Bait Al Zubair Museum

Bait Al Zubair is a private museum in Old Muscat, set up by the Zubair family in 1998 to show its own collection of Omani heritage objects. It has grown into a small cultural complex of several traditional houses, each with its own architecture and theme, and the original building won the first Sultan Qaboos Award for Architectural Excellence in 1999. It sits on Al Saidiya Street, a short walk from the National Museum and the gates of Al Alam Palace, which makes it an easy part of any morning in the old walled town.

The displays focus on daily life and craftsmanship. Expect cases of khanjars, the curved daggers worn as part of men's formal dress, along with other traditional weapons, jewellery, clothing and household equipment. Models show what rural and urban life looked like in the past, and in the garden a scale model of an Omani village gives a sense of how traditional settlements were laid out.

The museum opens from Saturday to Thursday, 9.30am to 6pm, and is closed on Friday. Entry is charged, with lower rates for Omani and GCC nationals and free entry for children under 12. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The site is listed as wheelchair accessible, and the indoor galleries make it a good choice in the heat of the day. It works well for families, first-time visitors who want context before heading into the interior, and anyone interested in traditional crafts and dress.

Combine it with the National Museum for a fuller picture of Omani history, then walk to the palace gates for photographs. The museum is a sensible first stop before a trip to Nizwa or the mountains, as it explains much of what you will later see in forts and souqs. Check the website for temporary exhibitions and events in the gallery spaces.

Old Muscat is a short taxi ride from Mutrah and around half an hour from the Qurum and Shatti Al Qurum hotel areas, depending on traffic. There is limited parking close to the museum. For a break afterwards, the cafés of Mutrah Corniche are a few minutes' drive away, and an evening walk along the corniche finishes the day well.