Germany: Arab Cultural House discusses Omani city of Bahla

The Arab Cultural House in Berlin held a discussion on the city wall of Bahla in Oman, as part of a reading of the book “The Surrounding Wall: The Wall of Bahla City”.

The event featured Dr Nasser Al Saqri, an Omani historian and academic at Sultan Qaboos University, and Dr Michaela Hoffmann Ruf, a researcher in a German Research Foundation-funded project titled “Letters to the Sheikh: Political and Economic Transformations in the Indian Ocean World as Reflected in the Letters to the Al Abri Family of Al Hamra (Oman) during the Long Nineteenth Century”.

The session presented historical documents published for the first time and discussed the significance of the city wall. This was not only a defensive structure but also a symbol of collective social participation in the region and coexistence with geography and nature.

The discussion highlighted how Omani society organised itself to preserve its cultural and material resources before the introduction of modern administrative structures. The connections between the Sultanate's cultural heritage and modern Omani society were also explored.

The event was attended by Maitha Saif Almahrouqi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Germany, along with several individuals interested in Omani history and identity.