Muscat: A museum with a difference, the one that reminisces Oman’s rich heritage, customs and traditions, has opened in the foot of historical Muttrah Fort on Tuesday night.

Saeed Shihab Bin Tareq Al Saeed, Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan, formally opened the museum in the presence of Crème de la Crème of the Muscat society.

Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art is Sayyida Dr Ghalya Bin Fahr Al Said's brainchild and exhibits artefacts that shed light on the life of the Omanis as they cope with modern-day developments.

Dr Asyah Al Bualy, Adviser for Culture and Humanities, the Research Council, described the museum as a “true and vivid reflection of what has been achieved since the dawn of our Blessed Renaissance”.

“It is an applied example of the development of the Omani intellect, from simplicity to sophistication - an intellect that realises the value of our old life with all its nuances and details,” she said in her speech.

“Our past must not be rejected, but rather embraced and cherished, believing in the old proverb, ‘He Who has no past, doesn’t have a present, and shall not have a future’,” Dr Al Bualy added.

“The objects in the museum, carefully selected by Sayyida Ghalya, reflect the philosophy of Omani life by examining the details of the period between 1950 and the early years of the Renaissance,” said Dr Mohammad Al Amri, Assistant Professor of Curricula and Fine Arts Teaching Methods, at Sultan Qaboos University.

 “Ghalya’s Museum of modern Art establishes a new ground for the Omani cultural movement with all its literary, artistic and social genres,” he reckons.

“No matter how valuable and elevated a civilisation’s production may be, it will never be safe without specialised museums that preserve their heritage for the coming generations,” Dr Al Amri further added.

The museum is a collection of old Omani houses with rooms representing and promoting Omani heritage. Examples of these rooms are the Musabbeh’s room, the majlis (living room), the winter room, the children's room, the exhibition room, the kitchen, and the bride's room. All of these rooms surround a central courtyard, called al hawsh.

The museum also includes some smaller divisions such as the Clothes Museum and the Modern Gallery which are still under construction. Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art aims at hosting artistic exhibitions and workshops as well as other creative and cultural events.