Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muttrah Souq is easily one of the oldest markets not just in Oman, but the broader Middle East as well. Originally set up as a place for merchants and sailors to barter and make deals for goods brought into Oman on wooden ships, as well as those that needed to be sent across the seas, today, Muttrah souq sells an eclectic mix of Omani handicrafts and products you would be hard pressed to find outside the Sultanate.
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Diverse collection
The best versions of the traditional Omani khanjars - the ceremonial dagger — often inlaid with intricate filigreed silver work and an ivory pommel are often found in Muttrah Souq, as are other Omani handicrafts, which include fine silver jewellery inlaid with precious stones, Omani perfumes made from musk and frankincense, spices that form the base of traditional Omani cooking, and packed versions of Omani kahwa — a coffee blend that goes back centuries — if you want to take back with you a taste of Oman.
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Best buy
Frankincense is by far the most sought-after commodity in the souq. Originally grown in the plains of Oman’s southern Dhofar Governorate, the precious resin is painstakingly harvested from the bark of the Boswellia sacra tree, after which it is allowed to dry and then cut up into small pieces. Oman’s frankincense is known to be the best in the world, and was at one point in history so coveted, that the southern Dhofari ports of Samharam and Khor Rori were considered the nexus of the global frankincense trade, from where it was shipped to Ancient Rome, Pharaonic Egypt and the kingdoms of China..
