Omania / The project to develop and beautify the old Sur market in the Wilayat of Sur in the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate is one of the development projects implemented by the Municipality of the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate with the support of the Omani India Fertilizer Company to be a combination of heritage and modernity in the design from an architectural perspective, as the old Sur market represents a major shopping center in the Wilayat and serves its people and neighboring Wilayats.
During special occasions and summer, the market witnesses a remarkable turnout by people from other states. It offers a variety of fabrics, natural herbs, handicrafts, jewelry such as gold and silver, and men’s supplies shops, including tailoring and selling luxury goods.
Eng. Abdullah bin Salem Al Hajri, Director General of South Al Sharqiyah Municipality, stressed that Sur Market is one of the heritage markets and is frequented by people from all the governorates of the Sultanate. South Al Sharqiyah Municipality is keen to create an institutional partnership between the public and private sectors and consolidate this by involving private sector institutions in supporting projects aimed at developing basic services such as establishing gardens and parks, constructing public markets and developing residential neighborhoods. The Old Market Development Project in the Wilayat of Sur is also one of the service projects supported by private sector companies in the Wilayat of Sur, represented by the Oman India Fertilizer Company, consolidating the principle of community partnership.
He added that the old market development project was designed to preserve the old architectural character while taking modernity into account. It is a model similar to the Nizwa Heritage Market and other markets registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. He added that interest in traditional markets represents the preservation of the Omani identity and the historical legacy of the Omanis.
Regarding the project objectives, the Director General of South Al Sharqiyah Municipality said: This project aims to develop the basic services of the market to make it an important commercial site and add an aesthetic touch to it because it is located near the sea and provide an ideal commercial environment for owners of small and medium enterprises and develop domestic tourism and foreign tourism attraction and stimulate commercial movement in the market and the surrounding areas and increase income from developing domestic tourism and tourist attraction and promote Omani industries and introduce heritage legacies and raise the income level for owners of small and medium enterprises.
He added that the basic facilities of the project and the implemented works consist of adding 5 main gates with an architectural character from the Omani heritage to the entrances of the market, roofing the corridors with palm fronds, adding heritage images of the Sultanate’s landmarks on the glass and arches, preparing the market corridors with natural stone, rehabilitating public parking lots, rehabilitating and improving the facades of commercial shops, and beautifying the corridors and ceilings with Islamic decorations. There are also more than 300 shops in the market for citizens, and all the corridors are covered with heritage formations, Islamic decorations, and images inspired by the Omani heritage and some landmarks from the governorate. The length of the ceilings is 700 meters, its width is 3 meters, and its height reaches 4 meters.
/Omania/
