The Department of History at the College of Arts and Social Sciences examined a Master’s thesis submitted by student Alaa bint Ahmed bin Said Al-Rawahi, entitled “The Impact of Oman’s Civilisational Interaction on the Diversity of Traditional Omani Musical Arts from the Mid-18th to the 20th Century.”

The study aimed to explore the influence of Oman’s civilisational interactions on the diversity of its traditional musical arts during the period extending from the mid-18th to the 20th century. It focused on the role of Oman’s geographical location and its extensive historical connections with East Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Iran and East Asia. The significance of the research lies in demonstrating how these interactions contributed to the formation of a unique Omani musical identity that combines local authenticity with openness to external influences.

The thesis analysed the historical, geographical and cultural factors that shaped Omani musical arts, identifying patterns of mutual influence between local practices and external musical elements. To achieve this, the research adopted a historical and descriptive-analytical methodology, drawing on field interviews with traditional practitioners, analysis of sung texts, and a review of relevant historical and musical sources.

Among the key findings of the study is that civilisational interaction played a significant role in enriching the diversity of Omani traditional musical arts, and that these arts reflect a coherent cultural identity despite their diversity.

The thesis was supervised by Dr. Ali bin Said Al-Riyami, Head of the Department of History, with Dr. Yasser Moustafa Abdelwahab and Dr. Ayat bint Nasser Al-Matani serving as co-supervisors. The examination committee was chaired by Dr. Raya bint Hamad Al-Maamari, and included Dr. Aisha bint Hamad Al-Darmaki as the external examiner, and Dr. Fatma Belhawari as the Department’s representative.