Provinz Dhofar

It is located on the east coast of the Governorate of Dhofar, bordered to the north by the Wilayat of Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands and Jabal Samhan, and to the south by the Arabian Sea, and to the east by the Wilayat of Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands and to the west by the Wilayat of Mirbat. It has around 29 population gatherings such as Jawfah, Hadbeen and one Niyabat belongs to Sadah called Hasik. The terrain varies in the Wilayat of Sadah, as it includes mountains, plains, valleys, water springs and beaches. It contains the Jabal Ras Nus, Jabal Habrir and Jabal Samhan, which extends in three wilayats: Sadah, Mirbat, and Shalim.

It is located in the far east of the Governorate of Dhofar, about 827 km from the capital, Muscat. The wilayat was known as the Wilayat of the Hallaniyat Islands until Royal Decree No. 87/91 amending the name of the wilayat was issued to the Wilayat of Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands. The wilayat consists of the town of Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands, and Shalim is a new population area that appeared after 1970 as a populated administrative region, while the Hallaniyat Islands are known as the Bin Galfan Islands. And Al-Hallaniyat is the plural of Halaniyya, and Al-Hallaniyah is the largest island in Al-Hallaniyat Islands, then the name was generalized to all islands, so it was then called Al-Hallaniyat.

It is located in the north-eastern side of the Governorate of Dhofar, bordered to the northwest by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to the northeast by the Wilayat of Haima. It has about 9 population gatherings, including Muqshin, Al-Manadir, Ramlat Muqshin, Marsoud and Al-Mashash. Three niyabats belong to the wilayat, namely: Al-Mashash, Mundhir Al-Dhabiyan, and Marsoud. The environment of this wilayat is a desert with a lot of sand dunes and many valleys. The Wilayat of Muqshin is distinguished from the rest of the wilayats of the Governorate of Dhofar by the abundance of palm trees. Many archaeological sites have been found there containing tools dating back to the ancient Stone Age. This wilayat is famous for various crafts such as agriculture, livestock and grazing, as it is known for many industries such as palm leaf and leather industries.

It is one of the Wilayats of Dhofar Governorate, located between the wilayats of Salalah and Mirbat. It has many population gatherings such as Madinat AL Haq, Jibjat, Khabrarat and Sheiheet. The nature of the Wilayat of Taqah varies, as it is a coastal wilayat that contains beaches, as well as plains and mountains. It also has caves, such as the caves of Taqah and Wadi Darbat. There are also Khor Tariqa and Khor Rori, which have been declared within the Creek Reserve on the coast of Dhofar, according to Royal Decree No. 49/97. The wilayat also has many springs such as Ayn Khor Taqah and Ayn Darbat, which are characterized by their waterfalls.

It is a desert wilayat, bordered to the north by the Wilayat of Muqshin, to the west by the Wilayat of Salalah, to the east by the Wilayat of Shaleem and the Hallaniyat Islands and to the west by the Wilayat of Al Mazyounah. The number of residential gatherings around the centre of the wilayat is about thirty-two. The most important of them are Thumrait, Rawyah, and Rabkut. This wilayat also has three niyabats (representative offices), which are Al-Shasr, Mudhi, and Qatbeet (Sadhoun) in addittion to three administrative offices namley, Barbzoom, Dhahboon and Buthaina. The natural environment varies in the Wilayat of Thumrait, as it is located in the middle of the desert and is bordered to the north by sand dunes. Among its mountains are Jabal Halouf, which is characterized by its white colour. Among its valleys is Wadi Doka. It has many springs, most notably Ayn Mashdid, which has deep hot water. Frankincense trees of the Najd type are found in the Wilayat of Thumrait, especially in the Doka Valley. The Arabian oryx are also found in the Wilayat of Thumrait.

It is one of the wilayats of the Governorate of Dhofar. It is the administrative centre of the governorate, located on a fertile plain overlooking the Arabian Sea, bordered to the north by the Wilayat of Thumrait, to the east by the Wilayat of Taqah, and to the west by the Wilayat of Rakhyut. It is about 1023 km away from Muscat, the capital. Salalah is called by many names, such as the bread basket and the Nile basin, due to the abundance of its commercial and agricultural goods such as grains, incense, perfume and others. It also called the Salalah of China, due to the large number of Chinese utensils that decorate the houses in Salalah as a result of the commercial communication that was between Dhofar and China in the fifteenth century AD. The name of Salalah was given only to the three villages north of the strip of farms: Salalah al-Sharqiya, Salalah al-Wusta, and Salalah al-Gharbiyya. As for the villages adjacent to Salalah, they hold their ancient names, such as Al-Dahariz, Al-Hisn, Al-Haffah, Al-Ribat and Ouqad.

It is of the Wilayats of the Governorate of Dhofar, located on the western side of the governorate, bordered to the north by the Niyabat of Harweeb in the Wilayat of Al Mazyounah, to the south by the Arabian Sea, to the east by the Wilayat of Salalah and to the west by the Wilayat of Dhalkut. It has about 55population centres, including Rakhyut, Ashqul, Maqurah, Arafat, Hasl, Anzout, and Shuhb As’eeb. This wilayats is characterized by its environmental diversity. It is overlooked by Jabal Al Qamar in addition to the highlands of Ambrouv. Its mountains have many caves, including: Shrut Cave, Akharat Cave, and Huratum Cave. Among its beaches are Khairfut Beach, Al-Hotah Beach, Al-Fazayih Beach and Safqout Beach. In addition, the Wilayat of Rakhyut has many fresh water springs on the beach of Khairfut and in Al-Houtah, such as Ayn Minhal, Ayn Airoub, Ayn Anharat. It also includes bays and mountain heads, such as Ras Sager, which has the mountainous edges. Rakhyut also has many natural resources. On the beach of Khairfut, figs and cactus trees grow. Henna trees grow in Al-Houtah as well. There are many species of birds on the beaches of this wilayat.

It is located in the western side of the Governorate of Dhofar. It is bordered to the north by the Niyabat of Harweeb in the Wilayat of Al Mazyounah, to the south by the Arabian Sea, to the east by the state of Rakhyut and to the west by the Yemeni Republic. Its population centres are about 35, of which are Dhalkut, Deem, Sarfeet, and Khazrafi. The environment of the Wilayat of Dhalkut varies, as it includes mountains, valleys and rocky beaches, such as the Dra plateau, the Shirshti Plateau, the Ghouta Plateau, the Sarfeet Summit and Ras Dharbat Ali. Its mountains have many caves, including: the Sheesa Cave, the Asbeer Cave of, the Mashlool Cave, and the Makrish Hole.

It is one of the wilayats of the Governorate of Dhofar. Al-Mazyounah was a Niyabat and then changed to a Wilayat by Royal Decree No. 13/13. It has about 10 population gatherings, and has three niyabats, which are Meetin, Tousnat, and Harweeb, in addition to an administrative office in Andat. The Wilayat of Al-Mazyounah includes several archaeological sites, including the Hanun site that contains Arabic inscriptions and some antiquities dating back to the Pre-Islam in addition to the Wadi Anzur site that contains the remnant of an ancient settlement. It also has the military fort of Habrut, which was built in the sixties of the twentieth century AD during the reign of Sultan Said bin Taimur (1350-1390 AH / 1932-1970 CE).

It is located in the eastern side of the governorate, bordered to the north by Jabal Samhan, to the south by the Arabian Sea, to the east by the Wilayat of Sadah and to the west is the Wilayat of Taqah. It has approximately 162 population centres, including Mirbat, Wadi Ayn Al Gharbi, Kizit, Ghadia, Qardeet, and Wadi Ateer. The environment varies in the Wilayat of Mirbat, resulting in the diversity of its natural resources. It has mountains, beaches and sands. Among its mountains is Jabal Samhan, which comes in the middle of three wilayats of the Dhofar Governorate, Mirbat, Sadah and Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands. It was announced by Royal Decree No. 48/97 to be a natural reserve in Oman, with the aim of protecting natural resources there. Mirbat was chosen in 2004 AD to represent the city of the Arab Islamic civilization in the Spacious Space Museum in the city of Emmen in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A giant oil tanker was named Mirbat by order of Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed on April 21, 2008.

Economic and Industrial Zones

In spite of the development and progress achieved by Omani society in all aspects of life, the preservation of the Omani heritage is a fundamental pillar of the modern state and a distinctive feature of the Omani society. Heritage is an essential element in the formation of national identity. Despite the tremendous development of tools and means of production. Omani crafts include: Ship (Dhow) Building Oman's connection with the sea stretches back many centuries when Omani sailors using mast and sail, pioneered sea routes to the cities of the ancient world. Favorable factors were Oman's position at the crossroads of shipping routes which linked the Arabian Gulf to India, the Red Sea and East Africa and her knowledge of shipbuilding. Oman became the first non-European country to extend its influence to Africa where it remained for hundreds of years, due mainly to her ships/dhows. Oman was an important maritime and political power who established relations with China, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and the United States of America. Throughout its long history, Oman's navy has played a key role in the country's economic success, both in providing the instrument for internal and external trade and in underpinning fishing and pearling activities. The Omani warship "The Sultana" which anchored in New York harbour in 1840, bearing gifts from Sultan Said bin Sultan to the American President, was a symbol of the greatness of the Omani fleet at that time. In Oman two techniques are used in shipbuilding. In the first, timbers are laid side-by-side and pierced at intervals with a fine hand drill. The timbers are then bound together through these holes by means of rope made of coconut fibre and the holes covered with a mixture of fibre or raw cotton soaked in fish, coconut or sesame oil. Arab geographers such as Al Idrissi and Ibn Jubair believed that boats bound with fibres and with flat hulls were safer than those fitted together with rigid iron nails because if they ran onto rocks or came into contact with another hull, they were more flexible. In the second method, nails are used and in essence this is the same technique as used in other countries of the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea. The main type of wood used for the hull and keel is teak which is imported from India. The ribs are made from locally available woods such as qart, sidr and sarar. The tools used in a ship's construction are simple and basic such as the hammer, saw, awl, bow drill, chisel, plane and calking iron. The principal shipbuilding yards in Oman were Sur, Mutrah and Shinas. Omani ships, which can last for 60-100 years, are distinguished by their variety of types although some are no longer made. The largest type was the ocean-going cargo vessel, the baghlah with a length of 135 feet and a load capacity of 150-400 tonnes which could be distinguished by its high poop deck and quarter galleries, its transom stern being pierced by five window apertures and often elaborately carved. The ghanjail was very similar to the baghlah, and is considered by many Omanis to be the most beautiful of the large dhows.The sambuuq used to be one of the most commonly seen Arab vessels: its distinguishing features are the low, curved, scimitar-shaped stem piece and high square stern which lacks a quarter gallery. The word sambuaq used to denote the sewn boats of the Dhofari coast, and may therefore be a term of great antiquity. The government is keen to encourage the maritime tourist industry, in restoring old ships, increasing the use of large vessels/dhows for sea fishing, and also the building of small models of Omani ships for decorative purposes and for i participating in exhibitions. HALWA Omani halwa (sweet) is famous at home and abroad as a symbol of traditional Omani hospitality. It is usually served in Omani homes before drinking Arabic coffee. The main ingredients which go into the making of halwa are: starch, eggs, sugar, water, ghee, saffron, cardamom, nuts and rose water from the Jebel al Akdhar. The ingredients are mixed, in proportions and quantities known only to the skilled halwamaker, and cooked in a mirjnl (large cooking pot used especially for halwa) for a time of not less than 2 hours. The cooking can be done over a gas or electric stove, but the preferred method is over a wood fire made up of snmr wood, known for its durability, smoke and odourfree properties. After cooking, the halwa can be preserved for more than four months without losing its quality, and without the need for refrigeration or preserving agents. Halwa is usually served in a dist, a large earthenware bowl, which can vary in size and composition according to demand or type of occasion. The list can also be made of metal or plastic. Halwa is invariably served at times of joy or sorrow and, on religious occasions and festivals. It graces the tables of every Omani home. Palm leave products The Palm leave products depends on palm trees. There are Al Khaws (palm leaves), the Zawr (palm branches stripped of their leaves), the palm trunk and the fibre. For example, mats(rugs) are made of the two plants called Al Ghadf and Al Rusul which grow on the valley banks where there is an abundance of water. Governorate of Musandamis renowned for its palm leaf industries, such as utensils (Al Surood and Al Makba) which are made from palm leaves. Al Surood is a mat-shaped tray known as Sama, used with food to protect it from insects, while Al Makba fulfils the same purpose. Daggers and Swords A normal or hooked dagger is the most important component of the Omani dress. Omanis are keen to acquire daggers and appear wearing them at official events, national celebrations and weddings. Due to the succession of this social custom from one generation to another, the dagger-making industry has survived the passage of time, albeit with modern improvements. The Omani dagger is an authentic heritage the present generation is keen to pass on to their children. The dagger is also a symbol of manhood and pride among Omani men, who wear it on their leather belts over the dishdashah (long outer garment). Its front section is made of small connected silver pieces, or it may be elegantly embroidered with silver or gold threads. A dagger’s price is determined by the raw material it is made of, usually iron, silver or gold. Although silver daggers are the most common, especially for making the dagger handle, the blade case too determines a dagger’s price. There is the giraffe case, which is the most expensive because it has been banned, and cases made of buffalo skin, sandalwood, and the bitter orange tree. Silver wares The silver industry occupies a key place in the history of Oman. Omani silver jewellery is characterised by a rich sense of the aesthetic and reflects the unique taste of the country’s authentic art, deeply rooted in its history. Silver in Omani society is reflective of its rich social and religious symbols. The Omani dress, whether that of women or men, is never complete without silver jewellery that adds to its beauty, especially apparent in the Omani khanjar (dagger). The Pottery The art of pottery-making is an inherent and distinct testimony to the world’s civilisations as it reflects the extent of their development and advancement. Though pottery-making is one of the simplest forms of art because of its primitive nature, it is in fact, one of the most difficult trades because it involves a form of art. Pottery-making in Oman is considered an ancient industry. The reason it has attracted much interest can be attributed to the multitude of its uses in Omanis’ daily lives. Bahla in A'Dhahirah Governorate is the most famous town for pottery-making in Oman. Pottery is of many kinds and shapes, and its uses and manufacturing materials vary. The pots known as jihal are used for keeping water, the red pots with a thick layer known as khuroos are used for keeping water and dates, the small ones are for keeping honey and grease and the pots known as brams are used as cooking utensils. Pottery is also made as coffee pots and thermoses. Clay is the main component of Pottery and is widely available in Bahla in A'Dhahirah Governorate, where the soil is rich in clay.

Caves and Nature Reserves

Archeological Sites

Beaches

Forts and Castles

Parks and Gardens

Plains

Aflaj

Hotels and Resorts

Museums

Festivals

Universities and Colleges

Cultural monuments

Ports and Airports

Traditional Markets