The Sultanate of Oman is about to start a series of events to celebrate the choice of its heritage-rich city of Nizwa as the capital of Islamic Culture for 2015, by 2015 by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), In a press statement, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture Sheikh Hamad bin Hilal Al-Maamary announced that the Ministry designed a special logo to celebrate this event.
He said that the Ministry plans a wide array of events to celebrate this occasion. The celebrations include holding a number of seminars, lectures, exhibitions and media activities, he pointed out. Al-Maamary added the activities also include Fifth International Exhibition of Fine Arts, the National Gallery of Documents and Coins, an exhibition on the museums system in the Sultanate and the exhibition of photography, as well as cultural and handicraft exhibitions.
He noted that Nizwa was chosen as the capital of Islamic Culture due to the depth of its cultural influence which dates backs to over 12 centuries and its richness of heritage sites.
Nizwa is the largest city in the Al-Dakhiliyah governorate, about 140 km from the capital Muscat. The city has a population of 70,000 people.
The civilizational influence of Nizwa is manifested through its many archaeological and heritage sites such as Nizwa Castle and the adjoining fort which together are considered among the most important military monuments in the Middle East region.
Nizwa Fort is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Oman due to the fact that it is an amazing example of old Omani architecture that provides an illustration of the way Omani people lived in ancient times.