Manuscripts and Documents
With the co-operation of the public, the Ministry of National Heritage has gathered together no less than 4,300 valuable documents over the years. In 1994 a Manuscript Competition was held with prizes being awarded to the three wilayats submitting the best collection of documents and in 1995 a further 75 documents came to light. A centre has been established for storing and researching these papers. Omani staff have been trained to microfilm and to carry out restoration work on them. There is also an Islamic Library containing a wide range of religious works. In 1998, the Ministry published 23 books on a variety of subjects. Among the new books is a history in three volumes chronicling the reign of H.H. Sultan Thuwaini bin Said bin Sultan written by the Omani historian Humaid bin Mohammed bin Ruzaiq. The Ministry has also published a guide in Arabic and English to the museum in the Sohar fort.

Forts and Castles
One of the major achievements of the Ministry has been the restoration of over 100 historic forts and castles, most of which are now open to the public as some of Oman's foremost tourist attractions. Direcorate-General of Tourism have taken over the responsibility for staffing and increasing the opening hours. The painstaking restoration was carried out to preserve a precious and unique part of Oman's heritage, but the time and money spent has been well repaid by the international interest shown in the project. Work continues at Bahla, which has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Ministry recorded a total of 206,588 visitors to forts and castles during 1999. In view of the interest shown by tourists in these historic sites. The restoration of Oman's historic buildings has been carried out with Moroccan expertise under an agreement signed in 1983. There are many other fine buildings worthy of preservation, such as the more modest 19th Century Bait Nasib Khan in Muttrah (now known as Bait al-Turath), which was for many years used by the British Council and is now the headquarters of the Historical Association of Oman.

Archaeology
Oman has numerous important archaeological sites, many of which are still being excavated during the winter season. In 1997, no less than 68 ancient sites were identified in the northern part of Jebel Qara in Dhofar. The work is carried out by foreign teams of experts under the supervision of the Ministry. A German team has been investigating the fort at Nizwa, while French and Italian archaeologists have found evidence at Ra's al-Jinz to support the theory found in Greek and Latin writings that Oman traded with India, Mesopotamia and East Africa 3000 years ago. Past discoveries at Ra's al-Hamra, Bat, Sohar and other sites have shed interesting and invaluable light on Oman's early civilizations. The rediscovery of the ancient city of Ubar in the sands on the edge of the Empty Quarter in Dhofar was made possible in 1992 thanks to satellite technology. Archaeologists from Sultan Qaboos University found evidence of six ancient settlements during an expedition to the Hallaniyat Islands (formerly known as the Kuria Muria Islands) off the coast of Dhofar. The Islands are also important as a wildlife habitat. The Ministry with the help of a French archaeologist has prepared a map of all the most important archaeological sites in the Sultanate.

The Voyage of the "Sohar" It was at Sur that the replica of an ocean- going Omani sailing ship was built in 1980 to sail to Canton. After its epic voyage the "Sohar" was brought back to Oman and is preserved on a roundabout near the Al- Bustan Palace Hotel. In 1995 to mark the Silver Jubilee, a monument was constructed in Canton commemorating the Voyage of the "Sohar" and the historic links between Oman and China.

Natural History Since 1985 when the first phase of the Natural History Museum was opened, there has been growing interest in Oman's wildlife heritage and natural environment. Visitors to the Museum have steadily increased each year from 11,000 in 1986 to 30,832 in 1998. Schools and Omani families accounted for nearly two-thirds of the visitors, while tourists and expatriate residents made up the remainder. The diversity of Oman's wildlife is shown in dioramas, displaying 24 mammals, 59 birds, 30 reptiles and hundreds of seashells and insects. A National Herbarium has been established, as well as a botanic garden of Omani trees and shrubs. For the scientist the Museum maintains a wealth of study collections of flora and fauna from Oman. The Museum has close links with Sultan Qaboos University and allied scientific institutions in the Arabian Gulf and abroad. In 1997, the fossilised bones of a dinosaur were uncovered at al-Khoudh. It was identified as being from the species dinosauria: Saurishia theropod, a plant- eating dinosaur about eight metres long and four to five metres tall which lived 65 million years ago.

Museums Several interesting museums are popular with Omani schoolchildren and visitors to the Sultanate. The Omani Museum, established in 1974 at Medinat al-Alam, has been renovated and is now distinguished by a massive wooden entrance door in the Omani tradition. The surroundings have been improved and the layout of exhibits re-arranged and expanded. In Muscat the Omani-French Museum, which was the French Consul's residence in 1896 has been restored to its former glory. A museum in a completely different modern setting is the Children's Museum, where children can learn through 'hands on' experience basic scientific principles. The historic fort at Sohar also contains a museum and there are plans to install exhibits in the Cultural Centre in Salalah. One of the most visited museums, situated within the Ministry's complex, is the Natural History Museum. In 1995 a fossils exhibit was added as a National Day gift to the Nation from PDO. This museum with its whale hall and displays of animals and birds has an educational purpose as well as being of interest to tourists. Mention should also be made of two places appreciated by visitors but not part of the Ministry -the Sultan's Armed Forces

Museum at Bait Al-Falaj and the permanent

Oil & Gas exhibition at Mina al-Fahal. Museum at Bait al-Falaj and the permanent From the beginning of the year 2000, a small fee is being charged for entry to the Ministry's museums and forts and their hours have been extended to include afternoon opening times. Total museum attendance was 95,735 in 1999. The highest attendance - 34,531 was recorded by the Children's Museum. In 1998, Bait al-Zubair, one of the historic houses in Muscat, was opened to the public after extensive renovation by its owner at his own expense. Displays inside the building include collections of jewellery, weaponry, cosmetics and clothing collected from all over Oman. A small entry fee is charged for this privately run and staffed exhibition.

Oman Centre for Traditional Music
The Centre is responsible for the collection and documentation of the traditional folk music of Oman. It has an impressive collection of video tapes, sound recordings and colour photographs of the songs and dances which have been handed down from generation to generation. The collection is now indexed on computer in Arabic and English. Since its establishment, the Centre has produced a greeted by live performances of classical music. The ROSO has a lively series of public concerts each year. These events bring to Oman classical masterpieces, often for the first time, as well as distinguished international soloists and conductors. The ROSO also contributes to many cultural, commercial and diplomatic events.

Traditional Crafts The Ministry is responsible for preserving Oman's arts and crafts. In 1986 a traditional pottery was opened in Bahla and a textile weaving workshop in Sumail. Young Omanis are encouraged to learn and keep alive ancient skills, such as precious metalwork and woodcarving. At Sur, shipbuilding in the traditional manner can still be seen to this day. Many of the magnificent old wooden ships have disappeared, but the people of Sur have preserved a 220-tonne vessel, the "Fateh al- Khair", on dry land.



Damaniyat Islands The Damaniyat islands, north west of Muscat, are considered to be a bird sanctuary to which entry is restricted during the breeding season. The coral reefs round the islands also have to be protected from unofficial diving activities.
Hallaniyat Islands Consideration is being given to making the five islands and the seas around them into a reserve in order to preserve their natural beauty and protect their coral reefs which are in pristine condition. The islands only have a very small population of fishermen but are an important breeding ground for turtles. A team of geologists and archaeologists from Sultan Qaboos University with the help of British scientists have prepared a report for consideration by the Ministry

Endangered species The houbara bustard is recognised worldwide as an endangered species, but is protected in Oman which has the largest population of bustard in Arabia. In January 1996, an international meeting was held at
Sultan Qaboos University to discuss how to protect this shy desert bird which has been hunted nearly to extinction. The meeting was arranged by the Ministry in conjunction with the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Biodiversity Plan The Ministry has submitted its biodiversity plan for the Sultanate of Oman to the Council of Ministers for approval. Following the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, many countries including Oman signed the Biological Diversity Convention. Oman already has measures in place to protect its flora and fauna, but the proposed National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) will ensure a coordinated and systematic approach by all concerned.

ENVIRONMENT

The sultanate of Oman's imaginative and forward-looking environmental protection and conservation policies have won international recognition. The United Nations Environmental 'rogramme has cited Oman as a country with me of the best records in environmental :onservation and pollution control measures. the first environmental legislation was enacted n 1974 and in 1979, His Majesty the Sultan lecided to chair the Council for Conservation of he Environment and Prevention of Pollution. n May 1984, Oman became the first Arab :ountry to set up a ministry exclusively :oncerned with the environment. The Sultanate :elebrates Environment Day on the 8th January each year. The Sultan Qaboos Prize for Nature onservation was initiated by His Majesty in 991, and was awarded for the first time to the vlexican Environmental Study Centre. It is twarded every two years to a conservation body )r individual chosen by UNESCO for !nvironmental performance. In 1993 it was awarded to a Czech scientist and in 1995 was won by the African Republic of Malawi for the management of the Lake Malawi Nature Reserve. In 1997 the prize was awarded to the Environmental Department of the Faculty of Science at Alexandria University and to a non- governmental forest protection society in Sri Lanka. In 1999 the prize was awarded to the Ecuador-based Charles Darwin Galapagos Reserve. In October 1996, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (JUCN) announced the award of the John C Philips Prize to His Majesty at a congress held in Montreal, for the efforts made to protect Oman's natural resources and heritage. The Sultanate is the only Arab country which has membership of The IUCN. In 1990 a seven-year coastal zone management project was completed in response to the threat posed by rapid urban development. This project, which covered the entire 1,700km- long coastline of the Sultanate involved detailed ecological surveys of the coastal regions, the sea and offshore islands, with the result that Oman has one of the most intensely-studied coastal environments in the world for management purposes. In 1997 the Ministry announced a new action plan for coral reef management and a proposal to grow mangroves. The largest mangrove swamp in Oman is on Mahout island and mangroves grow at Qurum (which means mangrove in Arabic) and along the Batinah coast. Mangroves are an important element in the biodiversity of the environment. The Ministry stages regular oil pollution control exercises with Petroleum Development Oman, the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Defence to test the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOCP) in the event of a major oil spill. In September 1998, an imaginary oil tanker collision with a submerged object near the Wudam Naval Base was simulated to exercise all the authorities concerned and to learn lessons which would be of value in a real emergency The exercise demonstrated the ability to contain oil spills and avoid a major environmental disaster. Oman also cooperates


with her neighbours on pollution control through participation in the Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME). In 1997, it was announced that a joint Oman-UAE project would be established in al-Fujairah to treat supertanker ballast water, which is all too frequently dumped at sea. In 1995 a Royal Decree authorised the Minister of Regional Municipalities & the Environment to sign the United Nations Agreement on the Prevention of Desertification in countries facing severe arid conditions.

Development & the Environment The Sultanate of Oman has always struck a judicious balance between the needs of development and the environment. The role of the private sector in environmental protection is stressed by the Ministry and companies are urged to comply with ISO 14000 standards, which are globally accepted as a means of promoting sustainable development. Industrial construction projects are required to have a certificate from the Ministry before they are allowed to go ahead. Before issuing a certificate the Ministry examines the possibility of damage to the environment and ensures that all measures have been taken to minimise pollution from waste products.
Wildlife Oman has a wide variety of wildlife, some of which is now extremely rare. Strict laws exist to protect wildlife from being hunted and nature reserves have been established to prevent encroachment on the natural habitat of species, such as leopards, hyenas, oryx, gazelle, taher, ibex, desert foxes, antelope and wild cats. In the sea thirteen different kinds of whales and dolphins have been recorded and some 400 species of birds are to be found in Oman at different seasons of the year.

Ra's al-Hadd/Ra's al-Jinz Oman is visited by five out of the seven different species of turtle. The turtle breeding beaches at Ra's al-Hadd/Ra's al Jinz are protected by Royal Decree as a nature reserve, to which entry is controlled by the Ministry. There are plans to extend the protection of turtles in other areas and to train Omanis as rangers to monitor the beaches where they lay their eggs. Since the turtles are proving to be a major eco-tourist attraction, the Ministry has introduced a code of conduct for visitors and imposed a limit on their numbers. In 1999 there were 17,989 visitors, of whom 10,939 were Omanis, to the turtle beaches.