O is for...Oum...and...Oman

is for

Oum El Ghaith Benessahraoui, known simply as Oum, from Morocco. Totally strumming my feelings with her fingers and killing me softly every time I hear her. Blending her uniquely fascinating brand of Arab-African music, a glorious fusion of both her Berber/Amazigh and Arab heritage. Enjoy!

Oman

Oman is one of the Gulf countries, lying at the extreme south-east corner of the Arabian peninsula, and...is it pretty or what? It has a population of about 4 million, and 45% of that is expatriate.

Expat soaking feet at Hawiyat Najm - 'The Fallen Star' Sinkhole. 

Bimmah, Oman.

And it has a history as long as a whale's tail – recently an archaeological find in Abyut al Awal has unearthed stone tools from a specific African Lithic Period dated back to 106,000 years ago. That’s seriously ancient! It’s the hard evidence that Man migrated out of Africa first into Arabia - happening place the Middle East even yonks and yonks ago. There are other sites that show Oman being continuously settled since some 9500-10,000 years ago.  

Wadi Shab. Oman has a coastline of over 2000 kms. 

Like much of Arabia, Oman too has been under the rule/influence of Persian dynasties from ancient times. Islam came to Oman in the 7th century, and remains the major faith there since then.  Political control however passed onto the Portuguese in the 15th-16th century, and they and the Ottomans fought over Oman all through the latter centuries. Till a local rebel group kicked both of them out and founded the present ruling dynasty of Sultans in 18th century, since when Oman has been self governing. It is an absolute monarchy through male primogeniture - the Sultan is the supreme authority. 

Mutrah in Muscat. Muscat has been a trading port for centuries. 

Omani Arabs have controlled trade in these parts historically.

Sultan's Palace. Muscat. No security to keep passers by off, 

anyone can walk right up to the gate and take a snap, like 

I did.

Freedom of worship is not an issue - there are places of prayers for all major faiths. The current Khimji family of Indian origin, (their forefather came to Oman in 1870) are the only Omani Hindu sheikhs in the world. The present head of the family is a Vaishnav (worshipper of Krishna as a family deity), a strict vegetarian and has close access to the Sultan. 

Al Hajar Mountains. Oman has the highest hills in the 

Arabian Peninsula.

The Sultan is reputed to be a bit of an eccentric, and incidentally, is a student of Shankar Dayal Sharma's, ninth President of India. When the President visited Oman, the Sultan met his professor and drove him personally back from the airport, a very Eastern/Arab/Indian teacher-pupil type cute, great-PR-vibe thing to do. (This I hear about most Arab monarchs - they are always jumping into SUVs and driving off by themselves without much ceremony at the drop of a hat, and the young princes of royal blood are the same - zoom off on motorbikes and stop at roadside shops, rub shoulders with the hoi polloi, and zoom off again. Must be absolute security nightmares!)


The Omani Sultan's also a passionate fan of music, and has set up the Omani Royal Orchestra. Slightly rocky marital history (does that remind you of any other leaders? :) But no male heirs, and no successors named. More reliant on business families for his administration than members of his own family, unlike normal Arab practice.

Sur. Traditional centre of Omani shipbuilding and a historically 

important port in the past.

Wadi Tiwi. Lots of trekking opportunities if you're into that sort

of thing. And desert safaris.

Oman has traditionally been the main controller of frankincense trade since ancient times. 'All the perfumes of Arabia?' That's Oman - it was the centrepoint of the Incense Route. The present economy is based on oil exports, it has the 25th largest reserves worldwide.  Though there have been determined efforts to diversify since the last few decades.  Tourism is now a fast growing area - Oman is a major turtle- and whale-watch destination in the Gulf area.

Did you know Arabic has Oral traditions in poetry going back millennia, pre-dating Islam? Poetry slams, where two poets from different tribes competed against each other, stood in for actual battles, thus avoiding bloodshed. May be an idea to tweak and use to avoid our modern megaconflicts!

Posted for the A-Z Challenge 2017