Mountain villages clutched against canyon walls, clusters of dates weighing heavy in the plantation
oases, a ribbon of sand blown across the
dunes, a lone camel padding across the limitless interior - these are the kinds of images afforded by the beautiful and enigmatic country of Oman.
In years gone by, Oman was rich with copper and
frankincense, and enjoyed an extensive East African empire. Then, in the early 20th century, a deeply conservative ruler, Sultan Said, chose deliberately to isolate the country from the modern world. His son, peace-loving
Sultan Qaboos, assumed the throne in 1970 and that date now marks the beginning of the widely celebrated ’Renaissance’ in which the country has been returned to an age of prosperity and progression.
What makes Oman’s renaissance somewhat unique in the region is that the transformation has been conducted with great sensitivity towards traditional values - there are few high-rise buildings in the capital, Muscat; the country’s
heritage of forts (numbering over 2,000) are meticulously restored;
ancient crafts like weaving are actively supported. Moreover, traditional
Arabian values, such as hospitality and practical piety, are still in evidence making Oman somewhere to experience Islamic culture at its best.
GeographyThe Sultanate of Oman occupies the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula with almost 1,700km (1,062 miles) of coastline stretching along the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. It is bordered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the west and the Republic of Yemen to the south. The United Arab Emirates lies to the northwest of Oman and to the east lies the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.
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