History

Salalah is the second largest city in Oman and the capital of the Omani province of Dhofar. With a population of more than 175,000, the city is the traditional home of the Sultan of Oman, and is as rich with history as its hills are lush with tropical vegetation. Today, this southernmost city of Oman is home to large communities of residents from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

History of Frankincense

The area gained prominence in ancient times because of its wealth of frankincense, an extract commonly used for perfume and incense, as well as for many Judeo and Christian practices. Frankincense trees are native to this area, one of just a few places worldwide, and for this reason the city is often called the “perfume capital of Arabia.” Although the frankincense trade is not as strong as it was in ancient times, frankincense is still cultivated and sold widely throughout the city in many forms. Evidence of the Frankincense Trail can be viewed in a tour of the area where visitors can visualize how the 1,400 kilograms of frankincense were transported annually to the Mediterranean.

Notable Salalah History

Salalah was taken over by the Omani sultanate in the 19th century, and by 1932 it had become the capital of both Oman and Muscat, the country’s largest city. Originally the sultan settled in Salalah, but in 1970 the capital shifted to Muscat and he went to live there.

Salalah is home to the ruins of Sumharam, a fortified town with an important port that functioned from 100 BC to 400 AD. An area of religious significance, Salalah’s neighboring Jabal Gadu is the alleged resting place of Job as well as Nabi Imran, or the Virgin Mary’s father. An Nabi Ayub is an important Muslim pilgrimage destination known for Jacob’s tomb. Additionally, it is believed by residents of Salalah that the Queen of Sheba once owned a palace in the city.

Another area rich in history is Mirabat Fort, which is distinguished in that it hosted one of the last conventional attack and defense fortress battles in the world. An insurrection of pro-Communist Yemenis led to the mid-1970 attack, and the site has since been restored as a cultural tourist attraction in 1991.