Smithsonian - Perishable Pundit

Muscat, modern capital of Oman, has welcomed travelers for centuries.Indus River on the Indian subcontinent.Historical evidence suggests .1 regular trade byship and caravan. In the first millennium < 1,particularly during the Roman and ByzantineEmpires, the aromatic resin frankincense, likesilk from China, became a highly sought-afterluxury. Burning frankincense also became anecessary part of pagan and. later, [ewish andChristum ritual. Boswellia trees on the hillsidesot southern ( )man produce the finest frankin-Africans from the south all had profoundinfluences on the development ot Oman.( 'man entered a long period ot isolation inthe [9th century and has only recently reopenedits borders and reestablished its cosmopolitanperspective. Until 1970, there were few roads,hospitals, or schools anywhere in the country.Since [970, Mis Majesty Sultan Qaboos binSaid has specifically committed his governmentand itsresources to education, health,cense, and an extensive trade developed acrossthe Arabian Peninsula and through the RedSea One ot the Three Kings of the Christianbirth story was carrying this valuable aromatic.Early settlement by Arabs, probably comingfrom modern Yemen during the first millennium( 1. and the arrival and rapid acceptanceot Islam in the 7th century created a degree ofunification among the peoples ot the easternend ot the Arabian Peninsula. Nevertheless,the great Hajar Mountains separated peopleon the seacoast from those in the interior,and the vast expanse of uninhabitable landacross the center ot the country separated thepeoples ot the north and the south. As Omaninfrastructure, and the environment. He hasalso sponsored cultural preservation projectsthat recognize the fragility ot loeal traditions111 the tace ot globalization. Oman knows thatits place in world history has created a uniqueculture that deserves support. Encouragementot traditional music and crafts coupled withlaws to preserve local architecture and historicsites have been the hallmark ot policies thatvalue the past and also anticipate the future.The accession ot Sultan Qaboos bin Saidand the Omani people's firm belief inIslamhave united a people with broadly differentexperiences and histories. This culturaldiversity is reflected in Oman's three vastlyexpanded itstrade, outside cultural influencesdifferent environments— the desert, the oasis,were added to this internal diversity. Persiansfrom the north, Indians from the east, andand the sea. The country's complex culturereflects its people's responses to each.SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL