London – The Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in London on Thursday held a ceremony to launch a documentary film titled Treasures of Oman. It puts a spotlight on Oman’s civilisation and culture witnessed over thousands of years.

The launch ceremony was held under the auspices of H E Dr Abdullah Nasser al Harassi, Minister of Information.

The film was produced through a cooperation between Nizwa Magazine and Sandstone Global, a British production firm.

Treasures of Oman is the outcome of a visit by British novelist and professor Bettany Hughes to a variety of archaeological and historical sites in Oman, from the governorate of Musandam to the governorate of Dhofar. The film will be shown on BBC World Channel and Channel 4, a public TV channel in the UK.

Bettany said her visit to Oman was aimed at exploring the country’s deep-rooted history. The visit offered her an opportunity to have a close look at different manifestations of the country’s civilisations from BC era to the Middle Ages.

During the visit, she accompanied archaeological teams studying different sites spread across the sultanate that showed evidence of the existence of ancient settlements. She also toured many castles and forts.

The film also shows life in the Al Hajar Mountains, specifically in Jabal Shams, and demonstrates how Omani people made use of these mountains since the times of the Majan civilisation, and how the copper trade enabled the civilisation flourish.

The documentary also presents facts about the ancient burial grounds of Bat in the wilayat of Ibri. The film also spans the area of Wadi Dhawka in Dhofar where the frankincense trade was once a thriving commercial practice for Oman’s population, which also engaged in commercial activities related to spice trade with India, China and Egypt.

The film highlights the history of the ancient city of Sumharam in Dhofar and Khor Rori, as well as the latest discoveries dating back to the 5th century BC.

The film demonstrates how groundwater channels – aflaj – in Misfat al Abreen in Al Hamra led to the growth and prosperity of agrarian societies, with special focus on Bahla, with its famous castle and ancient wall.

Highlighting the marine life in Musandam, the film delves into the significance of maritime trade that gave rise to the Kumzari language – a mixture of Persian, Portuguese, French and other languages – from the people who frequented Musandam for trade.

Bettany is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster, whose speciality is global culture. Her programmes are regularly watched by 250mn plus people worldwide.

She has written and presented over 50 radio and television documentaries on international subjects ranging from Islamic culture to the great philosophers and artists of the world for BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, PBS, The History Channel, National Geographic and ITV.