Omani sites inscribed on World Heritage List:
-Bahla Fort: The Bahla Fort is the first Omani site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List in December 1987. The site, located in the Dakhiliyyah region, comprises the ancient fort, the Great Mosque, the Old Souq and the historical wall that surrounds the town. The immense fort is one of the oldest in Oman. Its eye-catching appearance with its high walls and towers makes its one of the most beautiful constructions in Oman. (World Heritage Sites in Oman Map) |
Bahla Fort |
- Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn: The protohistoric sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn are located in the east of Ibri district in the Dhahira Region, at the crossroads of ancient commercial routes. The sites were discovered in 1972, and form the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium B.C. in the world. In Wadi Al Ain, an ancient fortified structure was found. The excavation of rare artifacts, decorated fragments and mouthpieces of earthenware vessels constitutes one of the major discoveries in the area. The sites were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in 1988. |
Bat Site |
-The frankincense Trail:
Since ancient times, the Sultanate of Oman was known for the production of frankincense which was highly prized because of its sacred status in the ancient world and its numerous beneficial qualities. Frankincense was carried along the caravan routes to seaports and exported to the Mediterranean and Red Sea regions, to Mesopotamia, India and China. The archaeological sites of Shisr Khor Rori/ Sumhuram and Al-Baleed, along with the Frankincense park of Wadi Dawkah, constitute an outstanding witness to the civilization that flourished in the region from the Neolithic Period to the late Islamic Period . The sites of Wadi Dawkah, Shisr Khor Rori/ Sumhuram and Al-Baleed were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000.
While Shisr played a major role in the Iron Age as an important outpost providing traders with water before entering the desert of the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter Desert), the foundation of the fortified port of Khor Rori/ Sumhuram by LL'ad Yalut, King of Hadhramawt, took place at the end of the first century B.C in the context of growing sea trade between the Red Sea and the the Indian Ocean .
After the decline of Khor Rori during the first half of the third century A.D, the site of Al-Baleed became the major trade seaport until Early, Middle and Late Islamic Periods . The main archeological finds in Baleed include the grand mosque built in the 13 th century, the Baleed fort and the city's outer wall.
The Dhofar region concentrates numerous frankincense sites, and the natural setting of Wadi Andhour, Wadi Hawjar and Wadi Dawkah represent the most significant area where frankincense trees grow . In Wadi Dawkah Park, the harvesting of the incense gum is still intact in its natural landscape since most ancient times, which justified the registration of the site on the World Heritage List.
-UNESCO International Music Prize
In 2002, the Oman Centre for Traditional Music was awarded the UNESCO/ICM International Music Prize in recognition for its great contribution to the preservation of traditional Omani music. Since its creation in 1984 by the Ministry of Information, the Oman Centre for Traditional Music has played a precious role in identifying, recording and promoting traditional and popular Omani music.
-Maritime Route Expedition:
In the framework of the major project “Integral Study of the Silk Roads: Roads of Dialogue”, the UNESCO organized a “Maritime Route Expedition” between October 1990 and March 1991, in order to highlight the process of cross fertilization between civilization generated by the Silk road.
