Above: canyon
views at Al Aqr,
one of three
villages on the
Jabal Akhdar
walk. Opposite,
clockwise
from top left:
poolside at
Anantara
Al Jabal Al
Akhdar; Abdul
Aziz, doorman
at Anantara Al
Jabal; luqaimat
at Bait Al Luban
in Muttrah;
harvesting
resin from a
frankincense
tree; the Royal
Mountain
Villa bath at
Anantara Al
Jabal Al Akhdar.parliamentary elections. There are currently seven
women ministers in the government – “andthe Saudis
only just allowed women to drive cars”, he hoots.
There are more figures relayed to us with pride at
Muscat’s Grand Mosque, a majestic marble complex of
courtyards and arched walkways surrounding a prayer
hall for 6,500 worshippers. They kneel upon the second
largest hand-woven carpet in the world, Ahmed says.
It’s a 21-tonne masterpiece that took 600 women four
years to weave. The colossal crystal chandelier above
it measures fourteen metres by eight; a cherry-picker
is required to clean and change its 1,122 bulbs.
The branch of Islam practised in Oman is
called Ibadi, a liberal form of the religion that
preaches tolerance of race and religion with no
discrimination. The irrepressible Naima Ali,
a volunteer at the Islamic Cultural Centre in the
surrounding manicured grounds, greets us with
tea scented with cardamom and the obligatory dish
of dates. The centre opened in the wake of the
9/11 attacks in the US, she says, with the aim of
helping visitors learn more about Islam. “People
were confused,” she says. “We’re closing the gaps.
Some of the fog has lifted when they leave. I’m here
with a small hammer, breaking down barriers.”
The souks are as central to Omani daily
life as the mosques. About 20 kilometres from
downtown Muscat is the old port of Muttrah,
curled around a harbour in which traditional fishing
boats are dwarfed by the royal yacht. A tall arched
gate marks the entrance to the Muttrah Souk, one
of the oldest in Oman, perhaps the Arab world. It’s
a pleasurablyconfusing maze of narrow alleys lined
with shopsarranged roughly by wares: silver and
gold, pashminasand handicrafts, frankincense and
myrrh. This must be one of the few places in the
world where you can find the gifts of the three wise
men under one roof. Ground turmeric, tamarind
pods, cardamom, saffron, dried roses, lemons and
limes are amassed in kaleidoscopic displays. Bartering is
de rigueur, though not in the case of gold, and it pays
to have someone do it for you. The obliging nature of
the Omanis extends even to the touts, who show
nothing but good humour when we pass them by.
We have lunch overlooking the port at Bait Al
Luban, on the third floor of a 140-year-old former
guesthouse. Its décor is traditional – wooden fretwork
screens, brightly patterned cushions, a jalsa floor-
seating area – and so is the food. Paplou soup, made
with locally caught longface emperor, a type of bream,
is bright with turmeric. A salad of white onion
and tomato is peppered with strips of salted shark,
a staple. Shuwa is a specialty – lamb marinated in
oil and spices, wrapped in palm fronds, and roasted
in a fire pit for at least six hours. It’s served with
rice cooked in a meaty broth with chickpeas and
peppercorns, and a lemon-garlic sauce. Then come
the sweets, gently spiced and fragrant – first luqaimat
dumplings steeped in date syrup and honey and
scented with saffron, and then a final round, served
on a silver cake stand, of bite-sized treats made with
coconut and saffron, date and sesame, and caramelised
condensed milk. The experience is complete when
guests’ hands are doused in rosewater as they leave.➤GOURMET TRAVELLER 131