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Created & Crafted by
InteracOman E-Solutions
PO Box 918, PC 117, Wadi Kabir,
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Tel: (968) 24810204 Fax: (968) 24817817
Email:interac@omantel.net.om
Web: www.interacoman.com
Founder
Deepak Nair
Contributing Writers
Sarah White
Usha Santhosh
Clara Zawawi
Business Manager
Madhu Nagarajan
Media Consultant
Rashmi Sahay
Design and Layout
Bisanth K B
Marketing Coordinator & Web Designer
Anchal Kapoor
Principal Photography
Mohammad Al Zubair
© Bait Al Zubair Foundation
Cover Photo of Musandam
Deepak Nair
Public Relations
Fahad Al Amri
Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy
of all editorial and advertising matter in this publication,
the creators and publishers do not accept any liability
for any errors or omission. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, digital or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of InteracOman E-Solutions.
All correspondence and enquiries may be sent to: info@destinationoman.com
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Oman Tourism Forerunner for good times
Primarily fuelled by high international
oil prices, the Omani economy continued
its forward momentum and witnessed strong
growth in recent years. The strength of
the Omani economy was evident in the robust
expansion in GDP, rising per capita income,
widening surpluses in fiscal and balance
of payments accounts, modest domestic
inflation, rising public and... more |
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Muscat Festival 2007 Living Culture and
Family Fun
The month-long festival is the
biggest cultural event in the region with
tourists from the region as well as from
Europe and other parts of the world planning
their trip to coincide with the festival.
The 2007 edition of Muscat Festival will
start with a bang on the New Year and
will end on the 2nd of February only.Muscat
Festival has always been a window...more |
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Muscat a dream city
Muscat is a fascinating fairy tale
capital of Oman and
it is an amazing blend of the old and
the new and one feels special enjoying
the Arabia of myth and imagination, in
the midst of golden minarets, rugged maze
of brown mountains and beaches and fierce
blue sky. Its rich culture and longstanding
traditions make Muscat a beguiling city
full of mystery and intrigue...more
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The charm of the Souk
Oman’s ancient trading port
Muttrah has many attractions for the modern-day
visitor. There is Muttrah Fort, one of
the 13 forts dotting the area. There are
popular public gardens like the Riyam
Park, frequented by families and the health
conscious alike. (Its towering incense
burner vantage-point can be seen from
the Corniche below, standing out beautifully
against the night skies...more |
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Musandam The Wonder Peninsula
Nature in Musandam is raw, untouched
and pristine and civilization is isolated
distant from the world around. The looming
mountains which descend into the sea are
brown and grey and shaped alike anchored
ships. A perfect setting for a poet to
write a few lines, for the ambience leaves
one feeling as mere mortals , caught and
suspended between the unfathomable...more |
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Salalah a verdant paradise
All fall under the spell of Salalah
when nature here is in its full bloom
during the Khareef (monsoon) and leaves
the visitors catching their breath. Salalah
is the coastal plain of Dhofar, which
lies in the south of Oman 1,000 km from
Muscat, facing the expanse of the Indian
Ocean. It is dominated by Jebel Dhofar...more |
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Ras al Hadd The green turtle habitat
It could be the serenity. It could
be the beauty of the coastline. It could
be the warmth of the inhabitants. Or maybe,
it is a combination of all these and more
that attracts the largest number of mating
turtles in Oman, to the Ra’s Al
Hadd peninsula. Located in the Wilayat
of Sur in the Sharqiya region, it is the
migration...more |
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Fort and Castles Icons of history and
tradition Watchtowers, fortified
houses, forts and castles proudly stand
at the beating heart of ancient oasis
settlements, as bastions of days gone
by. Most people do not differentiate
between forts (known as Ql’at
in Oman) and castles (known as Husn)
but there is a distinct difference.
Forts are military in nature whereas
castles...more |
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The Legendary Falaj
The falaj (plural Aflaj) is an
ancient water distribution system - that
has stood the test of time - and is interconnected
with socio-cultural aspects of Oman’s
traditional oasis settlements. It displays
sophisticated engineering skills and is
currently attracting worldwide interest
and research. More scholars have been
producing important research on this topic
and the...more |
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Omani Chests
Exploring Muscat, Oman’s
capital, it is essential for visitor’s
to experience Mutrah souq (market). Travelling
through its bustling maze of lanes littered
with small shops winding in landward from
the sea, you experience a myriad of colours,
exotic aromas, hidden trinkets and treasures
of a bygone age...more |
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Traditionally dressed
In Oman’s capital Muscat,
there are three main styles of traditional
female dress: Muscati, Belushi and Lawatti.
Muscati is rarely worn anymore but can
be viewed at Bait Al Zubair Museum in
Muscat. Beloushi and Lawatti are worn
by ladies from those societies and are
usually heavily...more |
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Dressed in a dagger
A Dutchman named Robert Padbrugge
who visited Muscat in June 1672, recounted
an audience with the Imam Sultan bin Saif
Al Ya’ruba as follows- “His
Highness’ robe was not very different
from that worn by the commoners…He
had a belt around his middle, in which
he wore a dagger which was crosswise covered
with silk yarns.”..more |
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Sacred Fragrances
Perhaps the most famous and versatile
aromatic
commodity known to the world is frankincense,
described over 2,000 years ago by Pliny
as “brilliant white and gathered
at dawn in drops or tears in the shape
of pearls”.
Throughout history frankincense has been
associated with the embalming process,
religious...more |
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Legendary Omani Hospitality Arab
hospitality is legendary and figures
such as Hatim Al Tai from the 7th century
stand as testimony to this. It is said
that Hatim had a famous horse that he
loved dearly and a King from a neighbouring
country had heard of this magnificent
steed and sent his...more |
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Jewellery of Oman
For thousands of years art in Oman
has been expressed through its personal
and domestic adornment. Silver and gold
have primarily been used to fashion jewellery,
adorn weaponry and household utensils
for hundreds, and in some cases thousands
of years. Gold...more |
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From Rock Art to Fine Art
Art reflects culture, creative
human instincts, energy and concepts,
inward thought and outward expression.
Art is everywhere and artists make us
see and expand our horizons. Art is a
vast subject and has many disciplines
within in it. Its boundaries are endless
and ever evolving with new technologies...more
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The Art of Jissah In James
Hilton’s evocative novel Lost
Horizons, hidden within Tibet’s
uncharted glacial peaks is Shangri-La,
a mystical and unknown mountain paradise
and sanctuary, where hospitality is
the oldest tradition. Today, nestled
between Oman’s dramatic mountains
and its pristine turquoise waters is...more |
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Makers of a glorious maritime history
Oman has been a seafaring nation since
time immemorial. The traditional dhow
is popularly known by several names
like as Al Boum, Al Ghanjah,Shu'i, Al
Badan, etc. and these were used for
trading...more
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Game Fishing in Omani Waters
The shrill whine of fishing line
spooling at enormous speed from the gleaming
reel at the back of the boat seemed to
catch us all unawares. Though we’d
been trolling lures behind our sleek charter
fishing boat, Azzan II, for around half
an hour as we moved over the silken ocean
towards deep water...more
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