Oman documents heritage sites in attempt to attract tourism
by Tom Anstey | 05 Sep 2014
Bahla Fort is one of the sites identified in the mass survey / Francisco Anzola - Flickr: Bahla Fort
More than a thousand historical sites and clusters have been documented in Oman in an attempt to lure tourists interested in archeology and heritage to the country.
Following the documentation, 25 sites of major historical significance in Oman will undergo a preservation process overseen by Salim bin Mohammad Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary for heritage affairs in the country’s Ministry of heritage and Culture.
Speaking at a press conference, Al Mahrouqi said the Ministry had published a detailed study of five of the historical residential clusters. These include Harat Al Saybani, Harat Al Sulayf, Harat Al Aqr along with Harat Al Yemen and Harat Al Fanja sites scattered in the areas of Bahla, Ibri and Birkat Al Mawz, Fanja and Izki.
Of the 1,096 identified sites and clusters, Bahla Fort, Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn, Land of Frankincense are all on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
The process has been carried out in conjunction with Sultan Qaboos University, Nizwa University, Britain's Nottingham Trent University and Manchester Metropolitan University, with the goal of releasing a list for the general public to be able to view and further explore the sites on a heritage or archaeological visit.
More than a thousand historical sites and clusters have been documented in Oman in an attempt to lure tourists interested in archeology and heritage to the country. Following the documentation, 25 sites of major historical significance in Oman will undergo a preservation process overseen by Salim bin Mohammad Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary for heritage affairs in the country’s Ministry of heritage and Culture. Speaking at a press conference, Al Mahrouqi said
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