A Step Back in Omani Time

On a watch on display in the main building at the Bait al Zubair museum in Muscat, time had stopped at 10 O’Clock.

There were also other things which appeared to have stopped in mid-movement. Finely dressed men, women, and children seemed to await a wedding ceremony. Apart from these elegant statues, there were some paintings by the Indian artist Vasant Telpote which depicted groups of Omani men and women.

We learnt a few new things about the Omani traditional dress. The intricate folding of the Msarr or the men’s turbans denoted the origin of wearer. The men also wore kohl to protect their eyes from the harsh rays of the desert sun. They carried kohl in a silver container called Al Mkahil which they tucked into their belts.  The Thob/ Buthail women’s dresses are shorter in the front and trailing in the back probably to wipe away the women’s footprints in the sand. In one of the glass boxes, was a display of uniquely shaped silver rings for each of the five fingers. The children wore amulets made from animal teeth, claws, wood, horn, and glass which protected them from the evil eye.

The museum has a good collection of Omani artefacts that spans a few centuries. In one gallery, there are hand-held shields made from the hides of rhinos and hippos, among firearms and swords. In another, there is a large display of musical instruments, whereas yet another has cooking pots and pans.

Abu Backer,a supervisor, informed us that this museum is housed in the family home of the Zubair family and in 1999 it received His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’ Award for Architectural Excellence.

Miniature replicas of the Rustaq fort, the Tower of the Nizwa fort, Quriyat and Jabrin Castles give an idea of the grandeur of Omani architecture. On the first floor, there is a historic collection of coins and stamps and a unique collection of manuscripts dating from the 16^th century.

The garden outside the main building has a barasti (palm frond) hut, a falaj (ancient water distribution system), a souq area, a boat display, and a miniature Omani village.

The Bait Al Dalaleel near the Omani village is a carefully restored old Omani house which brings to life the vernacular architecture in Oman. It shows how the Omanis lived a century ago. The half-moon-shaped steps of the majlis lead to a cosy sitting arrangement. The grandfather clock makes the visitor step back in time as one walks through low doors and comes across a variety of old-worldly common household objects – a big rectangular radio, crystal vials of pink, blue, orange, and red which hold perfumes, a large blue and white ceramic plate plastered into the wall, day light filtering through gaps in the closed wooden window panes.

In the bedroom, the bed canopy has peacock and flower motifs. The same motifs are also on the picture of a young man in military uniform. There is a sewing machine with the brand name ‘Peacock’. Beside the wooden storage cupboard is an antique coal iron with a wooden handle.

The front door of the old house leads directly into the modern-day coffee shop of the museum. The warm aroma of tea and coffee immediately brought us back to the present time. We looked at our watches to find that it was nearly time for our bus to leave for PDO Camp again. 

(This post was also published in Outpost Muscat Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2015.)