Celebrating International Museum Day
By: Times News Service
Since 1977, International Museum Day has been celebrated representing a unique moment for the international museum community. The main aim to commemorate this day is to raise awareness about the fact that museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.
Organised on 18th May each year many museums participate on this day. This year’s theme is “The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine”. The International Council of Museums (ICOM), the main organisation of museums and museum professionals, started the International Museum Day in 1977. In Oman there are several museums that showcase Oman’s traditions, culture, history and heritage.
Muscat: The Royal Court Affairs (RCA) Oman announced the reopening of four historical sites for visitors.
A statement issued online by RCA said that the reopening of the sites was based on the decision of the Supreme Committee in charge of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Oman.
The four historical sites that were reopened for visitors are the Muscat Gate Museum, Al Mansour Castle in the Wilayat of Rustaq, Hisn Al Shumookh Library and the entertainment centre in the Wilayat of Manah.
The reopening news was also accompanied by strict warning to visitors to adhere to the COVID-19 precautionary measures at all times. Entry will be denied for those not wearing masks, or not adhering to physical distancing and sterilising or washing hands, said a statement issued by RCA.
Muscat: Pradip Asher was just one years old when he came to Oman. He came with his mother and kaki (his father’s brother’s wife) by ship from Bombay. But Muscat wasn’t the same then, in 1970, when they made the city their home.
Asher’s father and uncle were working with the Khimji Ramdas Company then. “We stayed inside the Muscat Gate, which is now Muscat Gate Museum, where even the embassy of India used to operate then,” says Asher. “The construction work at the Port Mina Qaboos was going on then, and the place only had workers and staff working in the port project. My mother and kaki, started a tiffin service to cater to those people. Every day, at 12 noon these workers would come to our house to fill their tiffin sets with rotis (Indian flat bread), dal and some subji. I studied till class ten in a school run by Khimji Ramdas, in Wadi Kabir, which is now Indian School Wadi Kabir,” he continues.