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EveryMasala

Spices of Salalah and Dhofar

The Dhofar region of southern Oman, home of the frankincense trees that supplied the ancient incense routes.

Salalah and Dhofar

Traded and grown here

FrankincenseBoswellia sacra

Best time: June to September, during the Khareef, and October to March.

Dhofar, in the south of Oman, is one of the few places where Boswellia sacra grows, the tree that yields the best-known frankincense. The Land of Frankincense sites, including Khor Rori and Wadi Dawkah, are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Salalah clock tower
Photo: patano, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices and trade

Resin is collected by cutting the bark and letting the sap harden into tears, which are gathered some weeks later. Frankincense was shipped overland and by sea to the Mediterranean, India and beyond.

The place and its people

The Khareef, or monsoon mist, turns the hills green in summer. Frankincense is burned in Omani homes to scent rooms and clothes.

Visiting

Salalah's Al Hafa Souq sells frankincense and incense burners. Check what you buy, as grades vary.

A trail idea for Salalah and Dhofar

  1. Al Hafa Souq Buy frankincense by grade.
  2. Wadi Dawkah See the frankincense trees.
  3. Khor Rori Visit the ancient port ruin.
  4. Khareef season hills See the green monsoon landscape.
About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Dhofar" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.

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