Art can be defined as a human activity which conscientiously shapes the environment according to aesthetic criteria. Thus, any human creation in pursuit of beauty can be called art. Objects which have received a design not merely by habit or for practical needs can be considered artistic. For example, a wavy line incised on the neck of a ceramic jug certainly belongs to the realm of artistic production. The same is true for the painted decoration on the wooden beams of a ceiling in a reception room, and all the more for intricately built settlements or mansions with lavishly decorated details of their architecture. The question has often been raised in which context the terms 'Islamic Art' can be justly used. Certainly, it cannot be defined through the religion of Islam alone. It would contradict evidence to divide the art of the Islamic world in a religious and secular part. Oman belongs to the countries in which Islamic religion found its first adherents, during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). This is no doubt that Islamic religion is deeply rooted in this part of the Arabian Peninsular. However, it is not always easy to explain what it means that features of art in Oman are tied to the 'Islamic' character of the country. The other question focuses on the position of Oman within the regional framework, be it that of the Abbasid empire with Iraq at its centre, be it that of medieval Yemen and Iran, or Mughal India.