxi from Nizwa to the museum. A return bus ticket prices lower than 4 OMR per individual.
There are two buses a day every approach on this route and the journey takes about three hours in every path. This might be a great way to achieve the museum when you supposed to discover extra within the Nizwa space.
You may examine the price of the taxi journey and ebook your journey utilizing the Otaxi app.
Extra helpful data
Right here’s another useful issues to know earlier than you go to Oman Throughout the Ages:
- There’s a safety scanner on the entrance to the museum.
- You need to gown modestly, protecting your knees and shoulders.
- There’s a cloakroom the place you possibly can depart baggage totally free.
Extra important studying
If you happen to’re searching for extra concepts for locations to go to in Oman I’ve bought you coated!
One thing actually helpful that I purchased earlier than we moved to Oman was the Lonely Planet Oman UAE & Arabian Peninsular* information ebook. In addition to details about issues to do in Oman there’s a great deal of nice tips on customs and traditions.
Learn extra about visiting Oman with youngsters in my complete journey information for households.
Disclosure: this put up incorporates affiliate hyperlinks marked with *. If you happen to click on on one in every of these hyperlinks and make a purchase order I imply earn some fee. This doesn’t have an effect on the value you pay.