Rise in number of visitors to Oman's Land of Frankincense sites

Muscat: There has been an increase in the number of visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dhofar called the Land of Frankincense, according to the Directorate General of Heritage and Tourism in Dhofar.

17,155 visitors visited the sites in the first quarter of 2022, compared to 16,679 visitors during the same period in 2021.

8,005 people visited Al Baleed Archaeological Park and the Museum of the Frankincense Land, while 3,911 visited the archaeological site of Samharam. Furthermore, some 5,239 people went to Wbar, another ancient site.

Together, the Al Baleed Archaeological Park, Samharam, Wbar and the Wadi Dawkah archaeological sites are registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as the Land of Frankincense, as they represent outstanding universal value.

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, represented by the Directorate General of Heritage and Tourism in the Governorate of Dhofar, develops the sites and provides services and facilities in furtherance of the goals of cultural and archaeological tourism in the governorate.

According to UNESCO, “the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah and the remains of the caravan oasis of Shisr/ Wubar and the affiliated ports of Khor Rori and Al Baleed vividly illustrate the trade in frankincense that flourished in this region as one of the most important trading activities of the ancient and medieval world.

“The four components of the Land of Frankincense dramatically illustrate the trade in frankincense that flourished in this region for many centuries. They constitute outstanding testimony to the civilisations in south Arabia since the Neolithic age.”