Friday 27 / September / 2024
Muscat: There are few, in the midst of all of their concerns and many responsibilities, who spare a thought for our heritage, nature and community service.
Even fewer businessmen are interested in culture and the documentation of the various landmarks that showcase their evidence, leaving a legacy and sharing the cultural experiences of this country, which are predominantly authentic and ancient.
There are few companies and institutions are interested in building museums to preserve the memory of this homeland and its ancient history. To add a cultural milestone that shows the world the brightness with which this dear homeland shone in past eras, and opens the horizons for researchers and scholars to learn about the secrets of their country.
Museums instil in the souls of the coming generations the legacy of their ancient past, pride in their homeland, and the legacy of their forefathers as they balance out past achievements and look to the future with confidence. Human civilisation is vast, and must be brought forth and discussed through scientific study.
The small number of businessmen who have established centres for entrepreneurship will contribute to incubating entrepreneurs to follow the path of Omani businessmen who worked hard to build their institutions and companies from nothing.
There are, however, few companies that record Oman's landmarks and beautiful nature, to convey to the world the aesthetics of his country, to document the legacy of the past, and the civilisation of this country before it is eroded due to the passage of time.
However, His Excellency Mohammed bin Al Zubair, the former advisor for economic planning to His Majesty the Sultan, was an exception: he broke the stereotype of the businessman, when he devoted his life to establishing many of the landmarks of this country through his books that shed light on many pertinent topics.
With their minute details and rare images, these books chronicle the bright side of Oman's history, civilization and ancient heritage, which is a source of pride for him, as he has devoted itself to reviving the very important aspects of what this country holds within. Many of these elements have been beautifully presented to the world, so much so that you rarely find it in other publications.
His successes are a towering beacon that can be seen from far and wide, for although not all of his choices were successful or the right ones, he nevertheless, through his efforts, lit up many dark corners where few had previously approached. His efforts remain a landmark through time, and one that has written its name into the annals of history.
His efforts are, in fact, intellectual, cultural and documentary in nature. It aims to inform successive generations that the Sultanate has an invaluable cultural heritage on which they must continue to build, so that their successes shine from the peaks of our country’s high mountains.
Arab and Omani libraries have been enriched by the many valuable books of His Excellency, both in terms of quantity and quality. They contain an intelligence and subject matter that few authors consider, as His Excellency oversaw the publication of many encyclopaedias that showcase the depth and originality of Oman’s long history.
Last week, we witnessed the launch of two encyclopaedias that will remain among the most important eternal cultural and historical assets of this nation with its towering legacy. They will remain scientific references for everyone, as well as researchers in the fields of Oman’s nature and history.
Perhaps the most important of these books is the Mountains of Oman, which features 1,700 pages across three volumes, one of the most recent books featured in libraries in the country, to join dozens of similar books. It duly unveils the Sultanate’s natural and civilizational foundations, and is one of the most important books that chronicle and document the mountain ranges in the Sultanate, their types, geography and geology. The book covers 409 mountain peaks, and shines a dazzling spotlight on these natural treasures so that they can be exploited for tourism and mining.
This encyclopaedia came under the directives of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour, may God rest his soul, who foresaw, through his wise insight, the importance of having accurate scientific references on the mountains of Oman and their formations, to remain a source of information and scientific anchor for all those interested in learning, academic researchers, and others.
This is also true of the other book – Oman since Antiquity – an illustrated scientific encyclopaedia consisting of four volumes. It once again documents and classifies Omani history across a span of more than 7,000 years. This publication is a most prominent step taken towards documenting and rooting the ancient history of this country. It too came under the directions of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour, may God bless him.
It aims to clean Omani history of misconceptions and confirm the fact that Oman is the source of civilisation in the Arabian Peninsula. Let generations of Omanis know these facts and build upon these glorious monuments that extend towards infinity.
These books will remain immortal through the ages, and will speak a clear Arabic language. The meaning of the word ‘Oman’ is, after all, synonymous with a proud nation that was and will remain so, God willing.
His Excellency Al Zubair was always very interested in Oman’s nature: its mountains, wadis, valleys, and caves, so he intended to document their magnificence through carefully selected words and images. At the end, we are presented by him a cultural legacy that is one of the largest references for children and grandchildren.
I became acquainted with His Excellency Al Zubair a long time ago, and every time I met him, just like the other exceptional people of this homeland, I found that he had new cultural, literary and intellectual discussions to share with us. He had in him a wisdom that enabled him to slow down and calmly choose intellectual projects that encouraged through and creativity, so that they may add significance and meaning to the legacy of this great nation.
The achievements of His Excellency Mohammed Al Zubair cannot be reduced in haste, nor can we fully examine his intellectual and cultural interest in our country, and give it all the attention it deserves. But his contributions will forever be seen as a lifetime donation to our God.
