Two Days from Now.. The National Records and Archives Authority will Open the Museum in Lamu
Next Friday, the NRAA will open the museum that exhibits the archival and historical items related to the Omani presence in East Africa in general and the Omani impact in Lamu County in specific. The project was conducted to celebrate the Omani presence in Kenya and the depth of the historical relations that the Omanis established in East Africa many years ago.
The renovation process of the museum was executed under the memorandum of understanding singed between the two countries to establish a permanent museum exhibition in Lamu County that displays historical, archaeological and documentary evidence through improving some areas in the Lamu Museum, the historical building of Abdullah bin Hamad bin Said Al Busaidi in 1892 AD, the governor of Lamu during the reign of Sultan Sayyid Ali bin Said bin Sultan Al-Busaidi (1890-1893 AD). The museum includes 7 halls represented in the Halls of Oman Through Ages, Omani Maritime Heritage, Human and Society, the Sultans of the Al-Busaid Dynasty in East Africa, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, may God rest his soul (1390 -1441 AH / 1970-2020 AD), the modern renaissance of Oman led by His Majesty Sultan Haitham, the Omani presence in East Africa.
The project is carried out by the National Records and Archives Authority in coordination with the Sultanate’s embassy in Kenya and in cooperation with the Kenyan Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage. The opening ceremony will be under the patronage of Hon. Penina Malonza, Kenyan Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, in the presence of some ministers, governors, dignitaries represented the Omani community.
Regarding the project, Dr. Ahlam, Assistant Director of the Researches and Studies Department at the Authority, said: The permanent museum and documentary exhibition in Lamu is a cultural reflection of Oman in this region, to which the civilizational influence of the Omanis extended in many fields and still remains today in various cultural and social forms. This historical building of the Lamu Museum is considered one of the historical witnesses to that influence and presence, and it is an affirmation of the deep friendship between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Kenya.
For his part, Ahmed Al-Ruwaishdi, a designer at the Authority, said: This exhibition was designed to highlight the eternal historical status and ancient civilization of the Sultanate and to tell the story of the wonderful glory and the authentic cultural heritage to the world. The exhibition is characterized by an attractive creative design that attracts the visitors through its various records and photos included in the exhibition. The idea of designing the exhibition was derived to display the architecture of the two countries and the extent of their influence on others. Therefore, the visitor will feel the extent of rapprochement and understanding between the Sultanate and Kenya, through seven different halls that tell the mutual history.