Day 1 - Introducing Oman
Oman? Oh man.
The Omani empire? Never heard of it. I heard of the Ottoman empire, but probably has nothing to do with it? Rwanda, an Omani colony? Oh no, that doesn’t ring a bell. However, it was once a German colony, recaptured by the Belgians and, after the Treaty of Versailles whereby the German Empire was split up after World War I, became a Belgian mandate area. Zanzibar, the exotic island off the coast of Kenya, Omani territory? Never known. Oman that controlled the waters up to the Indian ocean? The first thing I hear about that. Oman, a grand empire reaching up to the borders of Iran and Pakistan? My God, we travel to learn and that is more than true in this case.
When I visited the neighboring country of Oman for a day during my trip through the United Arab Emirates last year, I immediately put Oman on my bucket list. Those a few hours spent on Omani territory cried out for more. And one year later I have the chance. Situating Oman geographically is not that difficult, giving it its rightful place in history is a bridge too far for most of us. In contradiction to a widely spread error in judgement, Oman is not part of the United Emirates. The opposite is actually true. The Emirates themselves belonged to the once important Omani empire that extended to India, Iran and Pakistan in the east and the East African coast including the island of Zanzibar in the West. It owned several colonies, including Rwanda and ruled the seas. Even the Indian ocean was under Oman's control. The large seafaring nations, including Portugal and England, had to pay toll to Oman. For 500 years, until the middle of the 19th century, it was a spearhead in the Middle East. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was one of the most prosperous countries.
The Sultanate of Oman, is one of the two remaining sultanates in the world (next to Brunei) and is an independent state, ruled by Sultan Qaboos. It is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It was officially known as Oman and Muscat until the 1970s. Until then it was a British protectorate and, unlike the United Arab Emirates, a barrel full of history. In 1970 the current Sultan came to power. Did he commit a coup d’etat removing his father from power or not? Officially is only known that he came to power with the support of England. He changed the name of the country to Oman to emphasize unity and saw that the country was in great poverty. There was only a total of 10 km of road network, no hospitals or schools, unless they were meant for the royal family. He invested in education, healthcare and infrastructure, naturally helped by the proceeds of the liquid black gold: oil. He also introduced voting rights for women. Thanks to oil and gas extraction since the 1970s, the country is doing well economically. Sultan Qaboos is worshiped as God even though he is an absolute monarch and is at the same time head of state, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs. He made the country a member of the United Nations and the Arab League and plays an active and important role in the peace process in the Middle East. But Sultan Qaboos and his country are primarily a noble stranger to us. The reason?
After its role in the history of the Gulf States, the country has followed a neutral course for years. As a bridge builder in the Middle East, the country wants to maintain good relations with its neighbors. Foreigners did not enter the country until the Sultan opened the borders. Tourism only really started a few years ago.
The country has long been under a veil of ignorance and has long been one of the poorest and most isolated countries in the world. Hopefully that will change in the coming days and will Oman shows its surprising beauty and proudly shows its history. In this way, the country will gradually be unveiled.
The Omani empire? Never heard of it. I heard of the Ottoman empire, but probably has nothing to do with it? Rwanda, an Omani colony? Oh no, that doesn’t ring a bell. However, it was once a German colony, recaptured by the Belgians and, after the Treaty of Versailles whereby the German Empire was split up after World War I, became a Belgian mandate area. Zanzibar, the exotic island off the coast of Kenya, Omani territory? Never known. Oman that controlled the waters up to the Indian ocean? The first thing I hear about that. Oman, a grand empire reaching up to the borders of Iran and Pakistan? My God, we travel to learn and that is more than true in this case.
When I visited the neighboring country of Oman for a day during my trip through the United Arab Emirates last year, I immediately put Oman on my bucket list. Those a few hours spent on Omani territory cried out for more. And one year later I have the chance. Situating Oman geographically is not that difficult, giving it its rightful place in history is a bridge too far for most of us. In contradiction to a widely spread error in judgement, Oman is not part of the United Emirates. The opposite is actually true. The Emirates themselves belonged to the once important Omani empire that extended to India, Iran and Pakistan in the east and the East African coast including the island of Zanzibar in the West. It owned several colonies, including Rwanda and ruled the seas. Even the Indian ocean was under Oman's control. The large seafaring nations, including Portugal and England, had to pay toll to Oman. For 500 years, until the middle of the 19th century, it was a spearhead in the Middle East. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was one of the most prosperous countries.
The Sultanate of Oman, is one of the two remaining sultanates in the world (next to Brunei) and is an independent state, ruled by Sultan Qaboos. It is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It was officially known as Oman and Muscat until the 1970s. Until then it was a British protectorate and, unlike the United Arab Emirates, a barrel full of history. In 1970 the current Sultan came to power. Did he commit a coup d’etat removing his father from power or not? Officially is only known that he came to power with the support of England. He changed the name of the country to Oman to emphasize unity and saw that the country was in great poverty. There was only a total of 10 km of road network, no hospitals or schools, unless they were meant for the royal family. He invested in education, healthcare and infrastructure, naturally helped by the proceeds of the liquid black gold: oil. He also introduced voting rights for women. Thanks to oil and gas extraction since the 1970s, the country is doing well economically. Sultan Qaboos is worshiped as God even though he is an absolute monarch and is at the same time head of state, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs. He made the country a member of the United Nations and the Arab League and plays an active and important role in the peace process in the Middle East. But Sultan Qaboos and his country are primarily a noble stranger to us. The reason?
After its role in the history of the Gulf States, the country has followed a neutral course for years. As a bridge builder in the Middle East, the country wants to maintain good relations with its neighbors. Foreigners did not enter the country until the Sultan opened the borders. Tourism only really started a few years ago.
The country has long been under a veil of ignorance and has long been one of the poorest and most isolated countries in the world. Hopefully that will change in the coming days and will Oman shows its surprising beauty and proudly shows its history. In this way, the country will gradually be unveiled.
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