This Living Museum in Oman Is One You Have to Visit

Bayt Al Safah
Bayt Al Safah | © Panoramas / Flickr
Gehad Medhat

Oman is an exceptional country with a unique culture and heritage. As well as natural attractions, architectural marvels, and ancient forts and castles, the country is home to wonders including the living Bait Al Safah Museum. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Bait Al Safah?

Bait Al Safah, Bayt Al Safah or Beit Al Safa is one of the most famous museums in Oman, which is located in the village of Al Hamra in Al Dakhliya Region. The village is 30 minutes away from Nizwa, and is located at the foot of the mountains. The museum is known as a “living museum”, but it has the shape of an old Omani house, which provides an exceptional experience that resembles the ancient Omani lifestyle.

Why Bait Al Safah is special

Beside taking the shape of an old Omani house made of mud bricks, the museum has Omanis who play the roles of an Omani family imitating their routine in the past. The staff of the museum are locals who practise the traditions, norms and roles of the Omani people from days gone by. As you walk through Bait Al Safah, you will see how Omani women used to bake traditional bread, how they made flour, and how they made oils from different nuts. Men also demonstrate how they used to roast coffee beans and grind them.

Bait Al Safah, grinding coffee I

The house is decorated with different traditional handmade crafts, as well as ancient Omani furniture, most of which are made of palm leaves, leather pottery, wood and wool.

Room inside Bait Al Safah I

How to get to Bait Al Safah

Al Hamra village is around two hours away from Muscat. You can get there from the capital city by car or by bus. The museum is located between old abandoned houses. The best way to enjoy this unforgettable experience is to park outside the village, and walk through the old houses and into the museum.

Bait Al Safah I

Where to stay around Bait Al Safah

If you’re planning to visit Bait Al Safah, then it is better to plan to stay there for a few days, because there are lots of amazing attractions and exceptional cultural trips to experience. Here are the best places you can stay in, around the living museum.

Al Hamra Guest House

Guesthouse, Budget Hotel

If you’re looking for a traditional, small and cosy place to stay, then check out Al Hamra Guest House, located in the village of Al Hamra in the Dakhliya region, which is 30 minutes away from Nizwa. With cheap prices, Al Hamra Guest House is the perfect place to stay when you want to enjoy the amazing surrounding nature and nearby attractions.

Al Misfah Hospitality Inn

Inn, Budget Hotel

Would you like to experience living in an Omani house? This is exactly how staying at Al Misfah Hospitality Inn feels like. With the traditional style of Omani architecture, the traditional furniture and the simplicity of interior design and decorations, a stay in this hotel is an unmissable experience.

Attractions near Bait Al Safah

As well as the natural surroundings of the living museum, Bait Al Safah is located in a very cultural and significantly historical area. In other words, don’t worry about driving a fair distance to get to this museum, because there are lots of amazing attractions nearby.

Al Hoota Cave

Archaeological site

AlHootahCave
© Helmut Pfau / WikiCommons

Al Hoota Cave is one of the most prominent caves in the country. It is located in Al Hamra village in Al Dakhliya region in Oman, and is around 250 km (155 miles) away from the Capital City of Muscat.

Nizwa Fort

Market, Memorial, Mosque

26627085841_00b19a4218_k
© Michael Homan / Flickr

Nizwa Fort is one of the most famous forts in Oman. It is located in the city of Nizwa in Al Dakhliya region. It is a touristic landmark, and has heritage and unique history of defending the city and fighting the invaders. Inside the fort, there is a local market that sells souvenirs, traditional clothes, jewelry, frankincense, pottery, Omani food, and other local products. There is also a mosque.

Jebel Al Akhdar

Hiking Trail, Natural Feature

Jebel Al Akhdar
© Robert Haandrikman / Flickr
Jebel Al Akhdar, the Green Mountain, is one of the marvelous mountains that is part of the Al Hajar range in the Al Dakhliya region. It is named after the green areas and plantations covering its rocky lands. The mountain has several hiking trails, and villages where people raise animals and farm.
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article