- Address: Muscat 100, Oman
- Phone: +968 22 084700
- Website: baitalzubair.com
- Date of foundation: 1998.
- Working hours: daily 09: 30-18: 00, closed on Friday
In the capital of Oman , the city of Muscat , there is the ethnographic museum Beit el-Zubayr, telling about the history, culture and traditions of the Sultanate. It is a cultural complex that has earned recognition among museums and art galleries around the world.
In the capital of Oman , the city of Muscat , there is the ethnographic museum Beit el-Zubayr, telling about the history, culture and traditions of the Sultanate. It is a cultural complex that has earned recognition among museums and art galleries around the world. They periodically hold temporary exhibitions here, and also use the complex as a site for the study of the heritage of Oman.
History of Beit al-Zubair
For the first time the museum opened its carved wooden doors in 1998. Initially, it was financed by the well-known Zubayr family, whose name he received. On the basis of the museum, the Beit El-Zubayr Foundation was established in 2005, which develops projects related to the culture, art, community, history and heritage of the Sultanate.
In 1999, the Historical and Ethnographic Museum was awarded the Prize of His Majesty Kabus Bin Said.
Structure of Beit el-Zubair
In this museum is collected a huge collection of Omani artifacts of the Zubair family, which has a centuries-old history. The relics of Beit al-Zubayr are distributed over five separate buildings:
- Byte Al-Bagh;
- Byte-al-Dalailel;
- Byte-al-Oud;
- Bayt al-Nahda;
- art gallery Sara.
The oldest of these buildings was erected in 1914 and was originally a house belonging to the family of Sheikh El-Zubayr. The newest building, Beit al-Zubair, the largest one, was built in 2008 in honor of the 10th anniversary of the opening of the museum.
In the courtyard of the cultural complex of Beit al-Zubayr, local trees and plants are planted, which create a beautiful and tranquil atmosphere. In between excursions you can visit the library, a book and souvenir shop or relax in the cafeteria. The museum is open every day except Friday. During the holy month of Ramadan and national holidays, the schedule of his work can vary.
Beit el-Zubair collection
Currently, the museum has thousands of exhibits dedicated to the history, culture, ethnography of the Sultanate and covering different spheres of life of Omanis. Visit Beit el-Zubair for the sake of studying its following exhibits:
- ancient coins and medals;
- national clothes;
- furniture and fabrics of different periods;
- Omani carpets with national patterns;
- traditional copper jugs and coffee vessels;
- philatelic collection;
- jewelry of the Middle Ages and Modern Times.
Special attention should be paid to firearms and cold steel. It exhibits perfectly preserved Portuguese swords of the 16th century, Omani national weapons and daggers of Hanjar.
In the souvenir shop working at the historical and ethnographic complex Beit al-Zubayr, you can buy products of local artisans, books, postcards, scarves, clothes and even perfumes. All products are designed in such a way that they correspond to the theme of the museum.
How to get to the museum of Beit al-Zubair?
To get acquainted with the collection of historical artifacts, you need to drive to the extreme east of the city of Muscat . The Beit Al-Zubayr Museum is located about 25 km from the city center and 500 m from the coast of the Gulf of Oman. You can reach it by car, taxi or public transport. In the first case, you need to move east along Route 1 and Al-Gubra Street. Usually they are not very loaded, so the whole journey takes 20-30 minutes.
Every day from the Al-Gubra station in Muscat train No. 01 leaves, which is a little over 2 hours later on the station Ruwi. From it to the museum Beit el-Zubayr 600 m on foot. The fare is $ 1.3.