Salalah, Oman

 After four days at sea, we arrived in Oman yesterday at the large oil and mineral export port of Salalah. 

I really knew nothing about Oman, so will give you  a little summary. Oman is located on the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.  It is an absolute monarchy governed by a Sultan since the 18th century. He is aided by an upper chamber with 71 members chosen by the Sultan, and a lower chamber with 84 members elected by the people.  But, the Sultan has the power to negate elections. It is an oil producing country, so quite wealthy.

 It is a Muslim country, but has it's own sect called Ibadi Islam which was brought to Oman by the son of Mohammed's daughter.  His name was the Prophet Mohammed Bin Ali, who died here in 1135 AD. His tomb is small, but revered by the Omani people, and while we were visiting a small group from Yemen came to pay their respects, and pray at the small tomb/mosque. 

The small tomb of Mohammed Bin Ali, with mosque and Muslim cemetery about 70 km from Salalah.

Oman has a population of about 4 million people, but only about half are Omani citizens. There are many workers from other countries.  Salalah is called the Garden City since it gets monsoon rains in summer, so has ample spring water for irrigation. We saw lush banana coconut and date palm plantations,  lovely green boulevards and plantings along the roadways, Where there is no irrigation, the desert encroaches quickly.  Oman also has miles of beautiful beach and coastline.

Roadside banana and coconut stand right in front of the plantation.

Typical treelined, irrigated boulevard in Salalah.

The mountains are only about a  mile  from the road that runs beside the coastline.

Oman is very clean, with good, new modern roads. We saw a lot of new development, and old settlements are being quickly replaced by modern townhomes, houses, and resort type beachfront. It appears that the Sultan is trying to quickly modernize Oman.

 Camels roam freely outside the city in fairly large herds, and wander onto the roadways with no concern whatsoever. Buses and cars just stop and go around them. 

A herd of camels on the roadside with surf beach in the distance.


Camels happily stopping traffic on the roadway!


At least momma and baby are keeping to the shoulder!

In Ancient times,  Oman was known for its production of Frankincense, which is actually an aromatic sap resin produced from the Boswelia tree in the mountainous areas. It is said to have many health benefits when taken topically or internally, as well as when burned as incense. The Queen of Sheba built a palace at Samhuram, about 50 km from present day Salalah. It became the capital of the Frankincense trade in Arabia.  The Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, one of two female pharaohs, also visited here.  The restored ancient city fort of Taqa, together with the ruins of Samhuram is now a Unesco World Heritage Sight. 
Restored walls of Taqa Fort and Samhuram.

Taqa Fort and Samhuram overlooking the bay. 



View from the fort on the hilltop to the bay below. Foundation ruins visible on the shoreline.







 





Comments

  1. LindsayNovember 28, 2022 at 6:16 PM

    You weren't kidding when you said you saw a lot of camels on the roads!

    ReplyDelete

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