HERITAGE, CULTURE AND THE MEDIA

The government aims to protect the Sultanate’s heritage for future generations, to develop new talent in the arts and promote Oman’s attractions to the outside world.
Cultural initiatives are held at home, within the GCC and abroad, and exhibitions have been staged to publicise the arts in the Sultanate, focusing on promoting literacy and access. In 2002, there were 24 registered non-government libraries in Oman and 31 registered musical groups. Officials have approved moves to establish music institutes in Dhofar and on the Batinah and have donated books and publications to government libraries. Oman has distributed a directory of writers in the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states and has begun to compile a database of intellectuals and writers in Oman.
During 2001, several major arts and theatre events took place in Oman, including the Theatre Festival in January 2001, theatre and art groups' competitions, during Oman Cultural Week in April 2001 and an art and Arabic calligraphy exhibition in June 2001.

Protecting Copyright

The Copyright Law in the Sultanate aims to protect the rights of artists, creators and producers and to regulate imports for commercial purposes. Under the laws on authors’ rights and censorship, spot checks are carried out on companies that sell, rent, produce, display or import artistic products and computer programmes. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) International Forum on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge was held in Muscat in January 2002 and a Symposium on Patents in March 2002.

Theatre

Encouragement is given to the theatre to focus on social issues, developing the talents of young graduates and theatre-lovers. Government guidelines issued in 1996 created a number of theatre groups across the Sultanate. The impressive Falaij Theatre near Barka is a UNESCO-assisted project. Muscat theatre groups include Al Sahwa Theatre Group, Muscat Free Theatre Group, Majan Artists’ Theatre Group, Thought and Art Theatre Group, Al Ahli Theatre Group and Modern Arts Theatre Group. The three main theatre groups in Dhofar are Salalah Theatrical Arts Group, Ubar Theatre and the Land of Frankincense Theatre Group.

Oman Literary Society

The Oman Literary Society celebrates the work of Omani writers and historians. In 2001 the Society held seminars on the late scholars Abu Said Al Kadmi and Mohammed Bin Amer bin Rashid Al Ma’awali, also known as Ibn Ariq. In 2002, it planned seminars on the works of the thinker Al Shaqsi and the late Sheikh Abdullah bin Sakhr Al Amri.
The Society studies the Sultanate’s intellectual life, customs, traditions and folk heritage and is researching the ways in which Oman’s towns and cities have shaped the country’s history.
It also holds regular poetry evenings, and an annual literary competition. It publishes prize-winning plays, historical writings and research and has plans to publish works by Ibn Ariq and Sheikh Al Aghbari, a series of modern Omani fiction and a book on the history of Rustaq in the near future.

Archaeology

Since the 1970s teams of archaeologists from Europe and America have been working with local groups and excavations are continuing - Oman is only just beginning to map its historical sites and to discover new ones.
Of particular note in the year 2000 was the registration on UNESCO’s World Heritage List of "The Frankincense Route Sites" in Dhofar - Wadi Dawkah, Wubar, Khor Rori and the city of Al Baleed.

Wadi Dawkah

Wadi Dawkah is part of a chain of sites that have been historically linked to the Dhofar region’s frankincense and incense trade. It lies beyond the northern slopes of the Dhofar mountain range some 35 kms north of Salalah and here frankincense trees (Boswelia sacra) grow in abundance.

Wubar

Wubar lies in Shisr district, south of the Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert some 170 kms north of Salalah. Islamic sources refer to Wubar as the home of the Azd people and record that the overland frankincense and incense trade route passed through the Empty Quarter. The National Committee for the Supervision of Archaeological Surveys in Oman, in cooperation with an American university, carried out surveys and exploratory work on the site and found pottery, glass, incense containers and fragments of chess set which dates it from the lst century BC up to the early and middle Islamic period. It would appear that the site flourished as a trade centre up to the beginning of the 16th century AD when it ceased to be of commercial importance following the collapse of the frankincense trade.

Khor Rori - Sumharam

The Khor Rori sites are adjacent to the lagoon on the coastal strip in the Taqa region, 40 kms east of Salalah. Historical sources and archaeological exploration by an Italian university indicate that the history of this city spans several eras – some dating back as far as the lst century BC to the 3rd century AD and others date from the 4th century BC. Inscriptions in the South Arabian alphabet give clues which indicate the city was built to reinforce its people’s control over the frankincense trade. Coins also found indicate it was the site referred to as Sumharam and the port of Moscha in two Greek texts dating from the period between the lst and 2nd centuries AD.
The great gate of the town indicates that the citadel had an outer wall with towers and three gates, and that its main entrance was protected by square towers. It contained an inner structure which may have been a temple or castle consisting of large frankincense stores. Other finds include coins, earthenware pots, bronze objects, and a 2l cm high incense burner.

Al Baleed

The city of Al Baleed lies on Salalah’s coastal strip and covers an area of 640,000 square metres. During the Middle Ages the town played an important role in world trade through its harbour and links with the ports of China, India, Sind, Yemen and East Africa, as well as with Iraq and Europe. A German university and Omani team date the site from the Islamic period, though the area was inhabited from the end of the 5th and beginning of the 4th millennia BC. The city was re-established in the 4th century AH/10th century AD at the time of the Mujais dynasty and was rebuilt during the Habudhi period.
The main archaeological discoveries in al Baleed include the great mosque which has around 144 pillars and is nearly square in shape. It has outbuildings, a minaret and is believed to have been built during the 7th century AH/13th century AD and remained in use until the llth century AH/17th century AD. The city is surrounded by a moat.
In the Wusta (central) region stone implements have been excavated from the Asholite civilisation. An American and Omani team are working on the migration of early man from Africa to Asia via Oman across a land bridge that existed before the Red Sea trench was formed.
Excavations continue in the Ja’alan (eastern) region on the sites at Ras al Hadd and Ras al Jinz where it is believed there has been human development from the Holocene period in the 7th millennium BC to the arrival of Islam. Italian, French, British and Omani teams are focusing on maritime trade in this area during the 2nd half of the 3rd millennium BC. Pits in the area suggest that 4th millennium BC fishing communities built
round huts directly onto the rocks, and finds have included copper fishhooks, small implements, spear-heads, and potsherds originating in Mesopotamia.
At Al Suwaih evidence of successive fishing settle-ments from 6,000-4,000 BC have been uncovered.Excavations at Ras al Kabbah have revealed that this is a 5th-4th millennium site which was located on a rocky promontory between the sea and a dried up creek. Marine resources from the creek were used in abundance. Findings at Wadi Shab (near Sur) have included 24 rings (or fragments of rings) made of smooth soapstone.

Traditional crafts

Oman has a long tradition of arts and crafts that includes indigo dyeing, silverwork, pottery, weaving and textiles, fragrance manufacture, copper work and sweet-making. Oman’s traditional artisans still produce excellent handicrafts despite difficult working conditions, competition from cheap, foreign-made products and a lack of incentives to encourage artisans to develop their skills.
The traditional curved Omani dagger, or khanjar, and has progressed from being worn as a weapon to becoming a fashion accessory. It is attached to an ornate belt. Even more than a western businessman’s choice of tie, the khanjar hints at its wearer’s status. Sheaths have a near right-angle bend and vary from simple covers to collectors’ pieces wrought in silver, made from melted Maria Theresa thalers, or gold and a mark of the best is the 7 silver rings (two to hold the belt and five through which strands of decorative thread are woven).
Oman is anxious to preserve skills that were once handed down through families over generations. Ground and pit loom weavers continue to produce high-quality rugs and cotton wraps in their homes. There have been significant improvements in the pottery sector, both in manufacture and marketing. Omani handicraft sales totalled RO 38.2 million in 2001.
A scheme has been launched to produce certificates of origin to promote Omani handicrafts for export. In 2001, it issued 49 certificates of origin, mainly for the export of nearly 20,000kg of Omani halwa (sweets) in 2001.
"No-objection" letters are issued for the sale and manufacture of gold and silver jewellery and permits for the export of artefacts and traditional handicrafts, including khanjars and wooden ships. Handicrafts are promoted at exhibitions at home and abroad.

Oman Centre for Traditional Music

Oman’s Centre for Traditional Music was established in 1984 and collects and documents the Sultanate’s traditional folk music. This world-class archive won a UNESCO award in 2002 for its efforts to protect Oman’s heritage. "The Omani Centre for Traditional Music plays a key role in preserving Oman’s musical heritage," the Paris-based International Music Council said, announcing the award. "It passes traditional music prowess from generation to generation."
The OCTM has compiled an archive of video tapes, sound recordings and colour photographs of songs and dances handed down through generations. The collection has been filed on computer in both Arabic and English. OCTM has also published audio cassettes, videos, books (including a Dictionary of Traditional Music in Oman) and books with video or audio material. UNESCO has contributed to some of these publications.

Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra (ROSO)

In 1985, Sultan Qaboos directed that the Royal Guard of Oman should form the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra (ROSO). However, unlike other countries that have no tradition of western classical music, Oman was able to introduce it without hiring foreign nationals to play in it.
Trained in Oman, ROSO gave its first public performance in July 1987, just a year after training started. Initially, orchestra members were male, but girls began to join from 1988 onwards. VIP delegations and distinguished visitors to Oman are greeted by live ROSO performances, and the orchestra stages several public concerts every year. The orchestra gave its first European performance in Belgium in October 2000.

Wildlife

Oman has a wide variety of indigenous wildlife, and is home to several endangered species. The Sultanate aims to protect these species with strict penalties for hunting and poaching endangered animals, and by creating nature reserves for Arabian leopards, Arabian Oryx, hyenas, Oryx, gazelles, tahr, ibex, desert foxes, antelope and wild cats. The Sultanate’s seas are home to 13 species of whales and dolphins.
More than 400 species of birds are native to Oman, including migrant species. The houbara bustard is an endangered bird of prey, but Oman the largest bustard population in Arabia and is working with the World Conservation Union to protect this shy desert bird. The Arabian Oryx, a species of long-horned antelope, was hunted to extinction in Arabia in the wild in 1972. In 1976, Sultan Qaboos issued directives for its re-introduction, and in 1980 a herd arrived in the Sultanate from the USA which was re-introduced into the wild in 1982. However, poaching has depleted the herd, prompting the Sultanate to introduce strict anti-poaching measures in 1996. In 2000, Oman invited delegates from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE to discuss ways to protect Arabia’s Oryx herds and the members thereafter launched a Regional Committee for the Conservation of the Oryx. Visit www.oryxoman.com .

Nature reserves

Damaniyat Islands: The islands, north-west of Muscat, are a bird sanctuary. Entry is restricted during the breeding season from May to October, and the authorities are taking steps to protect the coral reefs from unofficial diving.
Halaniyaat Islands: Moves are being introduced to designate the five islands a nature reserve to preserve their natural beauty and protect their pristine reefs. Populated by a small fishing community, the islands are a breeding ground for turtles.
Jiddat Al Harasis: This area is home to Arabian Oryx herds re-introduced to the wild. UNESCO added the site to its World Natural and Cultural Heritage Register in 1994, and the site is being extended to house growing numbers of indigenous Arabian antelopes.
Ras Al Hadd/Ras Al Jinz: Five of the world’s seven turtle species are indigenous to Oman and turtle breeding beaches at Ras Al Hadd and Ras Al Jinz are protected by Royal Decree. There are plans to extend turtle protection schemes to other areas and to train Omanis as rangers to patrol beaches during the egg-laying season. Turtles are becoming a major eco-tourism attraction, and officials have introduced a code of conduct and taken steps to limit visitor numbers.
Saleel Nature Reserve: Saleel Park is a new nature reserve in al Kamil and al Wafi, inhabited by gazelles and other animals as well as the rare samr (Acacia tortilis) and ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) trees.
Wadi Al Sarin: This is one of Oman’s oldest nature reserves, and is administered by the Diwan of the Royal Court. It is home to the Arabian tahr, a mountain goat found only in Oman.

Journal of Oman Studies

The Journal of Oman Studies was launched in 1975, a vehicle for archaeologists and historians to publish academic articles about the Sultanate. The Journal has attracted worldwide recognition, and has expanded to cover natural history. Articles in Volume XI, published in 2000, included a study on Oman’s humpback whales, geological studies of Dhofar, and a report on sacred places in pre-Islamic Oman. Volume XII is due to be published at the end of 2002.

Museums

Natural History Museum

In 2001, the Natural History Museum staged an exhibition of dinosaurs and fossils with the Maastricht Museum in the Netherlands. In 2002, the Museum will open a permanent exhibition of Omani seaweed in its Whale Hall, with Britain’s HTS Institute.

Other Museums

These include the Omani-French Museum which has recently opened a new hall to exhibit old Omani and French stamps, the Children’s Science Museum, Muscat Gate Museum, National Museums in Qurum and in Ruwi, the Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum in Bait al Falaj, Sohar Fort Museum, Salalah Museum and a Historical Arms display in Nahkl Fort. There are also several private Museums: Bait al Zubair in Muscat which includes a traditional town house, and a small maritime museum in Sur.

Library of Manuscripts and Documents

The Ministry of Heritage and Culture’s Library of Manuscripts and Documents is one of Oman’s leading cultural libraries. It contains 4,300 manuscripts covering various fields of science and scholarship and the oldest dating from 617 AD is a compilation of the two Authentic Collections of the Noble Hadith by Abu Abdullah Mohammed bin Abi Humaidi.
In addition, 5,000 documents have been obtained from around the world together with a collection of Al Falaq and Al Nahdha newspapers from Zanzibari archives, and 600 documents from Indian archives. Microfilm has enabled the photographing of 1,500 manuscript which are recorded on computer to preserve them for posterity.

Oman Planetarium

In 2000, Petroleum Development Oman presented the Sultanate with a planetarium to celebrate Sultan Qaboos’ silver jubilee. The Arab world has a long history of astronomical knowledge, with nomads and seafarers using their knowledge of the stars to navigate towards their destination. The planetarium aims to pass this ancient knowledge on to the current generation of Omanis.
Projectors display nebulae, comets, galaxies and up to 9,000 stars on the planetarium’s domed ceiling. Displays highlight the history of Islamic astronomy, used to map build water channels, and ancient astrological instruments.
The planetarium is an extension of the Oil and Gas Exhibition Centre at Mina Fahal, and has been designed to look like an Omani fort. The planetarium stages talks and shows about space and astronomy in Arabic and English, with space for up to sixty people.

THE MEDIA

Oman’s media has a vital role in the political, social, and economic future of a modern state, as well as playing an important role in informing the world about its civilisation, history and heritage.

Sultanate of Oman Radio

Sultanate of Oman Radio first began broadcasting on 30th July 1970 from a small 1KW broadcasting station at Bait al Falaj in Muscat and a year later from a similar-sized station in Salalah. Today, the Sultanate’s broadcasting system has grown from those two small studios into 25 modern, well-equipped studios, and since November 1998 it has been broadcasting round the clock.
Its Arabic programmes are broadcast for a total of 8,760 hours a year, while its foreign programmes are broadcast for 18 hours a day.
Measures are constantly being introduced to upgrade the quality of the equipment and programme content so that it can also be heard across the Arab region, the Indian sub-continent, East and West Africa and Europe.
Particular priority is given to its local programmes. These are prepared and produced in the Sultanate and cover a wide range of intellectual, cultural, social and lifestyle topics. Radio serials are designed in the same way whilst other programmes highlight aspects of the country’s current cultural, religious, social and scientific progress.
Sultanate of Oman Radio personnel are trained on courses at home and abroad. The radio covers various Gulf, Arab and Islamic events, including Arab festivals, in conjunction with the Arab States’ Broadcasting Union and the Islamic States’ Broadcasting Organisation.
Last year Sultanate of Oman Radio won a gold award for its programme "The miraculous nature of the Holy Quran" and a silver award for its programme "Tales of my grandfather", at the 7th Gulf radio and TV Festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain in February 2001. And at the 7th Cairo radio and TV production festival in July 2001 Sultanate of Oman Radio won a silver award for its programme "The computer and Internet generation" and a bronze award for its programme "Man, that mysterious being." (www.oman-radio.gov.com).

Sultanate of Oman TV

Sultanate of Oman TV first began transmitting from Muscat in November 1974 and from Salalah in November 1975. In 1979 the Muscat and Salalah transmitting stations were linked together by satellite. In November 1998 Oman TV’s transmissions were increased from ten hours a day and it began transmitting round the clock. Oman was one of the first countries in the region to use satellite technology for domestic transmission, which it introduced in order to bring TV coverage to the whole country with its widely varied terrain. At the same time, it attaches particular importance to land-based transmission, particularly for covering events and activities at home and abroad. The land-based channel was the only channel in the region to transmit all the 2002 World Cup matches live from Korea and Japan. A network of 120 main and relay booster stations has been set up throughout the country to enable TV transmissions to be received in every part of Oman.
In May 2002 an agreement was signed for the supply, installation and operation of 7 TV transmission stations from one end of the country to the other in order to boost Oman TV’s land transmissions and make them accessible in those areas.
Transmissions are brought within reach of many parts of the world via Arabsat, the Egyptian Nilesat and European Hot Bird 4 satellite systems and the Internet (www.oman-tv.gov.com).
Last year several Oman TV films, programmes and serials won prizes and certificates of merit in Gulf and Arab competitions. At the 7th Gulf Radio and TV Festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain in February 2001 Oman TV won gold awards for its film "Nature in Oman" and its programme "Children’s Competition 2000", as well as silver awards for its programme "Lucky Hour" and the song "Radhini", a bronze award for the play ""Al Naas ahwal" and a certificate of merit for the programme "People and the Khareef season". Certificates of merit were also awarded to the presenters of the programme "Children’s Competition 2000".
Oman TV was awarded a certificate of merit for its programme "Family Affairs" at the 7th Cairo International Festival in July 2001.
At the 10th Arab Radio and TV Festival in Tunis in September 2001 Oman TV won a silver award for its programme "Colours". The programme’s presenters were awarded second prize and a distinction.
Oman TV also won a gold award for its film "Disaster" at the International Traffic Safety Film Festival in Tunis in October 2001. The film was an Oman TV-Royal Oman Police joint production.

The Omani Press

The Omani press has benefited from the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Basic Statute of the State, while the Law on Printed Materials and Publications is currently under review and will be replaced by a new law which takes into account the latest developments in the media field.
At present 36 newspapers and magazines are published in the Sultanate. They include five daily papers (three in Arabic - Oman, Al Watan and Al Shabiba - and two in English – Oman Daily Observer and Times of Oman), as well as the weekly magazine al Nadha and the fortnightly al Usra (which deal with social issues), the fortnightly Official Gazette, and several specialist monthly and quarterly publications, including al Omaneya (a women’s magazine), Nizwa (a literary/cultural publication), Al ‘Ain al Sahirah (the Watchful Eye, which deals with security affairs and police news), the military publications Al Bahriya al Yawm (Navy Today), Jund Oman (Soldiers of Oman), Al Haras (The Guard) and Nusur Oman (Eagles of Oman), Al Tijari (Man of Commerce) deals with economic matters, Al Ghurfa (The Chamber) is published by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Suq al Mal (Capital Market) is published by Muscat Securities Market and Al Markazi (Central) - an economic and financial journal - is published by the Central Bank of Oman. Al Insan wa’l Biy’a (Man and the Environment) deals with environmental affairs, while Muscat deals with municipal affairs in the Governorate of Muscat and Al Idariy (The Administrator) is a magazine devoted to the administrative sciences. There is also a range of other magazines including the monthly Business Today and Oman Economic Review, as well as the bi-monthly booklet Oman Today.

Oman Establishment for Press, News, Publication and Advertising (OEPNPA)

Oman Establishment for Press, News, Publication and Advertising (OEPNPA) is equipped with state-of-the-art press technology. OEPNPA is administratively and financially independent and has been structured to include Oman Newspaper House, with its two daily papers - the Arabic Oman and the English-language Oman Daily Observer (with its weekly supplement Money Works), the quarterly cultural magazine Nizwa, Al Omaneyah for Advertising and Public Relations, Distribution and Marketing, and Oman News Agency (ONA) which is the official state news agency.
OEPNPA has three regional offices - in the Governorate of Dhofar, the Wilayat of Nizwa and the Wiayat of Sohar. Omanis account for over 95% of its personnel.
ONA and Oman newspaper have an extensive network of correspondents, both within the Sultanate and in a number of major Arab and foreign capitals.

Omanet

Since 1996 the information sector has had a window on the world through its own Internet web site - www.omanet.com. The site, which is linked to all the ministries, government and quasi-government organisations, comprises a database of Omani politics, economics, social affairs and culture, which is currently being expanded to form an official source of information about the Sultanate. Omanet, which is constantly being updated, is one of the biggest networks in the Sultanate.

The Press Club

According to Royal Decree No. 88/98, the Press Club is an independent legal entity which enjoys financial and administrative independence as a media social establishment. It aims to promote the welfare of Omani journalists and media personnel, improve journalistic and media standards and represent Omani journalists and the Omani media in similar establishments, and at meetings and seminars abroad.
The Press Club is equipped with a conference hall, meeting room, offices, restaurant and sports facilities. It organises and hosts seminars, training courses, lectures and meetings between the press and both local and foreign officials and organisations.
 

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