Sunday 06 / October / 2024
Muscat: The number of visitors to the “Bisya and Salut Archaeological Visitor Centre” in the Wilayat of Bahla in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah, since its opening in February 2023, until the end of May 2024, reached about 7,546 which consisted of local and global tourists, according to statistics from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.
The establishment of this centre came within the framework of preparing archaeological sites for the tourist movement and meeting the visitor’s cognitive aspect of the historical dimension of the Bisya and Salut archaeological area, and the history of archaeological research in the region.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Tamimi, Director of the Bisiya and Salut Archaeological Site Department, said:" The centre extrapolates the history of human settlement in that region and the cultural communication between the Sultanate of Oman and the civilizations of the ancient world."
Al Tamimi explained that the establishment of the centre came within the framework of the efforts of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to rehabilitate the site after archaeological excavations and maintenance of archaeological sites in the Bisya and Salut region, and to begin rehabilitating paths to archaeological sites.
Al Tamimi pointed out that the center includes display panels summarising the history of archaeological research in the region, the various patterns of human settlement, the patterns of cemeteries, and the trade relations that existed between neighboring civilizations, which were confirmed by the results of archaeological excavations, equipped with modern, enhanced means of communicating information, including interactive screens distributed throughout the parts of the center.
In the field of scientific research, the director of the Bisya and Salut Archaeological Site Department explained that the center works through its various departments to complement the ministry’s efforts in surveying, scientific documentation, and periodic follow-up of archaeological sites. The centre also supervises archaeological missions and provides support to researchers and those interested in the fields of history and archaeology.
Al Tamimi explained that the archaeological collections on display are divided into three main sections and halls: the Bronze Age Hall, the Iron Age Hall, and the World Heritage Sites Section. These sections feature 344 different artifacts selected to support the scholarly texts in the galleries' curiosities. The pieces represent the different time periods of human settlement in the region and highlight the size and nature of economic activities based on agriculture, trade, and mining. The exhibits vary between tools, stone and pottery utensils, seals, and bronze artifacts.
The Director of the Bisya and Salut Archaeological Site Department confirmed that a field classroom had been prepared and prepared to allow the establishment of workshops, camps, and camps, which were allocated for programs that combine seasonal and field applications, as 13 events were implemented during the year 2023 AD, and a diverse program package was prepared for this year.
