Flags of the World | Oman

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The national flag of Oman was adopted in 1970. It features a white-red-green horizontal tricolour with a vertical red band and white national emblem featuring crossed swords with a khanjar and belt on the left side.

The green colour represents the Jabal al Akdar mountains, the white is the Imam and the red is the traditional colour of Gulf state flags.

Date farming in the Sultanate of Oman

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Date farming is of great economic and social importance in the Sultanate. The date palm is the primary agricultural crop in Oman, the 8th largest producer of dates in the world.

Ancient City of Qalhat | Oman

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Ancient City of Qalhat is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The property, which is located on the east coast of the Sultanate of Oman, includes the ancient city of Qalhat, surrounded by inner and outer walls, as well as areas beyond the ramparts where necropolises are located.

Muscat, the capital of Oman

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Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city with a population of over 630,000.

A special aspect of Muscat is surely the Corniche (boulevard) along the deep blue water and the rugged rocky mountains.  A walk of about 3 kilometers. Lined with 19th-century merchants' houses and punctuated by colourful minarets, Muttrah's sweeping seafront is the city's old commercial centre. It remains one of Muscat's most vibrant areas, especially at sunset when families come out to stroll. 

Bahla Fort | Oman

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Bahla Fort is one of four historic fortresses situated at the foot of the Djebel Akhdar highlands in Oman. The fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The oasis of Bahla owed its prosperity to the Banu Nabhan tribe who, from hte middle of hte 12th century to the end of the 15th century, imposed their rule on the other tribes . Only the ruins of what was a glorious pas now remain.

Old Omani Villages | Oman

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The Sultanate of Oman is an Arab state in south west Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The head of state and of the government is sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said.

 

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The Khanjar is one of the traditional Omani symbols.

Aflaj Daris irrigation system from Oman

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Aflaj are complete irrigation systems for a settlement. Using gravity, water is channeled from underground sources or springs to support agriculture and domestic use. For this WHS, five were chosen to represent some 3,000 still functioning systems in Oman. They are:
- Falaj Al-Khatmeen
- Falaj Al-Malki
- Falaj Daris
- Falaj Al-Jeela
- Falaj Al-Muyassar

The sites are an exceptionally well preserved form of land-use. They are still functioning as integral and essential aspects of the production systems of villages and towns, and are still managed by long-standing traditional systems within the communities they serve.

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41st National Day: On this day the people of Oman pay tribute to His Majesty whose visionary and benevolent leadership has helped put the Sultanate firmly on a course to economic development and prosperity.

A frankincense tree from the Sultanate of Oman

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The incense tree has been the reason for the Omani merchants' fortune for over 2,000 years. The trees, which can reach up to 13 ft, grow naturally in the far ends of the wadis of Dhofar, in the south of the country. The collecting of the sap, also called olibanum, takes place in the spring when the sap hardens into small ‘tears' of variable color between yellow and white.

The incense was very valuable in Ancient History and during the Middle Ages because the places of production were kept secret and the journey to the West by caravan, across Yemen and Saudi Arabia, or by boat along the Red sea, would take several months in all.

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41th National Day, Royal Opera House, Muscat

Feldstone tombs from Oman

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The protohistoric* site of Bat lies near a palm grove in the interior of the Sultanate of Oman. Together with the neighbouring sites, it forms the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium B.C. in the world.


*Protohistory refers to a period between prehistory and history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, but other cultures have already noted its existence in their own writings. For example, in Europe, the Celts and the Germanic tribes may be considered to have been protohistoric when they began appearing in Greek and Roman texts. (source: Wikipedia)

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(left) The khanjar  is the traditional dagger of Oman.

(right) 41th National Day

Traditional Omani Dance

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The music of Oman has been strongly affected by the country's coastal location, with Omani sailors interacting with, and bringing back music from, Egypt, Tanzania and elsewhere. More recently, a Portuguese occupation has left its own marks, while geographic neighbors like the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran have also had a profound influence.

In contrast to other Arab countries, Omani traditional music has a strong emphasis on rhythm. Drums are an important part of many Omani dances to keep the timing as they chant/sing.

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National symbol of Oman: Khanjar Knife (a silver, hand- crafted knife or dagger).

A Postcard from Oman

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Oman, officially called the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The head of state and of the government is the hereditary sultān, Qaboos bin Said Al Said.

Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id assumed power on July 24, 1970, in a bloodless palace coup directed against his father, Sa'id bin Taymur, who later died in exile in London. The new sultan was confronted with insurgency in a country plagued by endemic disease, illiteracy, and poverty.

One of the new sultan's first measures was to abolish many of his father's harsh restrictions, which had caused thousands of Omanis to leave the country, and offer amnesty to opponents of the previous regime, many of whom returned to Oman. He also established a modern government structure; and launched a major development program to upgrade educational and health facilities, build a modern infrastructure, and develop the country's resources.

Since the 1970s, the Sultanate of Oman has rapidly entered the modern world. Today, it is an economically, politically, and socially progressive country. The population of modern Oman is approximately 3.3 million.

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(left) OMAN- 36th National Day (2006).

(middle) Khanjar knive.

(right) Oman 2010 China Shanghai Expo Sticker stamp Logo.

A postcard from the Sultanate of Oman

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The Sultanate of Oman is an Arab state in south west Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Sohar Philatelic & Numismatic Exhibition was held in Oman in February 2010.

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The 2nd Asian Beach Games were held in Muscat, Oman from 8 December 2010 to 16 December 2010.

The stamp in the top-right corner shows a Khanjar knive. Oman is famous for its khanjar knives, which are curved daggers worn during holidays as part of ceremonial dress. During the Medieval era, khanjars became highly popular as they symbolized Muslim sailors, and later various types of khanjars were made, representing various sailing nations in the Muslim world.