O MAN CULTURE NAME Oman’s capital was located in the interior but Mus- Omani cat (Masqat), now the principal seaport, has served as the capital since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Northern Oman is separated from south- ALTERNATIVE NAMES ern Dhofar by several hundred miles of desert, Various peoples in Oman use regional names such which results in the cultural distinctiveness of the as Dhofari, which identifies them as being from the Dhofaris. southern region of Oman, or Zanzibari, which iden- Demography. Oman’s only census (1993) revealed tifies them as having close links with East Africa and a total population of 2 million, of which 1.5 million at one time Zanzibar. were Omanis. There were 175,000 residents of Dhofar. Census figures were not broken down into ethnic or linguistic categories, although it can be es- ORIENTATION timated that several hundred thousand Omanis Identification. Although Oman has existed as a were of Baluchi origin. About half the Omani popu- distinct nation for several thousand years, the mod- lation belongs to the Ibadi sect of Islam and a similar ern state—the Sultanate of Oman—is a creation of number belong to mainstream Sunni Islam. There the last two centuries. The traditional territorial are several small communities of Shia Muslims. concept of Oman was altered in this period by the Population growth is estimated at nearly 4 percent independence of the northwestern part of Oman as per year. the United Arab Emirates and the absorption into the sultanate of the southern region of Dhofar. Al- Linguistic Affiliation. Arabic is the principal lan- though the names of both Oman and Dhofar are guage spoken by Omanis, who have spoken it since clearly of great antiquity, their original meanings the immigration of Arab tribes nearly two millennia and sources are uncertain. While most northern ago. The Omani dialect generally is close to modern Omanis share a common Arab, Muslim, and tribal standard Arabic, although coastal dialects employ a culture, the people of Dhofar remain culturally dis- number of loanwords from Baluchi, Persian, Urdu tinct and often feel culturally closer to neighboring and Gujarati (two Indo-Aryan languages), and even regions in Yemen to the west. Portuguese. The mountain peoples of Dhofar, as well as several small nomadic groups in the desert Location and Geography. The Omani culture between Dhofar and northern Oman, speak a vari- owes much to the geography of the country. The ety of unique South Arabian languages that are not cultural heartland lies in the interior, in the valleys mutually intelligible with modern Arabic. Minority of the mountainous backbone which parallels the groups speak Arabic as well as their own languages coastal plains and the interior plains. Seas to the at home, and English is widely spoken as a second north and east and deserts to west and south have language. served to isolate the country from the outside world. At the same time, Oman’s presence on the Symbolism. The national symbol employs a pair of Indian Ocean has fostered a long maritime tradition crossed khanjars, the traditional daggers that all which has enriched the culture through the settle- Omani men wore until recently (and still wear on ment of many Baluchis (the Indo-Iranian people of formal occasions). This symbol is integrated into Baluchistan) along the northern coast and the inter- the national flag and appears in nearly all govern- action with East African cultures. Traditionally, ment logos. 1681 OMAN National Identity. The Omani national identity has evolved from its predominant Arab language N OMAN and culture, its tribal organization, and Islam. 0 100 200 Miles W E Oman withstood attempts by classical Islamic empires to subdue the country, and the Portuguese 0 100 200 Kilometers S invasion of the sixteenth century was confined to it of Ho IRAN S tra r m coastal ports and was terminated by national Om- Al Khasab¸ u z ani resistance in the mid-seventeenth century. Persian Gulf Bay'ah Shinas¯¸ Ethnic Relations. Although the dominant cultural Gulf of group in Oman is Arab and Ibadi/Sunni Muslim, Suhar¸ ¯ Abu Dhabi Al'Ayn Oman the culture has been very tolerant of other groups. Al Qabil¯ Ethnic, sectarian, or linguistic conflict rarely occurs UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Muscat Dank¸ Matrah¸¸ in Oman although tribal disputes are not unknown. Sabkhat Matti¸¸ Jabal ash (salt flat) Sham AL J 9,777 ft. ABAL 2980 m. ¸ Sur¸ ¯ As Suwyh¸ URBANISM,ARCHITECTURE, AND THE USE Adam Umm as Al Ashkharah OF SPACE SAUDI Samim (salt flat) The contemporary urban character of Omani cul- ARABIA Dawwah ture has strong ties to Indian Mogul architectural Khaluf¯ style. This is manifested in the seafront white- ¯¯ AR RUB' AL KHALI Jazirat Masi¸ rah washed two- and occasionally three-story residen- Duqm Khalij tial buildings that line the road along the harbor of Masirah¸ Matrah (Muscat’s sister city). It is also seen in the Jiddat al Harasis¸ ¯ Ra's al Madrakah style of some mosques and minarets with their slim Ghubbat and ornate shapes, as well as in public buildings Dawkah Sawqirah¸ Sharbatat¯ Sawqirah¸ such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Ra's alsh Sharbatat¯ Qurm. Other contemporary constructions are more ¯ Hasik¸ ¯ Jaza'ir¯¯ Hallaniyat¸ ¯ eclectic in style. ZUFAR¸ (Kuria Muria Is.) Habarut¯ Sadh¸¸ Ra's Mirbat¯¸ Earlier architectural styles found in the towns YEMEN Rakhyut¯ and interior cities of Oman, such as Nizwa, Ibri, Ibra, and Bahla, reflected a pared down and simpler cultural expression and use of space that was con- sistent with Ibadism, a relatively austere form of Islam. Arabian Private residences reflect the culture’s concern Sea Oman for gendered space. Most Omani homes have formal rooms for men and their visitors, while women generally socialize in each other’s private quarters. When people meet to mark various rites of passage, such as births, marriages, and deaths, the celebra- Oman tions are marked by clear gendered space. It is women who visit other women on the occasion of a birth in a family. Marriage rituals entail elaborate HISTORY AND ETHNIC RELATIONS celebrations for women only, for men only, and, Emergence of the Nation. Oman has a very long when space is open, with segregated sitting areas. Deaths are similarly marked by gendered use of history and was known as Magan to ancient Per- space, with only men attending the actual burial of sian and Mesopotamian civilizations and was an a body. important producer of copper and ornamental stone. The Arab tribes in Oman adopted Islam dur- ing the lifetime of the prophet Muhammad (c.570– FOOD AND ECONOMY 632) and forced the Persian colonizers to leave. Since Food in Daily Life. Omani cuisine revolves around then, Oman has generally remained an independent rice. The morning meal is not significant, often Arab and Ibadi/Sunni Muslim entity. consisting of bread or leftovers from the day before, 1682 OMAN and tea. The main meal of the day is in early to mid- also grown. Cattle are raised in Dhofar. Fish and afternoon. It is generally a large dish of rice with a shellfish exports create a steady income of roughly thin sauce often based on tomato or tomato paste $40 million (U.S.). and meat or fish. Pork does not exist in the Omani diet as it is prohibited by Islam. The evening meal is Major Industries. Oman is an oil-producing na- generally very light, sometimes consisting only of tion and revenues from petroleum products have fruit or bread and tea. The influence of Indian cook- been the backbone of Oman’s dramatic development ing is very strong. A variety of Indian restaurants over the last three decades of the twentieth century. are found throughout the country. In the capital But oil resources are not extensive and natural gas area, there are a number of Western fast-food estab- reserves are becoming more prominent, with lishments, as well as a variety of French, Italian, liquified natural gas exports expected to provide Japanese, and Chinese restaurants. significant new income in the early twenty-first century. Food Customs and Ceremonial Occasions. Dates, fresh or dried, are important to the diet and to the Trade. After oil, petroleum, and liquified gas, fish ritual of hospitality. Equally important is helwa, a and shellfish account for the majority of Oman’s sweet confection based on clarified butter, honey, export trade. The fish and shellfish are sold mainly and spices. Both are served to guests with strong, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, al- bitter, and often cardamom-scented coffee. During though some of this fresh product finds its way in Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, Omanis refrigerated trucks further north. Dates and limes refrain from eating or drinking between sunrise and are also exported. sunset. They break their fast with coffee and dates Division of Labor. Both men and women engage followed shortly thereafter by a ritual meal, often in agricultural activities: men work the date gar- shared with family and close friends, of elaborate dens, while women tend to the fields of wheat, foods heavy in oils and spices. barley, and alfalfa. Men go out in fishing boats or Basic Economy. A large percentage of Omanis live dive from the shore, while women often mend fish- in rural areas and many others own land and prop- ing nets. Children take on domestic agricultural and erty in the countryside even though they live and fishing tasks at an early age, nine being a common work in the towns. Many of those in the country- age for starting. The elderly are greatly respected side are self-sufficient farmers and fishermen.