Muscat Festival 2016: Lure of past draws crowds

1/20/2016 1:30:14 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat-

Veteran antique collector Marhoon Khalifa al Basammi aka Abu Hammad has been displaying his collection at Muscat Festival for over a decade now. But his gallery with exhibits that date back hundreds of years at the Amerat Park is still a crowd puller.

Basammi is a repository of the past and has anecdotes or information on almost every item that he has. 'We've all seen Maria Theresa coins but an original one makes a crystal glass like sound when struck with another coin. The sound is indicative of the high silver content' he said striking two coins to prove his point.

The affable collector is on hand to answer questions in Arabic and English about his treasures which include among other things 24 guns swords khanjars ancient Muslim battle armour traditional Omani coffee pots coins silver jewellery earthenware mortars and pestles wooden chests and a padlock collection. His most precious items are the 3000 year old spearheads encased in a framed glass.

'These spearheads are approximately 3000 years old. My collection wouldn't be the same without them' he said. Despite space restrictions Basammi has ensured that the exhibits have been arranged carefully to provide visitors a perfect and accurate view of the period and era that they belong to.

'It is important to feature displays of different periods. For instance my military collection features swords spearheads black powder guns all the way through to modern guns which use standardised bullets. My collection also features modern inexpensive objects still in use in the sultanate. I believe this mix of old and new allows visitors to get a glimpse of different ages.'

Collecting alone is not enough preserving and sharing are important aspects of antique collection said Basammi who also showcases his exhibits at the Rustaq Museum. 'These items have been preserved safely for generations to come so that Oman's youth can take pride in their rich heritage. I come from a family of collectors. I have been collecting these items for the past three decades and my search for more continues.'

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