Wadi Darbat from my Salalah Diaries

Darbat and Drishyam complement each other! Whenever, I remember this place called Wadi Darbat, I always have beautiful visual memories or 'Drishyam' of this place. No I am not talking about the latest Bollywood thriller 'Drishyam' here but about a beautiful location in Salalah that is a visual delight to anyone who visits Salalah. Wadi Darbat is a beautiful natural park located in the Dhofar region in the outskirts of Salalah in Oman.

By the way, 'Drishyam' in Sanskrit means a visual or a sight. And yes, I will be mentioning Drishyam many a times in this post since I watched this enthralling movie just a couple of days back. 

Now talking about Darbat, we didn't know that such a beautiful place did exist in Oman, until we visited this site. It was sometime dated back in September 2011 when my parents had come over all the way from India to visit us in Salalah. They missed the active social life in India and their friend circle since Salalah was not the kind of place where you would find many people around in your neighborhood. Luckily, though we were fortunate to have the company of very good neighbours - an aged but jolly good couple from our native place. My parents enjoyed their company during their short stay in Salalah. 

Out of the many trips we had, this trip was planned by our friendly neighbours who also escorted us and we truly had an enjoyable experience: A beautiful 'drishyam' to be treasured!

The greens as we approach Wadi Darbat

I don't remember how long it exactly took us to reach this destination for all the while we were occupied with laughter and chats with our friendly neighbours. This wadi was around 40-45 km distance from our residence in Salalah. We passed through mountains covered in lush greens, and when we reached the destination we were simply astounded by the view that greeted us - a wadi with a water body. Imagine seeing an oasis in the midst of a desert. But then as I mentioned in my earlier posts, Salalah is one place which turns green during the Khareef season; the brown mountains get covered with greens and its wadis are filled with water.

As we reached there, we spotted a few tea stalls along the roadside and the parking lot. It was around 5:00 pm in the evening, the weather was awesome, with the temperature, not exceeding 28 degree C.  We had carried our tea thermos and before we proceeded further ahead with our exploration, we gulped down some hot tea with a few titbits. The bank of the wadi was strewn with a few tents here and there; with some people relaxing and enjoying with their families and friends while some were paddling their boats around in the wadi waters. We too rented a boat and paddled ahead into the waters absorbing the greens around us. It was a memorable experience as we absorbed the vast greens around us and paddled our way ahead into the waters exploring the wadi. My feet ached after paddling for some 30 minutes continuously but then as they say 'no pains, no gains'. After the trip, we ended up with a wonderful dinner cooked with lots of love and effort from our good old neighbours. 

The food stalls by the roadside

The view from our water boat 

The river bordered by trees and greens

As we approach the tents along the bank

The view of mountains from our water boat

The hidden view behind the trees

Wadi Darbat is a beautiful and peaceful retreat in Salalah. It simply leads you away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, providing a very soothing and relaxing environment. It would be nice once in a while to escape to such tranquil environs; to escape from the daily grind, from weekend obligations, household chores and errands, to unwind and relax with your family members in a calm setting like this wadi. 

Just an afterthought, they should have shot this movie Drishyam here in Darbat, Salalah. Maybe some movie will be shot some day in this very location. Someday, Someway!

Magsail Beach from my Salalah Diaries

It has been a few months since we relocated to Dubai, but memories of Oman still linger in my mind. So, while I was organising my files and folder in my laptop I came across some pictures of Salalah, which were so beautiful that I had to share it here. While, it is hot and dusty here in Dubai, many people seek respite during the holidays by visiting nearby locations and one such popular destination is Salalah. Just rummaging through the pictures brought me the much-needed respite from the heat of Dubai!

It is Khareef season in Salalah. Khareef in Arabic means autumn but for Salalah and Dhofar region, it refers to the monsoon. The Khareef season lasts from June to September and the region gets its annual rainfall then. The entire region turns into a lush green area and its mountains are covered with fog. An enchanting and memorable experience for us and thousands of visitors from abroad who visit Salalah during the Khareef season. 

This particular beach is a must visit for anyone who goes to Salalah during any time of the year. Every time that we visited this beach, the roaring waves and the misty mountains, have always kept us enchanted. I can still remember sitting on the wooden bench there and absorbing the cool breeze from the sea, enjoying the beautiful views and relaxing my mind.

Here, are some pics I found in my folder which were clicked during our visit to the Magsail beach in Salalah, a popular destination for all, tourists and residents alike.

For more information on Salalah and places to visit you can check out my earlier post - A Glimpse of Salalah - Loved, Laughed and Lived!

A Weekend 'Whale'-Spent at the Natural History Museum, Muscat

It was a Saturday morning, a weekend, and there began my daughter's complaints of getting bored at home. So after a quick breakfast, I took her to a nearby green space, where she played for some time, and as we settled down on the lawn to relax, we spotted a board that pointed towards the Natural History Museum. This was the very museum she was telling me about all the while, during her vacations, but I couldn't locate it on the map. She had been there with her summer camp friends. I asked her if she wanted to go there again with me and in return she could be my guide. She agreed.

The signboard near the entrance to the Museum 

Housed in the premises of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MOHC) in Al-Khuwair, the Natural History Museum shares space along with another museum building viz. Sayyid Faisal Bin Ali Museum and a Library building. The Sayyid Faisal Bin Ali Museum showcases the fort architecture and traditional artillery, the glimpses of which, we found in the premises. On display were a traditional dhow and a group of cannons. My daughter was not interested in them and she dragged me towards the Natural History Museum.

Left Inset: The Library Building
Middle Inset: The Dhow and the cannons
Right Inset: Entrance to Sayyid Faisal Bin Ali Museum

There was a group of foreign visitors exploring the museum and we followed them in. The arched entrance, of the Museum, was marked with an emblem of a Caracal Lynx (a type of a desert cat) representing Oman's Natural wildlife. Near the entrance, we found a trunk of an old fossil tree about 260 million years old, and that was discovered in Al Wasta region. Thereafter, at the counter we collected our tickets and the information booklet, after making a minimal cash payment of 400 Baisa, wherein the entry fees for kids was 100 Baisa and for adults was 300 Baisa. (Note: 100 Baisa equals approx 16.0 INR). Thankfully I had some free cash stashed in my pockets or else it would have been a futile visit.

The Arched Entrance of the Natural History Museum

About the emblem - Caracal Lynx

Display near the entrance;
A trunk of the fossil tree

The Tickets and the Information Booklet

From there we proceeded on our exploration with my daughter as my guide. But then she was just a 6-year-old kid and since the tour she took was made sometime last year, I took over and explained to her about some of the exhibits. The exhibits were typically housed behind glass panels with information panels, and they included a range of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, all preserved in actual life-like settings. Looking at the exhibits made me realize what my daughter meant a year ago, when she told me about seeing nothing but 'stuffed animal toys' in the museum.

I asked her if the kids were then explained as to what they saw and her answer was negative. They were taken on a silent tour of the entire museum. So, as we moved from one display to another, I pointed at the explanations and information given in front of every exhibit she found interesting. She was glad to discover a quiz wheel and there followed a wide grin on her face, when on turning the wheel, her guess turned out to be the correct one. Another thing we noticed were the 'magic lights' (termed by my daughter) which were actually the motion sensitive lights that turned on as we moved ahead to study each exhibit.

The Quiz Wheel

The Museum was not a huge building, but rather a small space, that was packed with a lot of information under the same roof. We were happy that we were allowed to take photographs and video recordings too. Here, are a few pictures of some unique and interesting exhibits we found at the museum.

Arabian Tahr

The Arabian Oryx

The Sparrows

Types of Butterflies found in Oman

The Prickly Cockle

On seeing the 'Prickly Cockle,' my daughter was expecting to find a 'big pearl' in it. And then I diverted her attention to the display on Corals. Like her, I too was amazed to learn about corals. They were named cauliflower coral, lettuce coral, brain coral and vase coral; each named after the shape it took.

The Cauliflower Coral

After a complete round of the sections on Oman's geography, geology and local flora and fauna, we proceeded to the adjoining hall which was labeled as the Whale Hall. The entrance of the Whale hall is adorned with the bones of a baleen whale. On entering in, we were as astonished as the other visitors. On display was a huge skeleton of a sperm whale which was washed up on the coastline at Barka (in Oman) in the 1980s. The whale, when found, was 25 years old, 14.0 m long and its live weight could have been 35 tonnes. The hall had other smaller skeletons of dolphins and porpoises, with information and interesting explanations on each of these creatures, their breeding habits and search for food. The local guide escorting the foreign visitors pressed a button and the hall echoed with the call of dolphins and whales.

The entrance to the Whale Hall:
Arched with bones of a baleen whale

 Display outside the Whale Hall:
Part of a jaw from a baleen whale

Skeleton of the sperm whale:
Bone weight - 3.5 tonnes

Information Panel - The World of Whales

We had an amazing time at the Museum learning about the flora and fauna of Oman. Also, it had been a long time since I had actually visited a Museum and it was the first time with my daughter. On visiting the whale museum what amazed us most was the scale of the Skeleton. My daughter commented that she could actually play with her friends there inside that belly which looked like a big cage. And then I made the mistake of reminding her of Pinocchio's adventure when he was swallowed by a big whale, for at the end of the day, I had to narrate the story of Pinocchio with special highlights on the 'whale' portion. However, it was a weekend 'whale'-spent.

Sometimes visiting a quiet place, with your dear and near ones, is more interesting and perhaps more fun than partying with loud music or traveling on wheels for hours. This small trip on a holiday spent with my daughter will always one of the most memorable trips in my travelogues.

Muscat Festival 2015 - A Dizzy Dazzle Show

Muscat Festival 2015 - At Naseem Garden, Muscat

It was the end of Valentine week, the last day of Muscat Festival 2015 and a weekend too. My daughter was complaining about us not taking her to any of the Muscat Festival venues, and that all her friends had already visited them and blah, blah....So with the little time we had in hand, we decided to fulfill her wishes and take her to one of the locations.

Muscat Festival is an annual event celebrated to showcase all aspects of Oman's culture including its handicrafts, folklore, heritage, and history. This Festival began in Muscat since 1998, and it has been successful in portraying the past and present development of Oman and at the same time promoting tourism. It is a month long event, held at a couple of outdoor locations in Muscat and attracts millions of visitors every year. Organized by the Muscat Municipality, it receives financial aid and contributions from various sponsors who in return look forward to this event for their marketing and promotional opportunities. This event is organized every year in two different locations viz. Amerat Park (around 25kms from Muscat city) and Naseem Park (around 45kms from Muscat city). 

This year the theme for the Festival was 'Oman Fascinates' focused to attract family and children alike. It was a month-long celebration from 15th of Jan to 14th of Feb. Getting reviews from our family friends, we made up our mind to visit Naseem park. Also, we'd already visited Amerat park last year, so this time we decided to explore the other venue. 

Roadmap: Muscat city to Naseem Park

A short drive for around 30-35 minutes and we were almost there. The garden had many entrances and special parking arrangements were made during the Festival to cope up with the excess parking especially during weekends. However, since it was the Valentine's day and also the last day of the Festival, the parking ground was fully occupied. It took us about 25-30 minutes to find an empty space for our vehicle. Thereafter, a quick stop for the tickets and we started our exploration. Entry to Amerat park is free while at Naseem park there's a fee of 200 Baisa for an adult and 100 Baisa for kids. I sort of liked the golden embossed designs on the tickets and took a quick snap of them before handing them over to the security at the entrance of the garden. 

Entry tickets to Naseem Park

We knew that it was a big park but what we didn't know was the amazing strength of our daughter who eagerly walked with us without any complaints to cover the entire stretch just waiting to discover the dinosaurs that she had heard about from her friends. Naseem garden is built on the models of Arabic and Japanese style of landscaping and it sprawls over an area of around 75,000 sq m.

A Japanese style stone lantern, Naseem Garden

At the entrance, we found a map showing the arrangements made for the festival in different locations. The script was in Arabic, but we could guess what's where from the pictures made on the map. Also, there were brightly lit sign boards all around the park in English (thankfully) indicating the locations.

Naseem Garden - Map showing the Festival arrangements

So, as we walked we passed by some refreshments stalls, and finally reached our most awaited destination - the Dinosaur village. What we saw would keep us enthralled for many more days to come. And as I write this, I can still picture them around me. There were around 14 life-size Dinosaur model from the Jurassic park movie. From Brachiosaurus to Velociraptors, these Dinosaurs even moved their giant tails and their huge jaws open and closed. The overall animated effect combined with lights made the dinosaurs look real indeed. We were happy to see the wide grin on our daughter's face that made our visit priceless. And here's the conversation that took place between the two of us as we watched the dinosaurs.
She said: "Mom, the dinosaurs are so cute, Can we take them home?"
My reply: "What? for dinner?...they'll have you for dinner instead!"
She snapped back: "No, we'll have dinner with them." and without waiting for my reply, she spoke to them (as if they were alive): "Dinosaurs please come home with me." 
I smiled and just wondered at the innocence of a child. Dinner with a Dinosaur! As adults, we are always scared and afraid of a million things in life. It is indeed this very innocence of a child that lets you enjoy truly without any fear and inhibitions. When being with a child, be a child yourself, I thought and enjoyed our trip.

The Dinosaur village at Naseem Garden

Thereafter we proceeded to explore the other activity areas too. Immediately we spotted a fort-like structure enclosing a souk (marketplace). Outside the enclosure, we saw an Omani dance being performed by a group of locals dressed in black. They performed beautifully, in tandem with the drum beats. We also spotted a stall wherein there was a live demonstration of making of the Omani halwa and many locals were purchasing it too.

Left Inset: Omani dance performance by the locals
Right Inset: The making of Omani Halwa

Inside the souk, there were various objects for sale viz, abayas, spices, perfumes, winter wear, blankets, bags and accessories, and much more. The souk was bustling with people who were mostly locals, a few Indians and few more from other nations.

Left Inset: Entrance to the souk
Middle Inset: Omani spices on display
Right Inset: Packages of Omani spices

Display of Abayas, Perfumes, and Jewellery

We just came out from the souk and we were greeted with balloon sellers who were selling balloons at ridiculously high prices. One seller offered to sell a balloon at 2.0 OMR while another one at 2.5 OMR. Imagine the disappointing look on my daughter's face when we refused to buy one at such a price. Luckily for us the fireworks began and captured all her and our attention too. The sky was lit with dazzling fireworks and people around us stopped all their activities and simply enjoyed the breathtaking view. This beautiful firework lasted for nearly 5 minutes. All the while, I was so dazzled by the fireworks, I didn't realize that I'd spoken out loud that 'they are over' and somebody screamed back from the crowd 'not yet'. Truly, there was another round of the dazzling show and with that I simply smiled as I realized that like me, everyone else wanted to see more and more of the dazzling show.

Fireworks at Naseem Garden

We were a little tired by now, so we proceeded to the refreshment area. We settled down on the green lawns with some refreshments in hand and enjoyed watching the performance of child acrobatics on the large LED-lit stage. 

It was already late, but we were ready to explore more and so we were back on our feet. We started in the direction that said family area. And to my daughter's delight it turned out to be the section designated for rides. This time we couldn't refuse and we had to buy tickets to experience one of the rides. We selected a train ride, thinking it to be less risky for our 6-year old, as well as for us who weren't much of adventure seekers at this age. Well, we were in for a surprise. The ride started slowly at first and then the train surged ahead at a high speed and it twirled around the central axis that made us all dizzy, it slowed and then twirled in a reverse direction around the central axis; all three of us felt so sick after this ride that we pledged not to sit in a similar one ever again. We found one cute ride though - a teapot with tea-cups rotating around it. But then one ride was enough for that day. There were other activities too for the kids like horse rides, tattoo painting etc. We also found a stall where one old gentleman was painstakingly making live portraits. 

Different rides in Naseem Garden for Muscat Festival 2015

Finally, it was time to get back home. We returned home with heads - dizzy from the ride and eyes - dazzled from the firework show. Gratefully, we had a peaceful dinner remembering the dinosaurs. So, there I was thinking that this Valentine's day I would just end up dating the dates, but my husband turned up home on the weekend and we ended up with a dizzy and a dazzling date with the dinosaurs. Apart from the dizzy dazzle show, Muscat Festival 2015 will be remembered by us for its beautiful location, various activities highlighting the Omani heritage and culture, and the spirit of celebration that brought joy and excitement to the minds of children and adults alike.

Muscat Festival 2015 at Naseem Garden 

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Dating The Dates This Valentine's Day

In India, Valentine's day finds a mixed reaction; Many people are still reluctant to celebrate this day considering it as a threat to traditional Indian values. However, it holds the favorite place in the heart of the youths who heartily welcome it every year. While, the married couples - some newly married ones or those who are more romantically inclined would definitely celebrate this day in various ways possible: by going out for dinners, movie outings, shopping gifts for loved ones and so on. I remember the malls in the cities decorated with heart-shaped balloons and lovely flowers. Many stores offer discounts on gift items - especially targeting the youth and jewelry stores offer discounts on diamonds targeting couples. And yes during my college days, it used to be a day filled with fun - beginning with the exchange of cards and flowers amongst the students and sometimes even the teachers and professors, proposals to pretty girls, chocolates to girlfriends, cards to sweethearts, heartbreaks for some, and so on. The day ended with love, emotions, and high drama, where some gain while some lose. Probably, the ones who make the most on this day, are gift stores selling cards, flowers and other gift items and jewelry shops offering special discounts on jewelry items.

Luckily for me, my marriage anniversary falls during the Valentine week. With my husband stationed for his job elsewhere, we were unable to celebrate our anniversary day together but he will be there on the Valentine's Day. So, as all the couples gear up for the Valentine's day, here I am dating the dates.

Last weekend during my grocery shopping, I was greeted by a beautiful sight at the entrance of the Hypermarket. It was a display of all Omani products that ranged from cooking oil to cookies, deodorants to detergents and more. What caught my attention though were the dates of Oman. After finishing my grocery shopping, I visited the dates counter - a corner which I used to never ever give a second look except for perhaps buying the date syrup once in a while. However, this time I had this in the back of my mind that we shall be leaving Oman soon and so I made up my mind to try and taste them. I stopped at the counter and asked the seller to give me a sample of all the dates that were locally available in Oman.

Promotion of Omani products at the Hypermarket

'Harmony Dates' -  A Counter selling Dates and its Products

The counter had dates from UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. He gave me small sample packets of dates viz. Bunaringa, Handhal, Fardh, and Khalas. I was expecting more date varieties, but he said he was out of stock currently, and that most of the varieties will be found during the Ramadan season when there is high demand for dates. Knowing that I would soon confuse the names I asked him to label each packet and he gladly obliged. I learned from the seller that these dates were named after the region they were grown in and these dried dates had a shelf life of up to a year. The price of the Omani dates varied as per season and ranges from 1.5 OMR/kg to 2.0 OMR/kg. During Ramadan, the demand for dates is high as the traditionally the Muslims break their daylong fast with this fruit, hence the prices of dates during that time of the year is at the peak.

The date counter was lined up with lot of other products made from dates: date syrup, date paste with dry fruits, date halwa, dates with chocolate, dates with almond, dates with cashews, dry dates, etc.

Range of date products at the counter

Back at home with my grocery shopping, I couldn't find the time to savor them at all. Lying in front of me were these tiny brown dried fruits ready to be devoured. Finally, I couldn't resist just waiting and watching and decided to have a bite of each. Each variety had a slightly different texture, had a little size variation with Bunaringa being smallest in size and were in different shades of brown with Khalas being of light golden brown in color. In terms of taste, they varied in sweetness. Of these, I liked the sticky, dark brown and sweetest of them all - the Fardh.

My bowl of dates - Fardh, Bunaringa, Handhal, Khalas

Dates are found all over the world with top producers being Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Oman is ranked 7th among the top ten date producers in the world. 75% of the land of Oman is dedicated to date farming, and it produces more than 200 indigenous varieties of dates out of which 20 varieties have commercial value. Some of the 20 kinds of best dates of Oman: Abu daan, Abu naranjah, baql, barni, barshi, bunaringa, fardh, hilal, handhal, jabri, Khasab, khalas, khunaizi, madluki, masli, minawi, nagal, qass, qashkantarah, sallani, sahal, suwaih, tabaq, xalas, xasab, xinezi, zabd. Now these names were like tongue twisters! Khalas and Khunaizi are a popular variety among the Omanis and these two varieties form almost 50% of date cultivation among the other varieties, while Fardh is a common variety to be exported all over the world.

Health Benefits of Dates

Researching further, I was amazed to find that this small dark colored fruit has so many health benefits. It can boost the energy level of a person within half an hour of consuming it and is a good source of sugar, fibers, various vitamins and minerals, and carbohydrates.

• It prevents abdominal cancer
• Promotes healthy bowel movements 
• Strengthens the bones
• It provides energy for anemic patients
• Reduces allergic reactions
• Boosts the nervous system
• Reduces the risk of stroke
• Lowers night blindness
• Helps maintain a healthy weight. 

The American Cancer Society states that consuming one date a day will help maintain your eye health all your life. Now what more do you want from a fruit!

A popular magazine for the youth here states that dates are like traditional life insurance. The Omanis have been following a tradition that when a son is born they plant a shoot of the date palm too. It grows along with the child providing the many benefits to him. Below is a picture I had captured a few months ago at Qurum Centre in Muscat which is of much relevance in this post. This mural on the outer walls of the mall depicts a farm laborer collecting dates from the fully laden date palm. It also highlights the importance of date cultivation in Oman. An interesting find was that no birds or bees are attracted to the flowers of the date palm, which implies that the date palm growers have to pollinate the flowers by hand.

A Mural on the wall of Qurum Centre, Muscat

The importance of date palm as an ornamental tree is highlighted by the fact that all around Muscat, the roads and avenues, are adorned with date palms.

A road in Muscat lined up with date palms

Talking about us Bengalis and 'Khejur Gur' 

Most of us have a sweet tooth and no festival or puja is celebrated without sweets in our homes. I remember my mother making them with so much verve and enthusiasm and she still does so, and we consumed them within a few hours of her having made them. I remember my mother making patishapta (rice pancakes in milk flavored with palm jaggery), payesh (rice pudding in palm jaggery), sandesh (cottage cheese with palm jaggery), naru (coconut laddo with palm jaggery) and many more. In all of these desserts, palm jaggery (Khejur Gur in Bengali) was the prime ingredient that gave it a distinct taste. Now this traditional jaggery was not found in all parts of India. It is extracted from palm trees cultivated in West Bengal and Bangladesh (on the eastern side of the country). So, for us Probashi Bengalis, residing in the western part of the country, palm jaggery was a rare commodity. We requested our friends and relatives visiting Bengal, to bring palm jaggery for us on their next visit. So this is how we sourced our palm jaggery all the way from Bengal. I don't have any pictures of those delectable sweets and savories prepared by my mother, but the taste of those mouthwatering sweets vividly lingers in my memory.

Here in Muscat, some Bangladeshi stores do keep a stock of palm jaggery sourced from Bangladesh. I often use palm jaggery in simple preparations like tomato date chutney, date flavored milkshakes, payesh (rice pudding), chocolate and date cakes, etc. And no, I am not going to write any recipes here, for cooking is not my forte.

A Date Palm in Muscat

Sharing with you all, some beautiful quotes (my favorite ones) for this Valentine week:

"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses." - Ann Landers

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M Schulz.

"If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love." - Maya Angelou

"They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything." - Bil Keane

"We are most alive when we're in love." - John Updike

Petunia Blossoms under the palm

And finally, just seven lines from my pondering pen for our seventh marriage anniversary dedicated to just us:

He and I

He laughs when I lament,

He criticizes when I comment,

He hugs when I am hurt,

He forgives when I forget,

He tolerates while I torment,

He abstains while I argue,

He loves me while I laud him.

An afterthought: In India, it is believed that marriage is a pious bond not just for this life but extends over for seven ages. So, while the Valentine's week lasts for seven days only, true love lasts forever. So here's wishing all of you a very Happy Valentine's Week - Celebrate this eternal feeling of love with your loved ones. Cheers.

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On our next visit to the same Hypermarket on the Valentine's day, we were greeted with a pleasant sight in the vegetable section. Though this one has nothing to do with the dates, it certainly has a link with the Valentine's day. So here, I am adding the new pics I clicked there.

Left Inset: Tomatoes with garlics in the background
Right Inset: Strawberries with garlics in the background

sources referred:
nizwa.net
organicfacts,net
omancoast.blogspot.com
omantours.com
timesofoman.com
wikipedia.org
y-oman.com