Come and walk with me around Mirbat, a fishing town on the South Oman, around 70km from Salalah . Last week we entered the old town, this week join me as we head on around the corner.
There are many old towns in Oman but in this one, I felt I was recording for posterity. Towns are abandoned and slowly fall to the ground, the history is gone. Continue reading
Windows in Mirbat, Southern Oman.
These windows in the walls of the house are unique, so many tales to tell, but we will never know… Continue reading
A white carpet anemone (Stichodactyla sp.), a rare find in the inter-tidal zone at an extremely low tide on a lonely beach near Shannah, Oman. An Indo-Pacific occupant, living on reefs or on the sandy bottom, these anemones can attain a size of two and a half feet in diameter. Potentially harmful to humans ( a potent sting) they act as a host for many types of clownfish.
It’s Thursday again..where did the week go? The” full of good intention” head plan for this week’s doors post ran out of time.
So here’s a little taster and next week I’ll take you around an eclectic collection of Arabian doors and windows from this old city. Continue reading
The ancient settlement of Khor Rori in the Dhofar region of Southern Oman stands above a natural harbour on this wild and dangerous coast. The town in the settlement is known as Sumhuram. This small town was founded as an outpost for the kingdom of Hadramawt around the first century CE. The Dhofar region was the main exporter of Frankincense in ancient times and maritime contacts were discovered during the excavations in the 1900’s to both India and the Mediterranean. Continue reading
Sunrise at sabkha plains in Oman…the morning mist makes for an eerie atmosphere in the half light…..
A narrow alley in Muscat’s Muttrah souk area.
Narrow windows and a narrow balcony with a tantalising glimpse of the end through the narrow arch…
From the city of Salalah in Southern Oman to the Yemen border, the road twists and turns through a series of hairpin bends, eventually climbing to the top of the escarpment, with towering cliffs plummeting down to the Indian ocean.
During monsoon a pervading mist hangs over the escarpment but every so often, when the road gets to about 1000 metres high, you pop out of the mist into bright, brilliant sunshine with incredible views and on this particular release into sunlight, even a small pink shelter perched on top of the mountain, with rather striking brickwork for the windows.
Such buildings and design are typical in Oman, used as shelters from the sun (sometimes rain, as this area receives a fair amount) with the air bricks allowing for cool air in the heat of the day, although it’s the first pink one I’ve ever seen….
Taking part in Monday Window, a weekly event, pop over and join in the challenge….
Monday Window Home
Over the last couple of weeks, I enjoyed a mammoth 4,500km road trip around Oman. Travelling around this vast country, passing through places that are certainly off the tourist route, it was fascinating to see life in the remoter places. Continue reading
A mix of windows and national dress this week…..
Omani male dress is referred to as Omani and women’s is called Omaniya. Continue reading
Back in the desert, it’s not easy to find a subject for this month’s garden challenge. Heat and sand all around, not many edible gardens to find.
But last week, on a trip up Wadi Tiwi in Oman, I found a wadi full of date palms and farmers and I reckoned this might just fit… Continue reading
On the way to Masirah island, Oman to catch the ferry at Shannah port, invariably you pass through the small town of Mahout. Continue reading
Adjacent to Muscat harbour, Oman, lies the Muttrah Souk, perhaps one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world. Continue reading
Back on Masirah island, Oman for a few days during the summer monsoon season. Re-visiting the usual haunts, time for a trip to the small settlement of Sur Masirah, a magnet for wave junkies. Continue reading
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh and Wise Men feature in our earlier bible study memories……. this week I found Frankincense, sadly no Gold or any really Wise Men, but I suspect some Myrrh is around the region. Continue reading
Driving up the coast of Oman from Shannah to Sur in the aftermath of a major storm early May, the small towns along the coastal road are weatherbeaten, fishing towns.
Many hundreds of miles from main centres, (Muscat is an 8-hour drive from here) the pace of life is slow and traditional.
Traditionally doors in Oman are of the metal type, with simple embellishments, check out the heart door, but occasionally you get a bit of variety….
I spend a lot of time being a car photographer on these long journeys, especially in these lands, but occasionally I get spotted!
Linking with Thursday Doors and the Discover challenge The Story Behind a Door
I just had to visit Salalah.
Located at the southern end of Oman, I had heard tales of the Khareef season, the rain, greenery, and mists, contrasting with the hot, endless summer in the rest of Arabia. Continue reading
Along the coast of eastern Oman, a region known as Ash Sharqiyah, the coast road passes through many small fishing villages, buildings are weather-beaten, dilapidated and life appears to be very different to that of the main cities. Continue reading
This post had been planned as “H is for Herons” (plenty of Herons on the coastline of UAE and Oman) but this weekend turned it into “H for Help” instead… Continue reading
This old fishing hut had some lovely doors! There are no walls, only bamboo laced around the perimeter…
Taking part in Thursday doors over at Norm’s site…
These shots are typical of locations where you see modern doors being displayed and made in small workshops somewhere close by, in the smaller towns around the Middle East region. Continue reading
I came across this wall of windows at As Sulaif fort, Ibri, Ad Dhahirah Governorate, Oman. Breaking our long drive home, we came across this fascinating walled fort, mostly in ruins. It is an excellent place to visit if you happen to be in the area…
I had planned an Oman weekend well in advance of the massive storms that hit the Arabian peninsula last Wednesday and headed off to my destination in ignorance of the impact such storms cause, especially in Oman. The storm had swept up and over the central mass of the country, culminating in a spectacular thunderstorm that was playing over towards the northeast as we headed down the long, lonely road, once through the Mezayed border crossing formalities at Al Ain. Continue reading
Hiding from my lens, a large and colorful crab backed under a rock, at Masirah Island, Oman.
Joining into Hugh’s weekly photo challenge
Travels in the Middle East and beyond 