The Omani French Museum is a heritage museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

, located in the former residence of the French Consul, Bait Faransa on Lane 9310, Qasr Al Alam Street, in the old quarter of Muscat

Muscat, Oman

Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...

, Oman

Oman

Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...

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The white building which was essentially a palace, was initially established as a present by the Sultan Assayed / Faisal bin Turki to the French Consul in Muscat in 1896. On January 29, 1992, Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the late French President François Mitterrand

François Mitterrand

François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...

established a museum in the palace to preserve the historical Omani-French relations. The museum has a substantial collection of items to this effect including photographs of the early French diplomats, historical documents, Omani - French ships, Omani and French costumes and jewellery and furniture.